ARG Optimox Iodoral 12.5 mg - Iodine & Potassium Iodide Supplement for Thyroid & Metabolic Balance Support - Free of Soy & Gluten - 90 Servings - 90 Tablets

Great iodine supplement

There are two schools of thought at war with each other in the world of iodine. One paradigm tells you not to take more than a few micrograms and the other one tells you you need to take doses in the milligram range. I wasn’t sure who to believe and whether I should take a high dose of iodine (as in this supplement) so I decided to dive into the science behind it all and let my test results bear out who was telling the truth. Luckily for me, my functional medicine doctor was on board and told me she would support me and monitor me through testing. So here is what happened. In the world of conventional medicine the view is if you take too much iodine it will cause autoimmune thyroid disease; by contrast, the world of functional medicine the view is if you don’t get enough iodine you will get autoimmune thyroid disease. After doing my own investigation, it appears that the conventional medicine paradigm does not fully understand the science behind iodine and thyroid. When a person begins taking high dose iodine the blood level of TSH will rise. Conventional medicine will see this as a negative. However, research shows that this is a normal biological response in a situation where a person has been deficient in iodine for a prolonged period of time. When there has been a long-standing iodine deficiency, the body down-regulates its production of NIS symporters. NIS symporters are found on many different glands in the body and their purpose is to transport iodine from the bloodstream into the gland. When iodine is lacking in the diet, the body will not make as many NIS symporters simply because they are not needed if there is no iodine to transport. So when a person starts taking iodine in the milligram range the body will increase production of TSH in order to stimulate production of NIS symporters to meet the demand now that iodine is available. A good explanation of this process can be seen in the video “P2P Webinar: Iodine & Autoimmune Thyroid Disorders” by Dr. David Brownstein on YouTube. In this video webinar Dr. Brownstein also explains how iodine works within the thyroid gland. Conventional medicine alleges that milligram ranges of iodine supplementation will result in a rise in thyroid autoimmune antibodies. However, Dr. Brownstein explains this is actually because they haven’t gone high enough with the dose. If the dose is not sufficient enough to produce iodinated lipids (i.e., δ-Iodolipids {delta iodolipids}) within the thyroid gland, the increase in H202 that occurs during the production of thyroid hormone can damage the TPO enzyme. This in turn will trigger an immune response to produce TPO antibodies to destroy the damaged enzymes. However, if the level of iodine is sufficient enough to trigger the production of δ-iodolactone, it provides negative feedback to the NADPH oxidase system which puts the brakes on the production of H2O2, and this will result in a reduction of thyroid autoimmune antibodies. I proved this with my own testing. I slowly worked my way up to 50 mg of iodine in the form of Lugol’s tablets (using either Iodoral and/or Lugotabs). Just as Dr. Brownstein claimed, my TSH rose, my T3 stayed within limits, and my thyroid autoimmune antibodies went down. As Dr. Brownstein Stephanie Buist both explain in their YouTube videos, the TSH may stay elevated for an extended period of time until the body restores the population of NIS symporters now that the body is being repleted with Iodine. I had to personally increase my dosage of iodine slowly and do salt loading due to bromide detox symptoms I had along the way. I feel fortunate to have an integrative/functional medicine endocrinologist on my side throughout this whole process being that I did not know which camp was telling the truth and what would happen. The only thing I can say is that I have had amazing results in the following areas after taking high dose iodine. My sleep has improved dramatically (I suffer suffered from chronic insomnia), my thyroid nodule shrunk, my Tgab antibody levels went down, my cognition improved, my energy level increased, and my sxs of SICCA completely disappeared after 2 months. Everyone is different so your experience might not be the same as mine. But I encourage everyone to look into this for themselves and find a Doctor who will monitor you and support you through the process.

My daughter has been ill for a number of years with hypothyroidism, depression, hormonal imbalance and associated issues. We searched the region for a doctor and finally found a wonderful physician who worked with her, prescribed Armour Thyroid and a number of supplements to get her back in balance after the years of Synthroid, Despite some improvements, it was not until I read Dr. David Brownstein's book on iodine deficiency and Dr. Bruce Fife's books on Coconut Oil that we decided we would use these products. My husband, daughter and myself, all use liquid iodine and did the paint test to see if we were deficient, which we all were. Based upon a significant amount of research we decided to take the specific amount recommended for both the Iodoral and the coconut oil. What has happened is NOTHING less that a miracle. My daughter, who has hideous outbreaks of hives, had no hives during the first three days, had two outbreaks on the 3rd day, but they were noticeably small and did not last near as long. Secondly, she has so much more energy and is able to get through the day without an afternoon nap, whereas before this iodine, the fatigue drove her to nap every afternoon. Thirdly, her voice, which had been very hoarse since before she was diagnosed has cleared and her attitude is much more positive now. These are just a few of the improvements we have seen in her, but they are remarkable when you understand her long journey and the insane number of doctors she has been through. The coconut oil has eliminated her candida and yeast infections, her dry skin is gone, and for the first time in 10 years, I am getting my daughter back. As far as my husband is concerned, he has hypothyroidism as well and he has noticed considerable improvement in energy, muscle strength, attitude, and the puffiness is starting to leave his face, his joint pain has also improved to the degree that it has almost completely dissipated, AND with the addition of the coconut oil, he has quit snoring!!! As for my own improvements, my former level of energy has returned, joint pain from several injuries has lessened considerably, I no longer have a number of cravings that used to plague me and the list goes one. The book by Dr. David Brownstein entitled, "Iodine, Why You Need It and Why You Can't Live Without It," and Dr. Bruce Fife's books on coconut oil are MUST READS. For my family, Iodoral and coconut oil have been Godsends and with all the improvements we seen in just five weeks, I could not recommend these two products strongly enough.

