Iodine Patch Test (To See If You Need Iodine Supplement) Uncorn People May Need This One.

[dilettantesteph]

To see if you need more iodine:

 

Do after showering or washing for the day.

Take some topical iodine and paint a quarter size amount on your SKIN. 

Check the spot in 24 hours, if it is still there, forget about it.

If the spot has disappeared, you need an iodine supplement., or you washed or rubbed it away!

If one does the test for a few days, or begins supplements, the spot should absorb more slowly as time passes.  I had one go 2 or 3 days when I tried this years back.

 

I think that you may have been mislead with this test.  I don't think that it would show iodine deficiency.  Do you have any evidence that it works?  I think that a medically proven test for iodine deficiency would be better.

[1desperateladysaved]

My evidence is admittedly subjective.  There are many alternative practitioners (mine included) that mention the test, but that doesn't always means it works.  The Thyroid is supposed to keep the body at normal temperature.  My early morning temp. under the arm went from 95.7 (at first check the day before I started iodine, but after I started the patch test).  My temp had been 94.6 the evening before.  My early morning temp since has been a stable  96.7 when I have remembered to take it.  My chills have lessoned.  I had been really cold dunning two hooded sweatshirts on top of a long sleeve shirt and jumper.  But I will tell you that the weather has warmed some too.  Still, I dressed unusually warm compared to my family members.

 

I do feel better, but we all now that is very subjective.  Still subjective evidence is some evidence.

 

My plan for testing is to continue present coarse as I noted above.  In 6 months I am supposed to recheck my thyroid function.  If it rises to optimal level, that would be more evidence.

 

Iodine Deficiency:

 

Quoting from Home Study Course In the New Nutrition, Ruth Yale Long, PH.D.  My book is copyright 1989.  Iodine is essential for man because, without iodine, the thyroid gland can't produce its hormone, thyroxin, which regulates the rate of metabolism (how fast we use foods.  ...Too little thyroxin makes a person overweight and sluggish.  Essential processes of the body slow down: the rate of the heartbeat, conduction of nerve impulses and thinking."

 

Deficiency in pregnancy can cause stillbirths, malformed infants and cretins.  A slight deficiency can cause mental retardation.  Ruth Yale Long, PH.D  notes that doctor's drugs can be inhibitors of iodine.

 

Early symptoms (are vague) but include lethargy, frequent tiredness, sensitivity to cold and general ill feeling.  Later the patient has a bloated appearance, with puffiness in the face, thick dry skin, sparse coarse hair, muscle weakness, slow thinking and hoarseness.  Edema (collection of fluids_ is common.  The heart is often dilated and flabby, and the patient may rapidly develop atherosclerosis." 

 

"Excess iodine may contribute to a disease called Hashimoto's thyroiditis...An excess may also make a person underweight and very active.  He may not sleep well."

 

End quotes and excerpts from the Home Study Course in the New Nutrition.

 

 

To note my symptoms include:

A bloated appearance.  Puffy face.  Edema, besides those I already mentioned.  In the past I had been losing hair.  Pre gluten and pre-supplement days this was worse. but are actually more noticeable now as they are sometimes absent.  My weight is very stable borderline high even though I eat very little sugar. 

 

I will consider with my MD, Chiropractor, and Functional Medicine Providers whether seeing an Endrocrinologist is right for me.  I rather doubt it because of my test results did not warrant medical attention.  I am noting some improvements.  If I do see one and have my choice, it will be one that is trained in Functional Medicine and I know they are out there.

 

http://www.thyroid.org/what-is-hypothyroidism/%C2'> A website about thyroid.  It does say that too much or too Little iodine can cause an under-active thyroid.

[kareng]

 

 

 

I want to return here to present some about low iodine as I do think it is a shame that someone with low thyroid output would not be tested to see if they need iodine.

 

 

Diana, I really worry that these people are just taking advantage of you.  And taking your money, too!

 

Yes, a medical test.  By your non-medical doctor's  logic, none of us has enough iodine because we don't ooze it out of our skins.

 

You seem very interested in how the body works.   I wonder if you might enjoy an anatomy and physiology course at your community college?  It might help you understand why some of these "tests' and "cures" couldn't possibly work and chose the ones that are right for you.

