Shoulder Acne and Thyroid

[theoneguy]

So for those that know i posted a while ago that i was taking 125mcg a day of iodine and it cause my shoulders to break out with crazy acne. Well I have also been having thyroid problems for a while too and my free t3, free t4 always at the very bottom of the acceptable range and tsh normally between 2 and 5.

I stopped taking iodine start of the year and in the last 6 months taken a total of 500mcg iodine (4 tablets in 6 months) and have not used ANY iodized salt for 6 months. Just had a iodine test done and was 227 with top of the range being 230. It's fairly clear to me that my thyroid is not working properly and using the iodine in my body so whenever I took any supplement with iodine in, it came out through terrible acne in my shoulders.

I thought I would post this here for others who have terrible shoulder acne as I have seen many threads on the matter, check your supplements and maybe look at your iodine levels as it may be the cause. I'm also interested in others here who are taking levothyroxine if you experience any side effects and if it helped with your energy levels and fatigue and also weight loss.

I need to find a proper endocrinologist soon and hopefully start on levothyroxine.

 

[captain]

What test was it for iodine? The test you use is a urine test. You take a dose of iodine and see how much of it is excreted in 24hr urine.

 

[theoneguy]

was urine test taken 1st thing in the morning.

 

[abe]

I've been dosing with iodine for over 7 years now, I use 400 micrograms daily. I was told anyone supplementing with iodine should not use more than 500 MCG daily.

 

[theoneguy]

i was taking 125mcg daily most days abe and that was enough to make my shoulders break out in crazy amounts of acne. It's healed up now that I stopped taking all iodine but I may have a few small scars from all the acne in the future, have to wait and see.

 

[VacationMan]

Iodine is good at driving toxins out of your body. Best way is to start low and titrate up gradually over time. I've found that the likes of Lugol's Solution is a good way to go, starting with a few drops and gradually increasing over a period of several weeks. If you notice any nasal congestion, acne, etc. then slow down.

 

[theoneguy]

And this is why I decided to post here as I read and was told that iodine drives out toxins. So i kept taking my 125mcg iodine a day thinking it was toxins coming out of my shoulders but it was in fact excess iodine.

 

[captain]

I don't think 125mcg would be excess. Your daily intake would very more than that without iodine supplementation. I took 12.5mg for a long time and the only side effect was hyperhidrosis.

 

[theoneguy]

you would think so but that is not the case. If i took just 1 x 125mcg iodine tablet tomorrow within 24 hours my shoulders would be breaking out in acne. I don't add iodized salt to anything either.