Hubby is taking 4 Iodoral tablets daily -- this is a combination of Iodine (5mg)/Potassium Iodide (7.5mg). When we saw his new primary care provider he did the skin patch test for iodine and it was gone before the 1 1/2 hour appointment was over! This was before he started the supplements.

PCP says that iodine is required for immune system to function properly. Hubby continues to take Armour thyroid at 60mg per doctor.

Instructions were that it might take from 3 weeks to up to 3 months to replenish iodine stores in the body and that he would notice a frontal headache, runny nose and cough up clear phlegm when the iodine levels were sufficient. At that time he is to stop supplements for 2 - 3 days and then resume at 1/2 the original dose.

Dr C, his LLMD ordered the original test. Has anyone done this protocol and if so did you notice any symptoms which improved from the iodine?

Hubby is sweating more normally this summer, but that could be from the heat and energy levels are way down due to meds. As far as I can tell the iodine isn't doing anything beneficial at this point, but it has only been a month.

I think the plan is to check my levels again next spring. My test showed a deficiency too. Dr C said most of the population is deficient.

In fact, such a problem that I don't absorb antibiotics as much.

I was given idodized glycerol (Tuss Organidin, before they reformulated) as a cold/cough syrup. It was amazing; I'd take it and everything would drain out like they're telling you to expect. Shame they took it off the market.

Anyway after 2 weeks on the medicine I felt better than I ever did. When I told my, then, LLMD she thought I was nuts. (It was probably 10 years ago.)

The iodine patch test (or spot test) I mentioned that PCP did on hubby is something you can do at home. Buy a bottle of iodine -- can get at most drugstores and probably even grocery stores. Use a cottonball to "paint" a spot on your skin -- forearm is a good place. Make the spot about the size of a quarter or 50 cent piece.

Look at this spot every hour or so and see how long it takes to fade. If it stays on for less than 24 hours then your body is deficient in iodine.

The iodoral contains 2 types of iodine and is a better supplement than the regular iodine. The reason it raises your body temperature is because iodine is needed to make the thyroid function correctly.

I actually had the runny nose effect, etc......

I'd absorb the iodine within an hour or two. Ideally, if you're okay on iodine, the patch should remain on the skin. This did not help my sluggish thyroid. Only getting on thyroid meds helped.

I see that your hubby is on 60 mg of Armour. I was on that dose for a long time, but improved after starting with a new doc who is a thyroid patient herself. She bumped me up to 120 mg, saying that it is a normal dose, and that 60 mg had not been enough.

Perhaps you could ask his Dr. about upping his dose of Armour.