[1desperateladysaved]

Diana, I really worry that these people are just taking advantage of you.  And taking your money, too!

 

Yes, a medical test.  By your non-medical doctor's  logic, none of us has enough iodine because we don't ooze it out of our skins.

 

You seem very interested in how the body works.   I wonder if you might enjoy an anatomy and physiology course at your community college?  It might help you understand why some of these "tests' and "cures" couldn't possibly work and chose the ones that are right for you.

I actually have a daughter taking College anatomy and  phisiology now. She has a wealth of information in her books and we have had some interesting conversations.  Often times she has just studied out what I ask about.   I am sure I would really enjoy a coarse.  Infact I am going through and Anatomy book with my youngest children now.  I trust Medical doctors to help diagnose, but they have never given me constructive help or treatments, or figured out the root cause of the trouble. I have only been made ill with side effects from medications.   I have been helped by alternative practitioners and therefore I do trust them.  I am  continuing  to learn on my own and have gained much from it. I hope all will find constructive help for their health problems that is useful for them. 

[1desperateladysaved]

Diana, I really worry that these people are just taking advantage of you.  And taking your money, too!

 

Yes, a medical test.  By your non-medical doctor's  logic, none of us has enough iodine because we don't ooze it out of our skins.

 

You seem very interested in how the body works.   I wonder if you might enjoy an anatomy and physiology course at your community college?  It might help you understand why some of these "tests' and "cures" couldn't possibly work and chose the ones that are right for you.

Ooze it out our skin, WHAT?

[kareng]

Ooze it out our skin, WHAT?

Somewhere in the " evidence" presented it says to get your fingers wet and you will leave yellow spots from the iodine coming out.

Honestly, we can't convince you with scientific / biological evidence. I was hoping a more common sense approach would help.

Because this really has nothing to do with Celiac Disease, I am done trying to get you to understand physiology of the human body. Maybe a thyroid forum would be interested in this?

[dilettantesteph]

Diana,

You provided evidence for iodine supplementation helping you feel better.  That's great.  I am glad that you are feeling better.  What I was looking for was evidence tha the iodine skin test would reveal iodine deficiency.  That's what I was questioning.

[1desperateladysaved]

Diana,

You provided evidence for iodine supplementation helping you feel better.  That's great.  I am glad that you are feeling better.  What I was looking for was evidence tha the iodine skin test would reveal iodine deficiency.  That's what I was questioni

Are you volunteering to do the study?......  I don't think anyone ever will.  There just isn't enough money in a 4 dollar bottle of iodine and a q-tip to make it worth their while.  Besides of which it shouldn't hurt since the iodine is made for the purpose of putting on skin.  I therefore believe the evidence of it working is subjective..

[notme]

Are you volunteering to do the study?......  I don't think anyone ever will.  There just isn't enough money in a 4 dollar bottle of iodine and a q-tip to make it worth their while.  Besides of which it shouldn't hurt since the iodine is made for the purpose of putting on skin.  I therefore believe the evidence of it working is subjective..

wait.  what?  lolz

 

as a celiac sufferer, i am hearing:  iodine + celiac = dh flare up.  NO THANKS.  stay away from me with your $4 bottle of iodine!!!!! 

[nvsmom]

Somewhere in the " evidence" presented it says to get your fingers wet and you will leave yellow spots from the iodine coming out.

?

I think that was the site I that I found... I found the oozing a bit odd too. Lol But half of the articles I read I take with a grain of salt as so many of them seem half correct. I know iodine can be helpful with low thyroid function, and low thyroid function is common among celiacs, so I find it a bit interesting to discuss ideas that "could" help. I don't know how well testing iodine on your skin works but it is difficult to take to much iodine so supplementing usually does not hurt.

