Hypothetical Question, Iodine

[Guest guest]

Hi ,

As I understand it, there's an additional step between taking too much iodine

and becoming hyperthyroid, which is that an autoimmune disease gets triggered in

some people, resulting in our immune system attacking the thyroid. Certain of

the antibodies stimulate the thyroid and cause Graves'. The trick then is to

stop the iodine plus encourage the immune system to work properly. Elaine

's book Graves' Disease: A Practical Guide describes some do's and don'ts

to help the immune system. Many people will be able to achieve remission, but if

your thyroid levels are too high, you need to control them with an anti-thyroid

medication. This serves to keep your body working properly and also suppresses

antibody production.

There are some autoimmune antibodies that do damage the thyroid and eventually

cause a hypothyroid condition, but they do not necessarily accompany Graves'.

Best wishes,

B.