Iodine Deficiency - My Story!

by Ann
(Fairfield, CA)

As teens, we bought tincture of iodine and poured it into small bottles of baby oil and smeared the stuff all over ourselves when we went out to tan.

I grew up on the east coast in one of the small states and visited the beaches and pools to get that gorgeous golden look. I am paying for it dearly now...have had 3 basal cell carcinomas removed from my face, all close to my nose (which I think were partially worse because of reflection off sun glasses and eyeglasses). I always wondered what that iodine MAY have done....

I was 24 when someone finally said something about the ring around my neck, (which I really had not noticed) diagnosed as a benign goiter.

A scan revealed the gland was 4x the size it should be, but was functioning "normally." In preparation for marriage at age 28, I had thorough blood work and scans done to be sure my future husband (and I) knew what we may be getting into...and were told that anything could eventually cause the gland to fail....especially pregnancy.

I had at least 2 miscarriages (quite early) before finally giving birth to our first child after 7 years of marriage, followed in 17 mos by our second born.

By the time she was 6 mos old, I dragged myself into the doctor's office complaining of being so tired, and unable to lose the baby-weight. Tests revealed the thyroid had "failed" and now I reluctantly began synthroid (all the doctors and health plans I have been on have absolutely REFUSED to give me Armour, and almost ALWAYS only take a TSH level to determine how much levothyroxine to give me. NO KIDDING!! Despite all my reading, begging, printouts, etc., NOPE, none would do it. So why did I go along with their nonsense?

My loyal hardworking hubby has a great employer paying exorbitant monthly health insurance premiums to cover us and we couldn't afford out of plan health care....can you imagine the cost of testing, doctor bills, and meds, in addition to our own co-pays, and deductible insurance payments....

When my youngest was 4, I underwent surgery to have the isthmus removed from the thyroid. It was full of cysts which docs had thought may be thyroid cancer. The 2 lobes of the thyroid were left but the goiter look is gone because of the absence of the isthmus.

Over the years, the thyroid dosage has occasionally been lowered and is now at 125 mcg.

Hindsight: I wish we would have gone outside our health plan anyway. I know I would have been in better health by now.

I have no hair on legs, and arms, (and alarmingly thinning on scalp), with the non-existent half-brows (and shrinking) my nails are thin, brittle, have odd ridges developing like waves on the thumbnails about every 3 mos or so, weight gain without loss, lack of energy, etc., etc., New health care plan switch AGAIN just this year. New doctor....tell her all this....what does she order: of course, JUST a TSH and it comes back "normal" so she tells me to just keep on keeping on. All my bloodwork came in "normal." (CBC, WBC diff, Chole, ALT, Gluc., TSH (Of course!), Electrolytes...blah, blah, blah.

Do I FEEL good? No! I feel forgetful, sluggish, foggy-brained, and have to be a makeup artist to camouflage the scars, white patches, and thinning hair. I'm only 60 and don't think I can live to 90 like my Mom.

I developed vitiligo about 5 years ago (can never tan again--I look worse with tan patches...kinda like a pinto horse) and it's spreading relentlessly and rapidly...this "leukoderma" condition's cause is essentially unknown but is most often thought to be linked to adrenal depletion or adrenal fatigue (which is: Hmmmm...also often linked with hypothyroidism).

I've never been checked for adrenal function or integrity. No one has ever said anything about the possible iodine connection to all of this.

Your site was found because I was following links for possible treatment for my daughter's keloids from acne on her shoulders....(we'll try the Lugol's and also the peroxide/baking soda if the iodine doesn't work).

All of my issues are classified as autoimmune disorders. Oh, yes, I have cherry angiomas and getting more all the time, and was shocked to see the connection between bromine and iodine. Do you think anyone ever mentioned the possibility of iodine insufficiency to me?

Well, I submit my rant here because no one else has been listening to me

Your site mentioned iodine deficiency? That led me to this part of the website so I could at least get it all off my chest!

Thanks!

RESPONSE

Ann, I wrote to you offsite but did not receive a response back.

I wish you well. It sound like adrenal deficiency is also suspect here besides the iodine deficiency.

Take a look at adrenal fatigue and adrenal fatigue symptoms