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Recall how a few pages ago we were talking about ways of up-regulating or re-sensitizing our affected receptors. People talked about the anecdotes of people micro-dosing Propecia and Accutane. Again, it sounds good in theory. And we have examples real-life drugs to prove the concept of micro-dosing works (e.g., low-dose Naltrexone).
Well, I just a read a few studies posted on PropeciaHelp that show this micro-dosing concept may work in a way that is potentially near and dear to our issues. Apparently, the SSRI Fluoxetine (i.e., Prozac) has vastly different effects when it is microdosed instead of used at full-dose. It is possible to dose it low enough so that no serotonin re-uptake inhibition occurs, but "neurosteroidogenesis" occurs. This may not affect receptor sensitivity, but it's a start. Studies done on rats and men who used Propecia were found to have reduced levels of neurosteroids, so this may be useful IF 5-alpha reductase inhibition is at the heart of our issues as well.
"In addition to its use in PTSD, this novel steroidogenic mechanism of action of SSRIs given at low doses offers enormous therapeutic potentials for the treatment of other psychiatric disorders, including anxiety spectrum disorders, premenstrual dysphoria, and probably depression, as these disorders may be caused by a downregulation of neurosteroid biosynthesis" - Source
Again, the drug seems to do something entirely different at a low dose, and we don't have a perfect explanation why. Perhaps receptors are sensitized as well? Maybe this will help those of us with mental side effects. Prozac would be an easy 'script. I just need to find out the exact dose now. The last thing I want is serotonin reuptake inhibition.
Special thanks to vanquish from PropeciaHelp for the find. Hopefully this isn't another dead end.
Hi everyone,
Has anyone experienced sexual dysfunction they attribute to accutane?
From my reading it seems similar to the issues involved with finasteride use. Interestingly the sexual side effects of finasteride were not realised or at least credited until it was used in younger patients. (Old people would have been expected to have sexual problems).
This provides a similar scenario with accutane whereby acne patients are lumped in the depression basket because of their situation rather than the possibility that the drug itself causes depression.
This news article FYI prompted my post:
Hey guys -
Long time reader, first time poster. Through the wealth of knowledge on this thread i thought i'd post my issue to see what information can be given on it.
After reading through the thread i feel kind of lucky that i don't experience the majority of side effects that most of you guys do.
I took accutane (iso) 6 years ago for cystic acne, i am now 29.
I've got no joint pain, no mental/cognitive issues, no depression etc... no dry eyes, dry lips disappeared after around 4 years post accutane. Even now in minus temperatures i no longer need anything to treat my lips. I've got no gut/digestion issues what so ever.
For the first 2 years post accutane i was happy, my skin was clear, it wasn't too dry and everything was fine. However, after about 2 years it started to deteriorate in the form of becoming more and more dry. Now 6 years post accutane my skin produces absolutely zero sebum, I didn't moisturize and it became scaley in most places. I'm now moisturizing which has gotten rid of the scales but has left it really red and irritated, it's like i have no top layer of skin when moisturizing.
Feel ashamed to admit it but the only way i get through going to work and being social is by using my girlfriends makeup powder to cover most of the redness.
I've got a microneedling appointment booked in March to try and help repair my face. However, i really need it to start producing some level of oil again. About 2 areas of my face do produce a bit of oil and the skin there is perfect and heals super fast.
After reading through everything on here i thought maybe it was a Testosterone/hormone issue causing the dryness, however, i have no ED problems and am about to father a child so it can't be that bad?? My labido has gotten increasingly lower but i feel like that can be attributed to the fact my skin has stripped me of all self confidence and wanting to be social. I just don't feel attractive anymore, like i used to. (not to sound big headed) -
I will say that the one thing i notice is that whenever i take a multivit or like recently I have started drinking milk again, the dryness seems to get worse, indicating it is still vit a toxicity.....but this is 6 years on. I've tried many supps but have never triedcalcium d glucarate which appears to be the go to supp for that issue?
From the information i have provided would you recommend this be my first port of call?