It took me a full year of Google searches and running into someone else who had the same problems before I figured out that most of my various annoying symptoms could be traced to a sluggish thyroid (acceptable lab results can be misleading). It never occurred to me that I could have an iodine deficiency in a developed country, and with the reasonable eating habits I have! Making the long story short, I decided to experiment and have bought Iodoral about a month ago - and will be coming back for more for the rest of my life (or until US goes back to using iodine instead of bromine compounds in food). It's been too short a time to see the full effects, but so far, the results have been nothing short of amazing! -The same day I took my first pill and ever since, my energy levels came back to normal. I wake up early in the morning and am still active late in the evening. Before Iodoral, I couldn't drag myself out of the bed, and was unbearably exhausted by 8pm. I also can't wait to go for a walk or do some exercise. -My hairdresser have commented that she sees a lot of new hair growth. (My hair has been thinning for a couple of years - I thought it was pre-menopause.) -My mood has improved tremendously. I'm under a lot of stress, and had thought that my mild (unmedicated) depression is a natural consequence. Apparently, it's not :-). Even some of the symptoms that should have nothing to do with Iodine have improved: -I have gall stones, and have been experiencing digestive problems I thought connected to it for over a year. Within a few days of taking Iodoral, my digestion is back to its happy normal. Even my gall bladder is not acting up so much any more (much less pain and discomfort). -The hot flashes I've resigned myself to as a part of pre-menopause problems are all but gone. When one happens (rarely), it's much milder. PMS mood changes are also barely noticeable now. Note: I take one pill in the morning. After I took the first one, I experienced some of the side-effects of mild iodine overdose - strange taste, somewhat rapid heartbeat and mild pain in thyroid, but none of this repeated down the line. Guess my body just needed to adjust. I always take it in the morning, as I get too "hyper" to sleep if I do it in the evening. I can't recommend Iodoral enough! 4/7/2015 update: I've been taking Iodoral for several years now, off and on (should do it every day, but I often backslide for a few days, and very occasionally for a month or so.) -My cholesterol levels are still completely normal. -There's a noticeable change of energy levels when I forget to take Iodoral for a few days. A couple of regular doses, and I'm back to full speed. -The only time I experienced supposedly "pre-menopausal" hot flashes and brain fuzzies was when I neglected to take it for a stretch of a couple of months. It all went away again with regular use. -My thyroid hormone levels are still not very high (though "normal" range according to doctors), but have leveled on the bit higher numbers than before. -No weight loss, unfortunately, but who cares! I've got energy and health ;-). -According to lab results, doctors and personal observation, there have been no detrimental effects whatsoever.

I like this but why on earth is iodine so expensive? It seems to me that taking drops of Lugol's is a far more inexpensive method if ingesting iodine. Now that that's out of the way I take this iodine with the pulse dosing method and also on a rotating basis. I don't feel that taking isolated nutrients on a continual basis is a good idea. It can throw other nutrients out of balance. So what I did was a three month treatment then I started taking it sporadically. I take it a little more during the summer when we are swimming in chlorine pools a lot. I change my supplement regimen up frequently based on my symptoms and how I feel. That however is a skill I've gained after YEARS of doing this and studying natural health methods and working with naturopaths. This iodine is expensive, but top notch. I only take the star off for the price. Other brands are just as good in my experience but enough cheaper that I wonder why Optimox is the most popular. If you are interested in taking iodine I recommend reading The Iodine Crisis: What You Don't Know About Iodine Can Wreck Your Life and Iodine : Why You Need It, Why You Can't Live Without It to learn the proper way to consume this little miracle nutrient. There are of course food based methods of ingesting iodine but they're not high on my list of yumminess so iodoral is my go to of choice. About the pills themselves they are smaller than an advil so easy to swallow (I loathe large pills) and hold up well to shipment. I hate it when pills crumble easy. They can give you a burst of energy so don't take too late in the day. Other than that I suggest reading the book to find out what to expect from iodine supplementation. It's really not a good idea to take it without doing so because there are companion nutrients necessary for proper metabolization and absorption. If you feel this information has helped you please consider clicking the helpful button below :)

I have been taking this a long time. My doses for my thyroid medicine has come down. I’m not sure if that has anything to do with this but it’s good for me.

