Topic: Anyone have or know about bromide toxicity?
James1979
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posted
I just found out I have bromide levels that are over 4 times higher than the upper limit. Dang, that's high. I did a 24-hour urine test.
Now I feel like I have to study new stuff now. I'm TIRED of studying!!
Where in the world did this bromide come from? I thought that white flour was the most common source, and I haven't eaten white flour for YEARS!
Now I know that I can't do an iodine sufficiency test until I get my bromine levels way down, since that amount of bromine will prevent the iodine from attaching to the receptors in the body. Both of the iodine tests I took are showing that my body isn't absorbing the iodine.
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BoxerMom
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Member # 25251
posted
From what I've read, when you are iodine deficient, any of the halogens can occupy your iodine receptors. But the receptors have a preference for iodine, so once you begin iodine therapy, the iodine should replace the bromine, flourine, whatever.
I had a HUGE bromide detox reaction when I started iodine. Had to do regular salt flushes to get the chloride ion to bind with the bromide so my kidneys could filter it out. Worked like a charm.
You may simply need to do the salt flushes to get the stupid bromide out of your body.
posted
Boxermom - those links were GOLDEN!!! Thanks a lot for the info. I have to add those links to the "Iodine Information Thread". How come you were silent that whole time when I was updating that thread?
I never got a detox reaction, even when taking very high doses of iodine. It probably would be a good idea to increase my sea salt intake anyway to aid with the detox.
I just can't figure out where this bromine is coming from! I read what those links were saying about where bromine comes from, but I don't know any specific source that I'm exposed to. Maybe it's like from the carpets or something?
Alice - I think most people don't check or think about their bromine levels. If you ask me - I think that's because there's a massive ignorance about the importance of iodine. Obviously someone like BoxerMom is very well informed, but it's very rare to find someone like that.
When I did my first iodine loading test, it showed that I excreted over 100% of the iodine intake. This showed that there was a problem. Then I did a second test with the addition of a bromine and fluoride test as well. The second iodine test showed a near-100% excretion, which again was strange.
The fluoride was near the high end, but not overboard. But the bromine was SUPER high! If my bromine was only 1/5 the amount that it is, then I might still be having iodine absorption problems. This could be a reason why I'm excreting all of the iodine on the 24-hour loading test.
I have health problems specific to iodine deficiency, so that's why I care.
But most women should care about iodine levels, because they're susceptible to so many more problems than men concerning iodine deficiency (because they have more estrogen, which blocks iodine uptake). Due to the mass ignorance, we see women with fibrocystic breast disease, cysts all over their organs, endometriosis, goiter, hypo/hyperthyroidism, hashimoto's/grave's disease, cancers, etc etc etc (which are all related to iodine deficiency), and they never have a thought or concern about their iodine levels. This, IMO, is very sad.
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posted
Read David Brownstein's book on Iodine.
Posts: 8430 | From Not available | Registered: Oct 2000
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James1979
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posted
Thanks for the suggestion, Lou, but I already read that book twice. It was an okay book, and I would recommend it to others, but it was not as in-depth on bromine as I am looking for.
But I agree that Dr. Brownstein would probably be one of the most knowledgeable docs in the US on this topic.
I just searched his blog for "bromine" by googling: "bromine site:drdavidbrownstein.blogspot.com", and basically it comes up with the same basic info that he has in his iodine book.
I particularly interested in learning what are the sources of bromine, and it seems like carpetting and other common household items are major culprits. I'm just having a lot of trouble finding out the details. Which fibers are the worst? Is it nylon, polypropelene, polyester, olefin, etc? Are all of those safe unless they've been specially treated with PBDEs? How do we know if they've been treated?
I started a new thread about the dangers of synthetic fibers. Maybe someone will be able to share some knowledge.
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MannaMe
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Member # 33330
posted
My husband had high bromide levels also. He was taking iodine to replace the bromide. He herxed with it!
We found out the bromide has a Long half life and can hang around a long time.
