T3, hypothyroid and iodine apparently all play a role together. I will inform you of my recent experience of being diagnosed with hypothyroidism and how I was able to overcome it.
During a routine examination and CBC (Complete Blood Count), my doctor noticed my TS3 level was slow a few months ago. He asked if my mother, father, sibling(s) or grandparents had a thyroid problem. Of course, none had. He mentioned how it was strange because normally someone in the family has this problem. He informed me that when the thyroid starts having problems such as this for no apparent reason (IE. miscarriage, etc.), then that normally meant the person would have to be on medication for the rest of my life. He prescribed Synthroid, but, being the naturalist I am and due to other issues at the time, I decided not to take the medication for the time being and see if I could find a more holistic approach. I didn’t want to be tied to medication I really could find other natural treatments. Especially in this economy where jobs are being lost, medical and prescription benefits either canceled (due to job loss) or sky high costs.
About a week later, my husband had his physical that also included a CBC and, interesting enough, he was informed of the same diagnosis. His TS3 was also low. Now, imagine my shock at this news. I thought it odd that both of us would have low TS3 level at the same time. He also informed the doctor that we were going to research more about this issue before starting on the medication. After quite a bit of research, I found that our problem may be due to an iodine deficiency. Because I have been trying over the last few years to eat healthier, I started to greatly reduce our intake of salt. I didn’t realize the benefits salt provided. On top of that, I was heavy into ‘couponing’ and pinching pennies so instead of buying Morton’s salt (that happens to be iodized), I started buying an off brand (and to my surprise, it’s not iodized). Basically, the small amounts of salt we were using didn’t include iodine.
I started taking notice of the salt that was used when we went to a restaurant. I started asking the waiter/waitress if they used iodized salt in their foods. After a few crazy looks, most found the salt was NOT iodized. I think it may be due to the fact that non-iodized salt appears to be cheaper than iodized salt and companies may be trying to reduce their costs. The irony of it all is that even though we would eat out periodically, and normally restaurant food tends to be full of sodium, the places we frequented didn’t use iodized salt. Plus, we weren’t eating foods that had enough or any iodine in them.
So, I went on a mission. I started buying Morton’s iodized salt (it could have been any salt as long as it’s iodized) and added it to my meals for two straight months (I had to increase my high blood medicine in the process due to the increase in sodium). I didn’t go crazy or nothing like that with the salt, because you really don’t need that much iodine in your diet. However, I’ve found that if that small amount that you need is missing from your diet, over time, it can cause the problem my husband and I experienced. After two months, I went back to my doctor and had another CBC. To my surprise, the additional iodine made a big difference. Miraculously, my new thyroid test came back normal. My TS3 level was normal. The same for my husband.
I suggest ensuring you are not iodine deficient if your thyroid level is low. Just ask your doctor to test your iodine level. You don’t necessarily have to increase your iodized salt intake like we did. There are foods that have iodine in them as well as iodine supplements. But, if you are thinking of taking the supplements, I highly recommend you do so at the direction of your doctor. Because, I’ve learned the body really doesn’t need that much and you don’t want to add too much iodine.
I have talked to others that also have experienced panic attacks that have been associated with hypothyroidism.
If you’re having panic attacks, you should request a CBC and if your TS3 level is low, request an iodine test to rule out iodine deficiency.