I went to my doctor with hypothyroid symptoms about 4 years ago. At the same time I was struggling with severe stomach cramps. I was constantly exhausted and during the winter months I was literally dysfunctional. I never felt rested no matter how much I slept, had hard time getting up in the morning and staying awake. During the day there were maybe 3-4 hours when I was able to think clearly. By the time I got home from work I crashed and slept for hours. There were nights I slept 15 hours and still woke up groggy and exhausted. I was constantly freezing, and aching. After a blood test my doctor said I am borderline hypo but not enough to prescribe medication. So I went on another 3 years struggling with my symptoms. During those years I gained 30lbs while eating healthy. No amount of cutting back on calories helped, and I was too exhausted to excercise. This time a general physical done by my employer revealed that I have hypothyroidism well beyond borderline. So i was put on a low level of synthroid. Over the last 2 years I have been changed from .05 to .50 to .75 and this last time .100. Each time I had to go back to my doc to say I am still exhausted I am still struggling. Each time he checked my Ts I was at a lower level. 2 months after I was put on .100 I finally had enough, After I was put on .100 my Blood Pressure went up! I had headaches every day. I figured this could go on forever until my thyroid just burns itself out completely or I get a stroke. I could not longer loose valuable time from work and my life. I started to research the internet about options. First I found the natural thyroid, but finding a doctor would not be easy and the cost associated with it would not work for me. Then finally I stumbled on articles about Iodine Deficiency and I decided to try it. I have been taking 2 pills a day with 1 selenium to help the absorption. I also found Thyroid Support capsules at the local health food store, which contains some additional iodine as well as magnesium, B12 and some other thyroid supporting minerals. I have been taking all these plus my thyroid medicine for the last month and a half and I feel a big difference. I can get up a lot easier, no longer need the hot baths in the morning to stop the aching and the freezing and I am actually productive at work and at home again. My sleeping pattern improved a lot. Even my co-workers noted that I no longer look drained as I used to. It is fall right now, usually this is the time when my energy starts to slump even more. I am ordering my second bottle of Iodine and plan to keep taking it throughout the winter and see how it goes. I read it could take up to 6 months for iodine to accumulate properly before I can drop the amount. - I will keep this review up to date with progress. I will be going back to the doc to schedule a new blood test to see how I am doing.I am disappointed though that I had to go through all this to possibly find a solution on my own. SUGGESTIONS: I take all the supplements, including the thyroid med in the morning before breakfast. Also, I have not felt any side effects that others have mentioned. Even my headaches decreased considerably. JANUARY UPDATE: I have been taking Iodoral for 3 months now and I am about to order my 3rd bottle. I am currently taking 1 pill a day. I am still taking Selenium, and the Thyroid Support Capsules. In November I added liquid B12 and Vitamin D. I am about to add some NAC and probiotics. My GP commented that Selenium will make my hair fall out, so I am watching that but truthfully, I have a lot less hairloss now than I had when i was not treated for hypo. It is January and I am happy to report that my energy did not slump yet, even through I had a horribly stressful December. I did not gain any weight, even though I did not really excercise. I am about to start that now. I did however reduce my Synthroid from 100 to 50 (without the approval of my doc). Every time I took the 100, I got migraines and high blood pressure. I feel better now overall. Not 100% but getting there. One major improvement I noticed was that my chronic pain is almost gone. I used to have bad joint pain everywhere so bad that I could hardly walk. I was often worried I would fall down the steps one day. This is almost completely gone. I do not know if it was due to the iodine or the combination of all the other supplements, but I am glad that the pain is now manageable. The next 3 months will be crucial, as Jan - March is the time when I get the worst brain-fog and the weight just creeps up daily. In the past 7 years I managed to maintain my weight throughout the year or drop a few, just to gain 10lbs in less than a month in January. I will report back to see how I do this year on all these supplements. MAY UPDATE: I ran out of Iodoral around end of March and I felt good enought to risk not reordering. I figured I see if there is any change in a month or so. My eneregy lasted all winter, apart from a few bad days. I did have a week at the end of March when I gained some extra weigh but it came back down in a month or so. My body temperatures increased in the mornings. I was freezing less and less. I went from having an average 97.3 in November to 97.7 around January and then up to 98.3 around Feb-March, during the coldest months. First year in many years that my energy felt more normal. - To be truthful, I think the fact that i supplemented 1000 IU vitamin D daily helped a lot. While I think vit D and B12 helped me through winter, the fact remains that these only plug the hole on the underlying issue I still have. It is May and the only thing I continue to take is 0.5 mcg Synthroid, 1000 IUVitamin D, Thyroid Complete (contain zinc, magnesium, iodine, copper, molybdenum), probiotic in the morning and iron and calcium in the evenings. I will have an appointment with a functional doctor in June, which is when I will have her tell me what I should and should not continue to take.

Every one needs iodine, use Celtic and Himalayan sea salt, fights inflammation, improves digestion, skin and RFK Jr. is right I have known this for years.