NB - I have 2 friends who also took the drug and they suffer absolutely no lasting effects from it. I believe it's probably a minimal percentage of us that do, compared to how many take and have taken the drug.
I feel like as long as i can get some oil production back i just can just get on with the rest of my life without thinking about the regret anymore.
Appreciate any responses.
If the FOX01 theory on accutane is correct.... inducing the IGF1- PI3k/AKT pathway to remove the FOX01 from the nucleus would alleviate all of the androgen problems...5AR DHT etc.
These data imply that isotretinoin treatment may downregulate the transcriptional activity of AR by increasing the nuclear concentration of the AR cosuppressor FoxO1. Furthermore, the isotretinoin-induced decrease of IGF-1 serum levels may impair IGF-1/PI3K/Akt-mediated nuclear export of FoxO1. Moreover, IGF-1 is regarded as an androgen-dependent stimulator of 5±-reductase activity.38 In fact, experimental evidence has been provided for decreased androgen 5±-reduction in skin and liver of men with severe acne after oral isotretnoin treatment.39 The isotretinoin-induced decrease of IGF-1 may reduce the conversion of less potent testosterone to the more potent dihydrotestosterone (DHT), thereby decreasing the activity status of the AR ligand binding domain, which binds DHT 10 times stronger than testosterone. Free bioactive IGF-1 is controlled by IGF binding proteins (IGFBPs). In human dermal papilla cells, ATRA induced a significant increase of IGFBP-3,40 which reduced the bioavailability of free IGF-1 for IGF-1/IGF1R-signaling with potential impact on nuclear FoxO1 import
vs.
Modulation of FoxO signaling in human hepatoma cells by exposure to copper or zinc ions.
Abstract
Cells respond to heavy metal stress by activating signaling cascades regulating cellular proliferation and survival. We here demonstrate that the anti-apoptotic kinase Akt is activated in HepG2 human hepatoma cells exposed to copper or zinc ions. Cu2+- and Zn2+-induced phosphorylation of Akt was blocked by phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) inhibitors, wortmannin and LY294002. Moreover, several endogenous Akt substrates were phosphorylated, including glycogen synthase kinase-3 and transcription factors of the FoxO family, FoxO1a and FoxO4. Exposure to Cu2+ or Zn2+ elicited the subcellular redistribution of an overexpressed FoxO1a-EGFP fusion protein from nucleus to cytoplasm, which was not seen with a mutant FoxO1a form devoid of Akt phosphorylation sites. Both FoxO phosphorylation and nuclear exclusion were blocked by wortmannin. Likewise, the subcellular translocation from nucleus to cytoplasm of the Caenorhabditis elegans FoxO ortholog, DAF-16, was caused in starved worms exposed to copper ions. Activity of the promoter of the human glucose 6-phosphatase gene, known to be regulated by insulin and FoxO1a, was demonstrated in reporter gene assays to be attenuated in hepatoma cells exposed to Cu2+. However, this suppression of glucose 6-phosphatase promoter activity was independent of modulation of the PI3K/Akt pathway. In summary, the PI3K/Akt pathway is activated in human hepatoma cells exposed to Cu2+ or Zn2+, resulting in the phosphorylation and subcellular relocalisation of transcription factor FoxO1a. Furthermore, copper is demonstrated to exert an insulin-mimetic effect also independently of the PI3K/Akt/FoxO pathway.
READ THIS SENTENCE, then look at the picture above......
Exposure to Cu2+ or Zn2+ elicited the subcellular redistribution of an overexpressed FoxO1a-EGFP fusion protein from nucleus to cytoplasm https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16973122
Copper ions strongly activate the phosphoinositide-3-kinase/Akt pathway independent of the generation of reactive oxygen species.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11795876
Stimulation of phosphoinositide 3-kinase/Akt signaling by copper and zinc ions: mechanisms and consequences.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17509519
Insulin-like modulation of Akt/FoxO signaling by copper ions is independent of insulin receptor.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24933099
23 hours ago, guitarman01 said:Ingestion of greater than1,100mcg of iodine per day (Tolerable Upper Limits for iodine) (1) is not recommended and may cause thyroid dysfunction.
