Best most reliable test for thyroid? Seaweed?

[Guest guest]

Hello,

I am looking to get my thyroid tested.

I have spoken with three different practitioners, each with a different

perspective on tests.

One believes in saliva testing because he says blood tests either show

a positive or negative and not enough info.

Another says blood testing is the way to go because saliva tests aren't

accurate.

Another says blood tests and a thyroid cat-scan would be required.

I am so confused?

I will not be going with the doctor that requires the cat-scan because

he is way too expensive.

The other two consult over the phone and have you fill out detailed

paperwork.

I would just like to know what people have found the most reliable when

it comes to testing.

Also, when doing blood tests, which would be the ones needed ie FreeT3,

Free T4, etc...

Has anyone had issues consuming too much sea weed in the diet. I was

told that the iodine in the seaweed is very good for thyroid but that

you don't want to overdue it because too much iodine can inhibit the

thyroid. I just don't know how much sea weed is too much since only

Alaria lists iodine percent, but not even in a measurable way.

Thank you

[Guest guest]

Most people, except MidWesterners, get Iodine from water and food,

which comes from soils. This is actually enough for most people. I

have not read of any other thing that the body uses Iodine for

except to make thyroid hormones. It does work as an antibiotic and

anticancer substnce in the body and should be free Iodine for this.

People only need 150 mcg a day, which is usually obtained in foods

that have Iodine added as a preservative and in salt. We also get it

in water in areas with Iodine in the soils.

For some reason, a certain proportion of the population has

allergies to Iodine and it is very bad for them, not to mention the

Iodine stimulated auto-immune diesease. If you are on thryoid

hormone, you should also be getting adequate Iodine.

A new study looking at Iodine in the thyroid found that doses that

are higher than 3 mg a day damage the thyroid of everybody. They

also interestingly found that Ionized Iodine did not seem to damage

the thyroid. This may mean that the type of iodine is important and

that supplements are a worse form of Iodine. Ionized Iodine would be

more likely what you would find in water.

I don't think researchers fully understand about Iodine and why some

people cannot have it and others do ok. But, I think as long as you

have enough to make thryoid hormone, which isn't a lot, you should

be ok. I don't think you should take risks if there is a possibility

of damaging your thyroid. They looked at two communities in the old

days when they first started adding iodine to salt. One did not have

Iodine in the salt and the other did. They found that the one that

had iodine had less goiter, but an significantly increased rate of

auto-immune thryoiditis. So, Iodine is a mysterious double edged

sword.

Anyway, in my opinion you should be careful with it if you suspect

you have thyroid disease of sime kind.

Tish

[Guest guest]

Most people, except MidWesterners, get Iodine from water and food,

which comes from soils. This is actually enough for most people. I

have not read of any other thing that the body uses Iodine for

except to make thyroid hormones. It does work as an antibiotic and

anticancer substnce in the body and should be free Iodine for this.

People only need 150 mcg a day, which is usually obtained in foods

that have Iodine added as a preservative and in salt. We also get it

in water in areas with Iodine in the soils.

For some reason, a certain proportion of the population has

allergies to Iodine and it is very bad for them, not to mention the

Iodine stimulated auto-immune diesease. If you are on thryoid

hormone, you should also be getting adequate Iodine.

A new study looking at Iodine in the thyroid found that doses that

are higher than 3 mg a day damage the thyroid of everybody. They

also interestingly found that Ionized Iodine did not seem to damage

the thyroid. This may mean that the type of iodine is important and

that supplements are a worse form of Iodine. Ionized Iodine would be

more likely what you would find in water.

I don't think researchers fully understand about Iodine and why some

people cannot have it and others do ok. But, I think as long as you

have enough to make thryoid hormone, which isn't a lot, you should

be ok. I don't think you should take risks if there is a possibility

of damaging your thyroid. They looked at two communities in the old

days when they first started adding iodine to salt. One did not have

Iodine in the salt and the other did. They found that the one that

had iodine had less goiter, but an significantly increased rate of

auto-immune thryoiditis. So, Iodine is a mysterious double edged

sword.

Anyway, in my opinion you should be careful with it if you suspect

you have thyroid disease of sime kind.

Tish

[Guest guest]

Wow Tish,

Thanks.

As far as I know, the Doctor that I am going to see Tuesday is only

planning on doing a saliva test and hair analysis.

But I guess I could get the blood tests on my own. She mentioned that

she uses Armor and also sees where diet might be off.

The other person I was considering seeing does consults over the phone.

She has you answer a lot of questions, get blood tests and check

basal temps in the morning.

This is what makes this so difficult. I really don't know who I should

be going to.

Thanks for the great info. on seaweed.

I actually raised concern about the seaweed and the tests to both

people above and neither saw it as a problem. I was afraid that the

seaweed would interfere with the test results. I had no idea that it

could have such an affect on my thyroid.

I asked them if I should stop eating the seaweed and both said it

wouldn't matter.

Shouldn't they have shared with me what you shared?

Well, for now I have an appointment Tuesday. I will see how it goes.

Thank you,

slightly confused,

*Brigitte

" Be the change you wish to see in the world "

-Gandhi

On Sunday, September 19, 2004, at 07:24 AM,

The_Thyroid_Support_Group wrote:

>

> Message: 4

> Date: Sat, 18 Sep 2004 18:20:32 -0000

>

> Subject: Re: Best most reliable test for thyroid? Seaweed?

>

> Watch out for sea weed. Many thyroid problems involve problems with

> iodine. Auto-antibodies attack the part of the thryoid that is in

> the process of making hormone and attaching iodine to the tyrosine.

> So, if these people take iodine, they end up damaging their thryoids

> further and increasing auto-anitbodies produced and basically

> worsening their situation. Many thryoid patients have trouble with

> Iodine and should not use it. I am one of those. My thyroid will

> swell up and become sore and I will fell really terrible in general.

> So, don't take a risk in damaging your thyroid any further.

>

> Some doctors do not like the saliva tests because they have a much

> shorter history of use and therefore the ranges and accuracy is not

> known as well as with the blood tests. It doesn't mean they are no

> good, it just means they have a shorter history of use and therefore

> all the problems with it may not be known yet and the ranges may not

> be as solid as with the blood tests. But, my feeling is that they

> are just fine.

>

> Definitely you need free T3 and free T4 and antibody tests. The

> doctor wanting the scan sounds like he is getting way ahead of

> himself, unless you have nodules and other growths in the thyroid.

> Still, the treatment is the same if you do and you have low output -

> thyroid hormone. Unless the nodule or growth is cancer, which is

> pretty rare.

>

> Instead of Iodine, why not take selinium and chromium, progesterone

> cream, coconut oil, and tyrosine. All the nutrients are essential

> for thryoid function in all the tissues of the body and thryoid. The

> progesterone counteracts high estrogen in hypothyroidism and can

> really improve thyroid function. Tyrosine is the base material for

> making thyroid hormone. Coconut oil can really improve thryoid

> function and speeds up the metabolic rate. Don't get carried away

> with iodine. It won't help you if you are low in any of the

> nutrients and amino acids needed for thyroid funcion. (Liebigs law

> of the minimum) Whatever is at the lowest level is going to limit

> everything else.

>

> Tish

>