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On the heels of an excellent Thyroid Patient STTM Community Call on iodine with guest Stephanie Buist (see below), it was just announced by the Food Standards Authority of Australia and New Zealand (FSANZ) that Australia will add the micronutrient iodine to bread. New Zealand already started that practice in September of last year.

The announcement mentions the importance of iodine to thyroid functioning, as well as for infant brain and nervous system, both during and after pregnancy.  For the latter, it states “Not having enough iodine during pregnancy and early childhood can cause developmental delay and lead to reductions in mental performance. This damage prior to 2-3 years of age is irreversible.”

Apparently, the  soils of Australia and New Zealand are not too prolific in iodine, and patient levels have been revealing that fact for decades. But Stephanie Buist, the friendly and knowledgeable owner of the yahoo group Iodine, as well as a thyroid cancer survivor, states that even most US soils are becoming depleted.  It’s not just a problem of the northern US “goiter belt”, Europe or Africa anymore.

The importance of iodine goes even farther than thyroid functioning, pregnancy and infant brain development. It has a key role in breast health, your immune system, bones, estrogen metabolism, lung health, eyes, and cancer prevention. The iodine4health website lists many benefits as well as areas not understood yet.

How much do we need? Experts like Abraham, Flechas and Brownstein will emphatically state that we probably need more than is recommended.  At least 50 mg of iodine may be necessary for awhile to bring your levels back up to healthy amounts, besides stop the the side effects of iodine on hashimotos disease.  i.e. thinking you are getting enough iodine naturally from foods, or even from natural desiccated thyroid like Naturethroid, Erfa’s Thyroid, or compounded, may not be so.

How do you find out if you are iodine deficient? Stephanie stated on the Community Call that the majority of folks probably are deficient. But if you want to be sure, you can do the Iodine Loading Test.

What are good iodine supplements? Lugols is an liquid variety, and my husband and I personally use it in our morning juice or Emergen C (my husband uses Emergen C in water since he’s diabetic, and it’s a good way for him to get his Vitamin C).   In pill form is Iodoral, developed by Abraham.  You can google either and find some website sources. Also good to take with iodine supplementation is magnesium, Vitamin C, and selenium, which helps with the detox effects.

You can listen to the recording of Stephanie’s and my conversion on iodine by going to the link below for Episode 5 of the Thyroid Patient STTM Community Call. (Yes, I will correct the skipping you hear in my voice next time.)

Read Diana’s experience with iodine helping her get off desiccated thyroid. Not something we can all do, but it happened to her!

STTM’s Armour-vs-other-brands page now has information on desiccated thyroid in Denmark, Germany and Italy: www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/armour-vs-other-brands Thanks go to Julia Hendryx for alerting me about the brand in Denmark!

If I need to add more info or corrections, please use the Contact Me form at the bottom of any page on Stop the Thyroid Madness.

THIS PATIENT REVOLUTION for a better hypothyroid treatment is working! Desiccated thyroid brands which were almost extinct from low use are now seeing a comeback. Another comeback?? PATIENT HEALTH!! T4-only meds do NOT work, unless an elevator which only goes to the 5th floor of a 50 story building….works. My quote; my words.

p.s. See the post below about the importance of your potassium levels, and below that, how being hypothyroid can affect your liver, and my opinion of that fact with T4 meds vs. desiccated thyroid, which one comment disagrees with.  For the May 7th post, comments are still coming in about the “New” Armour. Express yours, and let’s hope that just raising it will do the trick, in spite of the loss of being able to do it sublingually as easy as before–a sad loss.

*Want to be informed of my blog posts? Curious what’s on my mind? Use the Notifications on the bottom left of the links.

As Susan Boyle of the UK had a dream which came true, I too wish from the deepest place in my heart that someday soon, SOMEONE from the mass media will FINALLY get smart and do a wide-reaching story for the hundreds of millions who are still on T4 meds like Sythroid, Levoxyl, Levothyroxine, Eltroxin, Oroxine…and who have depression or a myriad of other lingering symptoms of a sucky, laughable and shameful treatment.  This video inspires me today just as it did a few weeks ago.  Enjoy and dream with me. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bFzS0wgwyW4&annotation_id=annotation_179773&feature=iv

Janie

*Want to be informed of my blog posts? Curious what’s on my mind? Just use the Notification on the left at the bottom of the links.

*See below on how being on T4 meds can affect your liver. And below that–why I’m handing my promise ring back to Forest Pharmaceuticals.