So 80x's this amount.
I'm not by any means talking about using 80 mg (13 drops of 5% solution) on the testes.. The person who wrote the guide tryingtohelp posted suggested 4-8 drops of the 5% one.
21 hours ago, Roland1968 said:yes -this seems very high. @Washer: did you really take 80mg or was it 80mcg per day?
80mg. 13 drops of 5% solution.
On 2/7/2017 at 8:36 AM, guitarman01 said:Ingestion of greater than1,100mcg of iodine per day (Tolerable Upper Limits for iodine) (1) is not recommended and may cause thyroid dysfunction.
So 80x's this amount.
It seems you don't know what you don't know. You should seek to fix this. You can safely ingest 100mg iodine a day without a single issue.
On 2/8/2017 at 8:52 PM, tryingtohelp2014 said:These data imply that isotretinoin treatment may downregulate the transcriptional activity of AR by increasing the nuclear concentration of the AR cosuppressor FoxO1. Furthermore, the isotretinoin-induced decrease of IGF-1 serum levels may impair IGF-1/PI3K/Akt-mediated nuclear export of FoxO1. Moreover, IGF-1 is regarded as an androgen-dependent stimulator of 5-reductase activity.38
That's interesting actually, as I've just got a load of Colostrum which I plan to work up to 20g/day on (starting from next week some time), basically to try and reduce gut inflammation (i've read some impressive stuff about people seeing huge improvements in gut issues from taking a high dose of high quality colostrum over periods even as short as a week or two). Colostrum has been noted to result in significant increases in IGF-1 in trials;
Quote20 g of Dynamic supplement, and the latter 20 g of maltodextrin during a 2-wk training period. After bovine colostrum supplementation, significant increases were noticed in serum IGF-I (P < 0.01) and saliva IgA (P < 0.01) in Dynamic compared with Placebo.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12133885
QuoteCPC treatment resulted in significant increases in circulating levels of IGF-1 and IGFBPs and a concurrent increase in muscle width and the number of muscle cells
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18443138
On 2/8/2017 at 12:09 PM, ACCUiTy_drANE said:Recall how a few pages ago we were talking about ways of up-regulating or re-sensitizing our affected receptors. People talked about the anecdotes of people micro-dosing Propecia and Accutane. Again, it sounds good in theory. And we have examples real-life drugs to prove the concept of micro-dosing works (e.g., low-dose Naltrexone).
The Dr Pezzi method has had me thinking too, and it also made me remember there was someone on this thread who recovered their Accutane sides from a low dose of propecia;
Quotehello guys,
i would like to share my success story with you.I was suffering from chronic low libido which i am sure was caused by accutane.I experienced complete absence of sexual sensation on my genitals and as a result erectile dysfunction and difficulty having an orgasm.After i stopped taking accutane my symptoms strangely got worse as the time passed instead of improving.I tried various things to reverse my libido loss such as healthy diet,some drugs that were supposed to help improve libido, but nothing worked.I then found a report in the internet about dr. Pezzi who has written the book ''the science of sex'' and claimed that he reversed his libido loss caused by accutane by taking the drug finasteride.I was determined to find a solution to my problem so i decided to try it.I began taking 1mg/day and then slowly increased to 5mg/day.I took it for a total of 5 months.During that time i started experiencing a return of my acne which was accompanied by a small increase in libido and a slight return of sexual sensation.I continued taking it as long as i noticed some positive effects.The big surprise happened when i decided to stop taking the drug.I experienced a huge increase in libido,sexual sensation and acne.My spontaneous and morning erections which were gone since i had taken accutane came back and i no longer had problems reaching an orgasm.I don't know what exactly this drug did to my system but it worked.6 months have passed since i stopped taking finasteride and i still experience all the positive effects,so i believe the effects are permanent.I now feel like a normal man of my age(i am 28 years old).The only side effect i had was the return of acne but i believe that has to do with the return of my libido but i prefer having acne and a healthy libido than having no acne and no libido.
[Edited link out]
There is also another guy on propeciahelp (GoldenW) who had success with this method. So that makes 3 people in total including Dr Pezzi. The only other convincing Accutane recoveries I know of are from taking RSO (cannabis oil), but also a few others (including myself) who haven't had success with that.