[dilettantesteph]

It looks like I don't have to volunteer to do the study.  It's been done: Open Original Shared Link

 

"Meticulous research by Nyiri and Jannitti in 1932 showed clearly when iodine is applied to the skin in almost any form, 50% evaporates into the air within 2 hours and between 75 and 80 percent evaporates into the air within 24 hours. (1) A total of 88 percent evaporates within 3 days and it is at this point that the evaporation stops. The remaining 12 percent that is absorbed into the skin has several fates. Only 1-4% of the total iodine applied to the skin is absorbed into the blood stream within the first few hours. The rest of the iodine within the skin (8-11%) is slowly released from the skin into the blood stream. "

[1desperateladysaved]

I liked that article.  I would have wanted more details about the way they did the study.  Who knows how they measured these things in 1932?  It sounded so conclusive on absorbing /evaporating at the same rate.  It is exciting what all Iodine can do for the body and the fact that it can be absorbed through the skin and get to the blood stream.

 

Thanks,

 

D

[kareng]

I liked that article. I would have wanted more details about the way they did the study. Who knows how they measured these things in 1932? It sounded so conclusive on absorbing /evaporating at the same rate. It is exciting what all Iodine can do for the body and the fact that it can be absorbed through the skin and get to the blood stream.

Thanks,

D

I think you aren't understanding. This does not prove your " theory" about this test showing you need iodine. I think the reason there aren't more medical studies or even info about this skin test on sites like Mayo, is because they don't test for things that aren't physically possible.

Open Original Shared Link

The "test" of putting iodine on the skin to watch how fast it disappears is not an indicator of anything. The iodine disappearance rate is unrelated to thyroid disease or even iodine content of the body

[dilettantesteph]

Thanks for trying Kareng.  1desperateladysaved.  If you want more details about how the study was done, look up the study and read it.

 

Here is more where they refer to a more recent study on humans: "From the published data, the skin iodine patch test is not a reliable method to assess whole body sufficiency for iodine." 

"The iodine/iodide loading test ^{Open Original Shared Link} is much more accurate and it is now available from two laboratories"

Open Original Shared Link

[kareng]

Thanks for trying Kareng.  1desperateladysaved.  If you want more details about how the study was done, look up the study and read it.

 

Here is more where they refer to a more recent study on humans: "From the published data, the skin iodine patch test is not a reliable method to assess whole body sufficiency for iodine." 

"The iodine/iodide loading test ^{Open Original Shared Link} is much more accurate and it is now available from two laboratories"

Open Original Shared Link

 

 

We tried.  I feel that I want the correct info on these threads, in case someone really wants to understand.

[GFinDC]

I think these are the corn-free vitamins Barty found.  They do have 100% of the RDA for iodine, so that's good.  They are very short on selenium though.  But I guess you can't have everything, and trade-offs are necessary.  You could always eat a Brazil nut once a week to get your selenium.  They are, thankfully, corn-free.  So you  could get your basic iodine from these vitamins anyway.  And of course there is some in the foods we eat also.  There is supposed to be lots of iodine in seaweeds.  But you should be aware not to eat too much of it.

 

Open Original Shared Link

 

So who's going to hold notme! down for the iodine patch test?  Come on, notme!, you'll like it!   Of course, immediately after the iodine patch test, the tickle test will ensue!

 

Meanwhile, I am going to look for some canned beets next time I hit the grocery..

 

Personally, I think even if the iodine patch test isn't absolutely one 100% reliable, the tickle test will prove rewarding.

 

@ Diana,

 

Hi Diana,  selenium plays an important part if endocrine function, and thyroid function.  So make sure you are getting enough or little more than enough of it.

Open Original Shared Link

[notme]

So who's going to hold notme! down for the iodine patch test?  Come on, notme!, you'll like it!   Of course, immediately after the iodine patch test, the tickle test will ensue!

 

Meanwhile, I am going to look for some canned beets next time I hit the grocery..

 

Personally, I think even if the iodine patch test isn't absolutely one 100% reliable, the tickle test will prove rewarding.

 

ok, as soon as i finish my 'running away and hiding test'    tickle test sounds ok so long as there aren't any test tickles    those can get you in trouble!!!

[GFinDC]

ok, as soon as i finish my 'running away and hiding test'    tickle test sounds ok so long as there aren't any test tickles    those can get you in trouble!!!

 

Running away!  Not fair!    I guess you are safe from test tickles then!