We couldn't figure out where he was getting it either..... Until I read something about Celexa (citalopram hydrobromide)and the bromide part LEAPED out at me! I asked the Pharmacist if that is where all the bromide came from??? His response? "Yep! That's where all that bromide came from."
So you might want to check all your meds to be sure there's no bromide in them.
My husband was no longer taking celexa - hadn't been on it for months at the time of the bromide test.
He wasn't eating bread or anything with wheat flour at the time - he is gluten free.
Posts: 2249 | From USA | Registered: Aug 2011
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posted
Meds are one of the things Brownstein mentions as source of bromide. Also pesticides. And if you are anywhere near drilling areas for natural gas, fracking puts bromide and other bad things into rivers that are used for drinking water:
posted
Thanks for starting this thread, James! And thanks for the previous iodine thread, as well.
I took 25mg Iodoral for a couple of months last spring and quit because of acne and hair loss. Had no idea at the time about bromide toxicity.
Just started Iodoral again about 8 weeks ago and have worked up to 37.5mg/day. I've definitely had a number of the detox symptoms listed on the Breast Cancer Choices site, but I'm trying to go more slowly this time and make sure to take celtic sea salt daily. I ate tons of baked goods for years and, as a competitive swimmer, lived in swimming pools, and so I suspect that there's a lot of gunk for the iodine to replace in my poor body!
I don't think my LLMD is interested in any of the bromide or iodine loading testing, and so I'm just going to try and get up to 50mg Iodoral per day and stay there for a while.
Again, many thanks for raising this important issue!
-------------------- Increasingly ill over past 10 yrs; treating since October '08. Posts: 180 | From Philadelphia, PA | Registered: Oct 2008
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James1979
Unregistered
posted
MannaMe - do you remember what the half-life of bromide in the body was? I tried googling it, but the "long" half-life of "12-24 days" seems awfully short to me. I mean, maybe that's "long" comparatively, but still I can't imagine then that bromide would show up in high levels on a urine test unless there was some kind of constant recent exposure.
Lou - thanks for the info. I'm not near any drilling or fracking areas, and I used reverse-osmosis purified well water. I guess it could be the pesticides, but I do try to eat organic produce whenever I can. That's definitely something to keep in mind, though. I guess that's another good reason to stay organic.
landerss - that's an interesting thing about the swimming. I also used to be a competitive swimmer through high school and college, but that was years ago. Do you think some of that chlorine and bromine can persist in the body for years?
Now that I'm brainstorming out loud - the interesting thing is that it seems that those halides would stay in the body for years unless we were taking a sufficient amount of iodine and sea salt to remove the toxic halides. For example, if the bromide collected in our thyroid, why would it ever leave unless we try to force it out? In that way, I guess it's feasible that any past exposure could create a high accumulation.
I guess this also might affect the original question I had asked MannaMe above about the half-life of bromide.
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I was going to mention bromine in pools or hot tubs as a possible source, but I see that you have already arrived at that possibility.
I just wanted to add that when I was asking around about replacing the chlorine in a hot tub, several hot tub stores suggested bromine.
They said that bromine does not smell as much as chlorine, and works at wider pH ranges, so apparently that is why it is used.
If I were using anyone's hot tubs, public or private, I would make sure they do not use bromine.
If anyone finds out the half-life of bromine in the body, I would be interested in that information, too.
Krystal
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MannaMe
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Member # 33330
posted
James, I copied the response from the Pharmacist about the bromide half life. I'm going to guess its the excess that our body has stored away because it didn't know how to get rid of it, that is causing high bromide readings now.
"Releasing stored bromide from fat cells and escorting them out of the body is a slow process.
Iodine has a half life of a few minutes. Bromide has a half life of 12 days!
Bottom line -- unbound bromide stays in the blood stream much longer than iodine.
Half life means how long it takes for 1/2 of the chemical to be processed (used/excreted) by the body. Detoxing of bromide is going to take a while, so you'll have to be patient."