It's just having the bottle to actually take a low dose of finasteride/propecia really, but I'm not discounting it (coming up to 7 years of being fcked over by tane)
35 minutes ago, tanedout said:That's interesting actually, as I've just got a load of Colostrum
Colostrum should contain Lactoferrin, which I posted was wiped out by isotretinoin. Does it say the amount? Lactoferrin is much more expensive then colostrum so it must not contain alot. But a therapeutic dose of Lactoferrin might be as little as 250mg. It's involved in a lot of secretions throughout the body. Helps growth and establish the beneficial gut flora from birth. Also wipes bad bacteria and biofilms. Still curious about this one. I think for more clues and therapy it's also worth looking into sjogren's and its maybe similar systemic effect on the body
3 minutes ago, guitarman01 said:32 minutes ago, tanedout said:That's interesting actually, as I've just got a load of Colostrum
Colostrum should contain Lactoferrin, which I posted was wiped out by isotretinoin. Does it say the amount? Lactoferrin is much more expensive then colostrum so it must not contain alot. But a therapeutic dose of Lactoferrin might be as little as 250mg. It's involved in a lot of sections throughout the body. Helps growth and establish the beneficial gut flora from birth. Also wipes bad bacteria and biofilms. Still curious about this one.
Yeah Lactoferrin is something I've looked at in the past, and did order some although it never arrived and I didnt ever re-order. My gastrointestinal tests showed "no lactoferrin detected", but the result said this indicated "no active intestinal inflammation". I was a bit surprised at that, but even so plan to give colostrum a go at 20g/day for a couple of weeks, unless it causes me issues.
On 2/9/2017 at 1:30 AM, tanedout said:That's interesting actually, as I've just got a load of Colostrum which I plan to work up to 20g/day on (starting from next week some time), basically to try and reduce gut inflammation (i've read some impressive stuff about people seeing huge improvements in gut issues from taking a high dose of high quality colostrum over periods even as short as a week or two). Colostrum has been noted to result in significant increases in IGF-1 in trials;
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12133885
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18443138The Dr Pezzi method has had me thinking too, and it also made me remember there was someone on this thread who recovered their Accutane sides from a low dose of propecia;
[Edited link out]
There is also another guy on propeciahelp (GoldenW) who had success with this method. So that makes 3 people in total including Dr Pezzi. The only other convincing Accutane recoveries I know of are from taking RSO (cannabis oil), but also a few others (including myself) who haven't had success with that.
It's just having the bottle to actually take a low dose of finasteride/propecia really, but I'm not discounting it (coming up to 7 years of being fcked over by tane)
Took alot of raw colostrum, yellow milk. With some sugar it was pretty nice to eat.
for me, the return of acne is the ultimate sympton of returning health. I have MBP right now but i hope i can reverse that shit. That would be my ultimate win.
so im seriously thinking of low dosing fin.
if it goes haywire I will do a big RSO course.
so i will set this thing in motion... buy fin, low dose it for a month.
u guys have any tips?
try to do a pre blood test and a post test?
1 hour ago, Walden Rev said:Took alot of raw colostrum, yellow milk. With some sugar it was pretty nice to eat.for me, the return of acne is the ultimate sympton of returning health. I have MBP right now but i hope i can reverse that shit. That would be my ultimate win.
so im seriously thinking of low dosing fin.
if it goes haywire I will do a big RSO course.so i will set this thing in motion... buy fin, low dose it for a month.
u guys have any tips?
try to do a pre blood test and a post test?
Did you see no benefits from the colostrum? What sort of amounts were you taking, over what period?
I'm sure you're already eating a clean diet with little/no processed foods/fast food/sugar etc and plenty of steamed/raw vegetables plus healthy fats like salmon, mackerel, avocado, butter from grass fed cattle which your body will use to make hormones, but it might be worth adding in an active b-complex (I take 1/3 of a Jarrow B-right per day).
