hi! I'm new here and have to post to this thread because although there's a lot of accurate and helpful info...there's also some that's not so. Some of you may even get upset with me for what I'm going to write.

If you have a normal functioning thyroid...think you may be deficient (without being tested 1st!) have been taking extra iodine and clearly notice that it makes you feel better, a sense of well-being and perhaps even lost weight and this is further proof that you have a deficiency....please consider the facts and consequences of what may happen in years to come from doing this.

If you think you actually may be deficient, have a goiter, etc., (btw have you ever seen pics of people, mostly from 3rd world countries who have a goiter from iodine deficiency??...their goiters/thyroid hanging down onto their chests???) get tested!!! The test will show your levels from over the past 6 months.

Why do you feel so much better -for those of you who aren't allergic/sensitive and have normal functioning thyroids? It's because the iodine is accumulating in the thyroid and revving up the thyroid in order to metabolize the iodine. It's not because you weren't getting enough iodine or were deficient.

Eventually, perhaps a decade or so of taking extra iodine...your thyroid is going to fail (Hashimoto's..which is also from consuming too much soy. That's why it was 1st identified and prevalent in Japan. The RDA of 150mcg of iodine is to assure not only that you get enough...but that you don't get too much!!!

Most multi-vitamins contain enough....which is most likely too much because most people are already getting enough and most likely too much from food already! Vitamin manufacturers add the RDA knowing that it'll make most people feel good and more likely keep buying/using their product.

Unless you have serious digestive issues, an eating disorder, etc., don't eat enough food on a daily basis, are a vegan and not eating enough sources of iodine...your iodine level should be fine!!

Iodine is present in most animal products. It's in milk, cheese, eggs, yogurt, etc., even if it's not specifically listed in the product info. It's in the animal feed!! Additionally, hamburger (whether beef or poultry) often contains the animals' thyroid gland in it and since the thyroid gland is where iodine is concentrated...hamburger thus contains more iodine than other meats which do via fortified animal feed.

I mentioned cruciferous veggies...they are goitrogens. Eating too much will also interfere with thyroid function as can other "endocrine disrupters" (iodine, of course) such as BPA, teflon coating (particularly when the chemicals are released via too high heat and/or surface scrapes) and triclosan.

Now what happens regarding iodine intake if you are sensitive/allergic -even if you have a normal-functioning thyroid? First of all....yes people who are allergic to shellfish may get a reaction (often very serious) to the protein in shellfish...but someone with an iodine sensitivity/allergy can get a reaction to the iodine alone...or both the iodine and proteins!!

So what will happen is your sensitive/allergic to iodine and consume the RDA or beyond? You'll develop Grave's Disease!

This happened to me and the doctors made it worse by treating me with radioactive iodine!! I had a horrible anaphylaxic reaction...including the swelling of my salivary glands which was extremely painful.

To find out if you are allergic/sensitive to iodine...a skin patch test using betadine will show this. The reaction will be very quick and result in swelling and intense itching (be ready to flush with water if this happens!). Some medical professionals consider sores that may appear on the skin later (often days)with continued/prolonged application as an allergic reaction...but it's actually the corrosive effects of the iodine.

Yes, corrosive. Too much iodine can kill you and some people have ingested large amounts as a means to commit suicide (and if not treated quickly, this method will result in a fatal outcome).

I'm sorry if I'm squelching anyone's hopes and improved feelings of well being from increasing iodine intake and I can't tell you what to do. You may decide it's worth it in the short time...but in months or even years it will cause the thyroid to malfunction and fail (actually when Hashimoto's 1st starts, the thyroid fluctuates between to high and too low before it fails.

Hashimoto's has become epidemic in the US and research thus far is showing that the American diet, containing too much iodine already -may be the cause of this. The over-consumption of soy alone has also be found to lead to an underactive thyroid (soy is added to almost all processed foods).

And the pharmaceutical companies that manufacture thyroid supplements and the doctors (endocrinologists, mainly) who treat thyroid conditions are very wealthy as a result!! And the endocrinologists will also continually under and over dose patients on thyroid medication so that they have a steady stream of regular patients every 4-6 weeks or so!!

Myself, I don't have a functioning thyroid to accumulate and metabolize iodine so it interferes with my thyroid medication. I am still extremely sensitive/allergic to it so if I've had too much, I need to get treated (Benadryl) and wait it out. A low potassium diet also helps since iodine binds with potassium.

Best wished to all!