2.) Iodine Skin Patch Test Not Valid - Dr Derry MD PhD

[Guest guest]

" The 'test' of putting iodine on the skin to watch how

fast it disappears is not an indicator of anything.... "

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Dr. Derry MD, PhD (Biochemistry) author of:

BREAST CANCER AND IODINE (2001)

Answers Reader Questions

Brought to you by Shomon,

[source: Shomon's site:

http://thyroid.about.com/library/derry/bl2a.htm]

-- Topic: Disappearing Iodine Test --

A Reader Writes:

A friend of mine was just diagnosed with a possible thyroid disorder

(her test was in the form of a drop of iodine on her arm and watching

how fast it disappeared).

Her chiropractor suggested she start off by taking something called

Thyroid Helper which can be found at ..... Have you ever heard of this

and do you know how effective it might be?

- Derry Responds:

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.(1-2)

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.

However Nyiri and Jannitti's findings that " Tthe percentage of iodine

penetration through the skin is the same, irrespective of whether the

cells have a high or low vitality, or are dead, and irrespective of

the direction of penetration " have important implications for iodine

functions in the body, skin, pregnancy and fetus and also for the

therapeutic use of topical and oral iodine.

Iodine would be the only compound of significance during early

pregnancy which can pass rapidly through all tissues of the fetus

without the aid of any blood vessel or lymphatic transport. It could

be that not only does iodine control natural cell death (apoptosis)

(5) in the fetus but may also influences stem cell development.

Nyiri and Jannetti also mentioned iodine applied on the skin can be

used to shrink swelling of the thyroid gland (goiters). So even small

amounts of iodine absorbed through the skin can have good effects on

body organs.

From my own clinical experience, repeated application of iodine

(LugolÌs) to the skin appears to cause regeneration of the skin from

the bottom up (Quiescent, stable or stem cell) (3) eventually

sloughing the old version of the skin off like a snake molting. If

there was a pre-cancerous lesion on the old skin, it is replaced with

new skin minus the lesion.

There does not seem to be any skin lesions which are not helped or

cured by this procedure. In some cases I found clinically obvious low

thyroid conditions also needed to be treated to be more effective.

Minor lacerations and healing of surgical wounds respond well. If skin

regeneration is from the bottom, then there is little or no scar

formation.

My parents' generation tended to put tincture of iodine onto a fresh

wound to prevent infection. This turns out to be helpful but not the

best way to use it. Besides it stung badly when applied. It is much

more effective (and doesn't hurt) to apply iodine repeatedly after a

scab has been formed.

The iodine put onto the scab helps to organize total repair of the

tissue. It is implied a similar approach could be taken to burns of

all depths but at the same time the physiology of burns suggest there

is an acute lack of thyroid hormone. (3)

All pre-malignant lesions and many other oddities of the skin appear

to respond to this regeneration process triggered by topical iodine. I

have mentioned previously a patient with a biopsy-proven breast cancer

lesion (she refused surgery because of previous cancer treatment) that

was strongly fixed to the skin responding well to topical iodine and

ended up being a dimple on the breast three year later. (6)

It is my belief a water solution of iodine (like Lugol's) is an

important therapeutic agent for skin. Because of its effectiveness and

the results, perhaps many skin diseases are related to local tissue

areas of relative iodine deficiency.

Perhaps the most graphic lesions are the " keloid " (worm) incision

scars formed after surgical procedures. If the iodine intake and

tissue levels are adequate, such as in Japan, keloid formation doesn't

happen (7).

In addition, iodine's ability to trigger natural cell death

(apoptosis) (5) makes it effective against all pre-cancerous skin

lesions and likely many cancerous lesions. The local site is replaced

with normal skin. However, even lesser doses of topical iodine seem to

reverse the ominous appearance of skin lesions.

Because my older brother died of metastatic melanoma, my chances of

getting a malignant melanoma are increased by 400 times. (8-9) Having

grown up in Venezuela near the equator my sun exposure at a young age

was far above normal. So all suspicious lesions I notice are returned

to normal with topical Lugol's.

One of the most famous of documentations of iodine skin therapy to a

famous person occurred in the American Civil War.

" On September 29, 1862, Colonel B. Gordon held the center of

General Lee's army at the battle of Antietam, or Sharpsburg. The first

volley from the northern lines sent a ball through the calf of

Gordon's right leg; soon after, another went through the muscles of

his thigh; a third pierced his left arm, tearing asunder the tendons

and mangling the flesh; a forth ripped through his shoulder leaving a

wad of clothing embedded in its track.

Still, no bones were broken; but, while Gordon lingered in the firing

line, " with " , as he says himself, " but little of my usual strength " , a

fifth ball struck him squarely in the face.

Dr. Weatherly of the 6th Alabama Regiment, in charge of medical

arrangements, had the Colonel removed to a base hospital, and

prescribed tincture of iodine to be painted on the wounds three or

four times a day. The case was unpromising.