If I was giving the dr Pezzi method a go I'd probably start on a really small amount of fin for a couple of weeks, then stop and gauge the benefits for a couple of weeks, then repeat. It might even be worth contacting Dr Pezzi himself - he was encouraging people with tane sides to contact him so he could record cases, but this goes back some years. Some of the links aren't working, but the contact him part appears to;
QuoteId like to hear from you if you have experienced any sexual problems related to the use of Accutane. (Contact me via this page:www.MySpamSponge.com/send.php?handle=erdoc) I will present a comprehensive report to Roche, and I will keep you updated on the search to find a solution to this problem.
6 hours ago, Walden Rev said:so im seriously thinking of low dosing fin.
if it goes haywire I will do a big RSO course.so i will set this thing in motion... buy fin, low dose it for a month.
u guys have any tips?
try to do a pre blood test and a post test?
looking abit at the 5ar theory, first of all are people coming back with normal or abnormal dihydrotestosterone blood test?
Have you had this test? (This is one test I havent had.)
5-aplha-reductase main purpose is to convert testosterone to more potent dihydrotestosterone. am I correct?
or is this more so a receptor issue along the lines of the other theory of retinol receptors being messed up but instead its with androgen receptors?
and im guessing just like the retinol receptor studies/theories, thats all we have are studies. no direct test to confirm either one of these.
if so, I am definitely in the camp of if it cant be confirmed, dont assume, or assume too much. You might find yourself worse off then where you were.
7 hours ago, Walden Rev said:Took alot of raw colostrum, yellow milk. With some sugar it was pretty nice to eat.for me, the return of acne is the ultimate sympton of returning health. I have MBP right now but i hope i can reverse that shit. That would be my ultimate win.
so im seriously thinking of low dosing fin.
if it goes haywire I will do a big RSO course.so i will set this thing in motion... buy fin, low dose it for a month.
u guys have any tips?
try to do a pre blood test and a post test?
mk-677 is giving me massive acne. I thought that taking an AI was causing the acne from the boost in T. But I haven't taken an ai for over half a month now and started mk-677 a little over a week ago and I've got acne all over. AI was responsible for most of the oil production though. Very very curious about trying stronger GH drugs now. Mostly curious aboutIGF-1 LR3 due to the long half life.
14 hours ago, Justdry said:Has anyone had success with oil production returning after Iodine supplementation ?
I had no issue with dry skin/eyes after accutane, but they where both very sun sensitive and Iodine fixed that, but it took 8-9 months,
10 hours ago, Walden Rev said:Took alot of raw colostrum, yellow milk. With some sugar it was pretty nice to eat.for me, the return of acne is the ultimate sympton of returning health. I have MBP right now but i hope i can reverse that shit. That would be my ultimate win.
so im seriously thinking of low dosing fin.
if it goes haywire I will do a big RSO course.so i will set this thing in motion... buy fin, low dose it for a month.
u guys have any tips?
try to do a pre blood test and a post test?
I wouldn't do that if I was you. I would really suggest that you stay way from all synthetic drugs after Accutane.
3 hours ago, Washer said:I had no issue with dry skin/eyes after accutane, but they where both very sun sensitive and Iodine fixed that, but it took 8-9 months.
My eyes, lips and body are absolutely fine, its just the skin on my face. I've tried biotin, fish oil, borage oil, b2.
i don't know which of the suggestions to try next. Leaning toward the Iodine. Do you ingest it or absorb it through skin ?
2 hours ago, Justdry said:My eyes, lips and body are absolutely fine, its just the skin on my face. I've tried biotin, fish oil, borage oil, b2.i don't know which of the suggestions to try next. Leaning toward the Iodine. Do you ingest it or absorb it through skin ?
My whole body is affected. Arms, legs, back, face, eyes. Especially during winter time it is terrible. I tried various supplements. So far nothing has helped. I have never tried iodine though.
16 hours ago, Walden Rev said:Took alot of raw colostrum, yellow milk. With some sugar it was pretty nice to eat.for me, the return of acne is the ultimate sympton of returning health. I have MBP right now but i hope i can reverse that shit. That would be my ultimate win.
so im seriously thinking of low dosing fin.
if it goes haywire I will do a big RSO course.so i will set this thing in motion... buy fin, low dose it for a month.
u guys have any tips?
try to do a pre blood test and a post test?