I can remember a few people the past year who proclaimed fervently that Armour was being discontinued because of the shortage.  And I chuckle about it.  Hopefully, my previous posts helped calm that fear.

But in case you haven’t heard, those larger sizes are back!  And you can keep track of what’s going via the Forest Pharmaceuticals customer product availability hotline: 1-866-927-3260  As of today, April 19, they state that the one grain tabs (60 mg) and 1 1/2 grains tabs (90 mg) are on backorder, and will catch up with production on April 20th, tomorrow as I am writing this.  We’ll see.

Unfortunately, the new formulation has made Armour lacking in sweetness, and it’s almost impossible to do it sublingually.  Sad. Maybe another pharmaceutical will get the hint. In the meantime, if you swallow your desiccated thyroid, make sure to avoid calcium, iron and estrogen at the same time. And if you’ve been doing it sublingually, and have to switch to swallowing, you may need a tad more.

Remember: if you have any issues with natural Armour desiccated thyroid in the treatment of your hypothyroidism, you can always ask your doctor for a prescription switch to Naturethroid or Westthroid, both fine FDA-approved, US Pharmacopeia standard prescription desiccated thyroid.

Janie

Want to be informed of my posts? Curious what I am raving about as a Thyroid Patient Activist? You can sign up for a Notification at the bottom of the links to your left.

P.S. If you haven’t bought the Stop the Thyroid Madness book yet, wanted to tell you that numerous patients are emailing me, stating they find the book even easier to refer to than this vast website (plus it has more details and information).  So if you want the ease of referral, the book may be the way to go.

Last week, I had found my blood pressure quite high for me! Upper 140’s and some 150’s for my Systolic, and upper 90’s and lower 100’s for my Diastolic.   Stage One hypertension!  I was pretty sure my 4 grains may suddenly be a tad too high since entering meno.  My temps and heartrate implied that, too.

I got off Armour for two days to use up some excess, got back on one, then on 2 grains multi-dosed.  My plan is to make my way back up to 3 1/2 grains by a week or slightly more…and see.

In the meantime, I have been using some blood pressure lowering supplements (high dose potassium, grape seed extract, Braggs Apple Cider Vinegar in juice, more CoQ10 than normal, plus my regular supplements).  I was more faithful to my treadmill walking (thanks to an April that still thinks it’s winter), and meditating. The latter two definitely helped lower both the Systolic and Diastolic, even if not low enough for my ideal.

For the last five days, my BP readings have still been too high. All those days, I had been seated on our couch. I put a pillow in my lap, laying my arm on that pillow, which meant my arm was slightly downward.  Sometimes my wrist would hang off the pillow.

Today, I decided I wanted to test something I have read. Namely, it’s actually quite important how you place your arm. The recommended way is placing your arm perpendicular to your body and at the height of your heart or a tad higher, all while comfortable resting on something.  Elbow can be flexed, but your arm must still be perpendicular to your body and about heart height or slightly higher.

Below are four of my most recent afternoon BP readings with pulse: two with the Left arm, then two with the Right arm.

L:  139/106   98  (arm hanging down and resting on seated leg)
L:  122/88 89  (arm up, perpendicular to my body, supported by pillows)
R:  141/87     92  (arm hanging down and resting on pillow)
R:  123/85 89 (arm up, perpendicular to my body, supported by pillows)

What you should note is that the first L reading, and the first R reading, were with the arm relaxed on a pillow but lower than my heart.  The second of each is with the arm on two pillows, putting it perpendicular to my heart,  with elbow flexed, and all of arm completely supported.

I was shocked! Putting my arms in what research is saying is the CORRECT position gave me much better readings. I am VERY pleased with the 122 and 123.  Much better. And though the 88 and 83 Diastolics are not to my liking yet, and tell me I need more work, the difference between the arm positions was stunning….as is the difference in what I’ve been getting for five days.

More info: it was brought to my attention that taking a second BP reading is usually always lower anyway. Ah, I thought, that’s correct! So to test this information based on research, I went back last night before bedtime. First took my BP with my arm in the upper correct position. Then the second time, took it with my arm down.

138/89 (up perpendicular to body; level with heart) pulse 80
146/100 (arm down) pulse 82

The second did NOT go down. It went UP! Interesting.

*Want to be informed of the STTM blog postings?? Curious what’s on my mind? Just use the Notifications to the left at the bottom of the links.

**Are you in the US and want to help make sure we don’t end up like the UK, having our Armour taken away?? In the post below, I have given you SEVEN STEPS that I hope you will follow through on!  YOU can make a difference.