Gordon's eyelids were greatly swollen; one eye was completely closed,

the other almost so; his jaw was immovably clenched, and, to make

matters worse, erysipelas (staphylococcus infection of skin) had set

in on the left arm.

Mrs. Gordon, his wife, who nursed him - her name was Fanny, and she

was then a beautiful girl of 25 - put a liberal interpretation on her

instructions and painted the wounds, not three or four times a day,

but, as Gordon himself says: " I think three to four hundred time a day. "

Fanny's diligence and devotion were rewarded. Her husband survived,

outlived the war, became the Governor of Georgia, a General, and

Commander-in-Chief of the United Confederate Veterans. He died in

1904. " (10)

I think Fanny knew iodine applied often was a more effective way to

deliver iodine to the body especially applied on multiple sites.

Likely Gordon's iodine blood levels and tissue levels rose throughout

his body.

As iodine is by far the best antibiotic, antiviral and antiseptic of

all time, the colonel's body defenses were able to gain control of the

infections. At the same time local repeated application to the wound

sites caused the skin to grow up from its bottom where all the cells

(Stem cells) that make normal skin are residing.

Likely this minimized or eliminated scar formation. Thus NyiriÌs and

JannettiÌs studies confirm why FannyÌs method of treatment worked so

brilliantly. Some of our recent serious skin diseases such a

" flesh-eating disease " should respond quickly to topical iodine

treatment practiced by Fanny.

Or, for another example, iodine put onto a mosquito bite would kill

all bacteria and viruses at the site of the bite within 10-30 seconds

making it impossible for any virus or bacteria to multiply and get

started --such as in West Nile Fever.

Naturally, this applies to tic bites (Lyme's disease) as well.

For many decades in the 1800s people carried around little bottles of

iodine around their necks to use on all occasions. People in mosquito

and tic infested areas should think of doing this again. (8)

In addition, it has been forgotten vaporized iodine rapidly kills air

borne viruses such as polio and SARS viruses.. Used extensively in the

forties and fifties it may be of use to explore this approach again.

There has been no significant clinical research on iodine therapy or

use for 40 years. (11-15) I feel it is important for research to be

directed at this potentially significant area of medical treatment. It

is worth noting the greatest part of significant research with iodine

was done before the Medline search facilities were available.

Of course, since large doses of iodine are tolerated intravenously

without side effects, it has yet to be explored what help this may

have for many cancer patients or even other diseases.

I hope these concepts help.

-- References:

1. Nyiri,W., Jannitti,M.. About the fate of free iodine upon

application to the unbroken animal skin. J Pharmacol Exp Ther

45:85-107, 1932.

2. Biskind,M.S. Penetration through tissue of iodine in different

solvents. Proc Soc Exp Biol Med 30:35-37, 1932.

3. Robbins pathologic basis of disease. Eds Cotran,R.S., Kumar,V.,

,T. Sixth Edition W.B. Saunders Company, Philadelphia. 1999.

Page 91. and page 434.

4. Gershenfeld,L. Iodine Editor Reddish.G.F. Antiseptics,

disinfectants fungicides and chemical and physical sterilization,

Philadelphia:Lea & FebigerHa, 1957. pages 223 277.

5. Derry,D.M. One hour lecture: Iodine, thyroid hormone and breast

cancer. How to prevent and survive breast cancer. World Breast Cancer

Conference, BC June 4-6, 2002..

6. Derry, DM. Breast cancer and iodine How to prevent and survive it.

Trafford Publishing , Canada. 2001 page 89.

7. Updegraff,H.L. Reconstructive surgery and old facial burns. JAMA

101:1138-1140, 1933. page 1139

8. WH. The nature of cancer: morphogenesis and progressive (self

) disorganization in neoplastic development and progression. Acta

Oncol 1995; 34:3-21.

9. WH. Tumour progression and the nature of cancer. J Cancer

1991; 64:631-644.

10. ,F.C.. Iodine in medicine and pharmacy since its

discovery--1811-1961. Proc R Soc Med 54:831-836, 1961.

11. Wayne,E.J,. Koutras,D.A.. ,W.D.. Clinical aspects of

iodine metabolism, Philadelphia:F.A. Company, 1964.

12. Braverman,L.E.. Iodine and the thyroid: 33 years of study. Thyroid

4 (3):351-356, 1994.

13. Vagenakis,A.G.. Effects of iodides: clinical studies. Thyroid 1

(1):59-63, 1990.

14. ,T., Meyers,B., Witorsch,R.J., Pino,S., Chipkin,S.,

Ingbar,S.H. Braverman, L.E.. The effect of small increases in dietary

iodine on thyroid function in euthyroid subjects. Metabolism.

37:121-124, 1988.

15. Zaichick,V. Zaichick.S.. Normal human intrathyroidal iodine.

Science of the Total Environment 206 (1):39-56, 1997.

be?

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Best wishes,

Pat

(Feb. 2, 2006)

HormonesandHealth-Naturally

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