Did you notice any impact from the colostrum on skin oil production or skin sensitivity?
16 minutes ago, Roland1968 said:My whole body is affected. Arms, legs, back, face, eyes. Especially during winter time it is terrible. I tried various supplements. So far nothing has helped. I have never tried iodine though.
I wish we knew why it affects everyone so differently. Even within myself - I have a few areas of my face that do produce some oil and then large, large parts that don't produce any what so ever.
I just want a little bit of oil production back and i'll be fine. The rest of me is 100% healthy.
Just been reading about Taurine, did this help anyone's dry skin?
12 minutes ago, Justdry said:I wish we knew why it affects everyone so differently. Even within myself - I have a few areas of my face that do produce some oil and then large, large parts that don't produce any what so ever.I just want a little bit of oil production back and i'll be fine. The rest of me is 100% healthy.
Just been reading about Taurine, did this help anyone's dry skin?
Taurine had not effect at all when I tried it.
3 hours ago, Justdry said:My eyes, lips and body are absolutely fine, its just the skin on my face. I've tried biotin, fish oil, borage oil, b2.i don't know which of the suggestions to try next. Leaning toward the Iodine. Do you ingest it or absorb it through skin ?
I dissolve the Iodine drops in 4 ounces of water. Im taking 60mg atm. 30mg morning with breakfast, 30mg evening with dinner. I would not recommend to take Iodine on empty stomach when you are starting out the treatment though. Some people have experienced mild discomfort from it. When Istarted out treatment I took it on empty stomach though and never had any problems - just thought you should know this.
Start out at 6.25mg (1 drop of the 5% solution) taken with foodand then work you way up. You will aim to be at +50mg at least after 60 days. Of course remember to also use ALL the supplements that i recommended in my first post on this forum - otherwise the Iodine treatment will be futile..
I have never used Iodine topically, butit's completely safe to do so, but you have to dilute it.
53 minutes ago, Roland1968 said:My whole body is affected. Arms, legs, back, face, eyes. Especially during winter time it is terrible. I tried various supplements. So far nothing has helped. I have never tried iodine though.
Did you notice any impact from the colostrum on skin oil production or skin sensitivity?
Try it out. Low Dose Naltrexone could also be a thing you could opt for.
1 hour ago, Washer said:I dissolve the Iodine drops in 4 ounces of water. Im taking 60mg atm. 30mg morning with breakfast, 30mg evening with dinner. I would not recommend to take Iodine on empty stomach when you are starting out the treatment though. Some people have experienced mild discomfort from it. When Istarted out treatment I took it on empty stomach though and never had any problems - just thought you should know this.
Start out at 6.25mg (1 drop of the 5% solution) taken with foodand then work you way up. You will aim to be at +50mg at least after 60 days. Of course remember to also use ALL the supplements that i recommended in my first post on this forum - otherwise the Iodine treatment will be futile..
Whats the reason for it being futile if it's not taken with everything you have suggested?
Dont lose common sense out of desperation. and just because something didnt effect one
person in one way doesn'tmean it couldn'teffect another person in a different way.
Accutane being a prime example of this.
The japanese have the highest iodine consumption in the entire world at 1 to 3mg.
1 to 3 mg. its a trace mineral. keyword trace.
anyone want to post some credible info where in any reality 40,60,80 up to100mg iodine is a
good idea for months at a time. Go ahead. And no terminal cancer studies please.
and yea I got my bottle of lugols too from like 8 years ago.
ATA Statement on the Potential Risks of Excess Iodine Ingestion and Exposure
HomeATA Statement on the Potential Risks of Excess Iodine Ingestion and Exposure
Iodine is a micronutrient required for normal thyroid function. Recommended Daily Allowances (RDA) for iodine intake are 150 mcg in adults, 220-250 mcg in pregnant women, and 250-290 mcg in breastfeeding women in the U.S. (1,2). The U.S. diet generally contains enough iodine to meet these needs, with common sources being iodized salt, dairy products, breads, and seafood. During pregnancy and lactation, women require higher amounts of iodine for the developing fetus and infant. The American Thyroid Association recommends that women take a multivitamin containing 150 mcg iodine daily in the form of potassium iodide (KI) (3) during preconception, pregnancy, and lactation to meet these needs (4).