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James1979
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posted
Krystal - I also was recently reading that hot tubs in particular usually have bromine. I used to sit in them daily after swimming. It's amazing how we were so care-free back then, and we didn't consider that it might be dangerous to be absorbing the toxins in our skin! Man, I was even eating Pizza Hut and Taco Bell back then. Ah... the memories.
BTW Krystal - you were saying "thank you" on the iodine thread. I wanted to respond here that I'm SO HAPPY that you found benefit from the information! Thank God. I don't like to respond much on that other thread, because I don't want it to be too long.
MannaMe - thanks a ton for the info! That is pretty amazing how much longer the bromide lasts in the blood!
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James1979
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posted
Oops, I forgot to mention something.
I've been studying a lot about sources of bromine, and I think it's important to know that one of the major sources is synthetic PILLOWS!!
Polyurethane foam pillows are the worst. Polyester fiber isn't that bad, but I still think it's not safe. That's why I'm replacing my pillows.
It's frightening to think that some people are putting their babies down on toxic cribs or pillows without realizing that it's causing harm to the babies.
Basically, the thicker foams are the most dangerous, because they're full of the PBDEs.
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BoxerMom
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Member # 25251
posted
I LOVE your Iodine thread, but was in a huge relapse as it was evolving. So I read, but didn't add to it.
I've had a med change and I'm feeling better, so I'll try to keep up with the iodine group.
I had to back off my Iodoral. I tried 1 tab/day, but the bromide detox symptoms were too much. (Kidney pain! You know you're overdoing it when your organs hurt.) I've cut back to 1/2 tab/day, and I'm doing much better.
I'm still experiencing some hair loss and facial twitches, so I'm curious to see if these resolve with further bromide detox, or if they are Lyme symptoms.
Thanks MannaMe for the bromide info. This stuff is nasty. I think I'm full of it!
I started with topical Potassium Iodide. I felt great and had no side effects. My fibrocystic lump resolved (YAY!) and my stupid little Bart moles and skin tags disappeared.
Bromides in Pillows and Hot Tubs??!! Life is so cruel. I'd move into a bubble, but you know it would be full of PBDEs.
MannaMe
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Member # 33330
posted
Boxermom, The skin tags are bart symptoms???
I thought it was from blood sugar issues.......
My hubby used to have a bunch of skin tags until we got his hypoglycemia under control. Then his skin tags had all gone. Now a few a trying to come back.
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James1979
Unregistered
posted
Boxermom - I hope you don't mind, but I used your quote as my signature line, without your permission! I thought it was an awesome quote.
But it won't be there long. I found a super cool one that I'll probably put there tomorrow.
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BoxerMom
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 25251
posted
I'm flattered.
I like watching people change their signature lines.
Hambone had my favorite one ever. It used to say "God closed one door and opened an oven door."
I think she was running a little hot.
And, yes, I do think the skin tags are Bart, but I have heard of skin issues with blood sugar problems, so who knows?
quote:From the published data, the skin iodine patch test is not a reliable method to assess whole body sufficiency for iodine. Many factors play a role in the disappearance of the yellow color of iodine from the surface of the skin. For example, if iodine is reduced to iodide by the skin, the yellow color of iodine will disappear because iodide is white. In order to regenerate iodine on the skin, one needs to apply an oxidant such as hydrogen peroxide, complicating the test further. The evaporation of iodine from the skin increases with increased ambient temperatures and decreased atmospheric pressure due to weather conditions and altitude. For example, the yellow color of iodine will disappear much faster in Denver, Colorado at 5,000 feet above sea level then Los Angeles, California at sea level, irrespective of the amount of bioavailable iodine. The iodine/iodide loading test (4) is much more accurate and it is now available from two laboratories:
Doctor�s Data Inc. 3755 Illinois Avenue St. Charles, IL 60174 Phone: 800-323-2784 / Fax: 630-587-7860
I realize that many will disagree with this, and that's fine. All I know is that the ALL of the iodine experts agree that it is not a reliable test.
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James1979
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posted
Yeah, yeah... I know. (*polishing finger nails*).
I'll rock even more when I finish answering the 50 questions you just e-mailed me! LOOOL! I'm procrastinating now.
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