Ingestion of greater than 1,100 mcg of iodine per day (Tolerable Upper Limits for iodine) (1) is not recommended and may cause thyroid dysfunction. During pregnancy and lactation, the recommendations for the upper limit vary and range from 500-1,100 mcg of iodine daily (2). In particular, infants, the elderly, pregnant and lactating women, and individuals with preexisting thyroid disease are susceptible to adverse effects of excess iodine intake and exposure (5). The public is advised that many iodine, potassium iodide, and kelp supplements contain iodine in amounts that are up to several thousand times higher than the daily Tolerable Upper Limits for iodine. The American Thyroid Association (ATA) advises against the ingestion of iodine and kelp supplements containing in excess of 500 mcg iodine daily for children and adults and during pregnancy and lactation. Chronic iodine intake in amounts greater than the Tolerable Upper Limits should be closely monitored by a physician. There is only equivocal data supporting the benefit of iodine at higher doses than these, including a possible benefit for patients with fibrocystic breast disease (6). There is no known thyroid benefit of routine daily iodine doses in excess of the U.S. RDA.
There are a limited number of medical conditions in which the short-term use of high amounts of iodine is indicated. Exceptions for the recommendations to not exceed the Tolerable Upper Limits include closely-monitored patients prescribed Lugols solution or SSKI (saturated solution of potassium iodide) in their treatment of severe hyperthyroidism, such as thyroid storm and prior to surgery in patients with Graves disease, and individuals in the vicinity of a nuclear power plant who are recommended to take KI in the event of a nuclear accident. SSKI is not indicated nor recommended in individuals with thyroid nodules. Finally, patients receiving the large amounts of iodine in iodinated contrast dyes, as required for radiologic studies, should be monitored for iodine-induced thyroid dysfunction if risk factors are present.
Key points:
Adequate iodine intake is required for normal thyroid function
The recommended iodine intake in non-pregnant adults is 150 mcg daily
Higher iodine intakes are recommended in pregnancy and lactation
Given a Tolerable Upper Limit of 1100 mcg iodine daily, ingestion of an iodine or kelp supplement containing in excess of 500 mcg iodine daily should not be done
Certain exceptions to these recommendations include those for specific medical conditions; such individuals should be closely monitored for thyroid dysfunction
References:
1. Food and Nutrition Board, Institute of Medicine. Dietary reference intakes. Washington, D.C.: National Academy Press; 2006.
2. De Groot L, Abalovich M, Alexander EK, Amino N, Barbour L, Cobin RH, Eastman CJ, Lazarus JH, Luton D, Mandel SJ, Mestman J, Rovet J, Sullivan S. Management of thyroid dysfunction during pregnancy and postpartum: an Endocrine Society clinical practice guideline.J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2012;97:2543-65.
3. Leung AM, Pearce EN, Braverman LE. Iodine content of prenatal multivitamins in the united states. N Engl J Med 2009;360:939-40.
4. Stagnaro-Green, A, Abalovich, M, Alexander, E, Azizi, F, Mestman, J, Negro, R, Nixon, A, Pearce, EN, Soldin, OP, Sullivan, S, Wiersinga, W, American Thyroid Association Taskforce on Thyroid Disease During Pregnancy and Postpartum. Guidelines of the American Thyroid Association for the diagnosis and management of thyroid disease during pregnancy and postpartum. Thyroid 2011;21:1081-1125.
5. Leung AM and Braverman LE. Iodine-induced thyroid dysfunction. Curr Opin Endocrinol Diabetes Obes 2012;19:414-419.
6. Office of Dietary Supplements, National Institutes of Health. Dietary Supplement Fact Sheet: Iodine. Available at: http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Iodine-HealthProfessional (accessed April 23, 2013).