Iodine, thyroid, and breast cancer??
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Marianna,
When you do, make sure to ask for Free T4 and Free T3 as well, not just TSH. Usually they only check TSH and that can be inconclusive.
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the new me..
I haven't really done any research on that like I do on all the things that I am interested in..........so I could be wrong about the salt....it just seems like most of the packages I read list sodium instead of iodized salt. I also don't know if when they do list salt if that means iodized salt or not. Maybe it does. I had read somewhere that you should look at labels on bread to see if they list iodized salt instead of bromide. Wherever I read that (didn't keep it because it doesn't pertain to my new eating habits), it said that a lot of packaged foods no longer use iodized salt as the emulsifier. I now know to look for non brominated breads when I buy for the rest of my family who don't eat the sprouted grain breads that I think they should:)
I assume that at restaurants they probably use Morton's Iodized Salt but I read somewhere that there isn't as much iodine in it as the original amount required 70 yrs ago after that whole Goiter Belt thingy. I've been told by kids who work at McDonalds that they add salt and sugar to the fries.
So, maybe you are right and they are using iodized salt for all the oversalted foods in our environment.
But the question still remains as to how a person who has cut salt out of their diet gets enough iodine. I rarely eat fish now unless it is from Alaska because of the mercury. So, I was merely throwing that out there to remind all those who avoid salt and who eat things that use bromide instead of salt to make sure they are getting iodine from something. Bromide causes your body to lose iodine so if you are eating a lot of bromide then you might be deficient in iodine. A lot of people no longer eat the diet the RDA assumes they do so I don't know that everyone gets that average amount they think we do. How can they possibly know who eats what?
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Hello all-
This was an interesting thread for me as I was dx'd with an underactive thyroid at 35 years old. Now, 5 yrs later, at 40 I am dx'd w/bc and they said my kind of bc takes about 5 years to develop.
Who was it that said there is no such thing as a coincidence?!
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I heard from another person last year that after taking thyroid meds after taking it for several months her weight fell off. In the last few months, without trying, I went from 156 to 140, which is the perfect weight for me since I'm 5'8"
Before the last thyroid test my thyroid numbers were all over the board. I finally feel like they are beganing to normalize. My antibodies are still high, and tsh a little low...but best test so far since a year from March when I discovered it was a problem
So...I contribute my weight loss partially to being on thyroid med's.
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barry, obviously. Thyroid hormone increases your metabolism and generally the speed all the organs in your body work. When I was in severe hyper-thyroidism, I couldn't put on weight no matter how much I ate - it was passing through my digestive system too fast to be metabolized, so my body was consuming itself. I had gone as low as 97 lbs for a 5'4" - I looked horrible. Once my thyroid levels started to get to normal from anti-thyroid medication, I was able to put weight on. Similarly, if you are hypo, and you dont' have enough thyroide hormone, your metabolism is sluggish and you cannot lose weight no matter how drastic your diet is.
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Here's a question for you ladies with hypothroid. I have always tested okay on my thyroid levels, looking back over the past 10 years of documents from my doctor. However, I realize they might not be checking the right levels of T3, T4.
I have had Plantar Fascitis 3-4 times in 8 years.... now, mind you, I do run and exercise quite a bit, but I can't help but wonder. I only know there is a connection because I have been researching what remedies I can find on the internet for heel pain, and I came across an article that said the two were closely related.Anyone on this thread experienced this? It's a real pain in the ......heel.
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Marianna, my doctor doesn't think the thyroid blood tests are reliable unless they confirm his findings from examination and asking questions.
But regarding the thyroid-Plantar Faciitis thing, I've been looking for something for my sister.
Scroll down this page:
http://www.davedraper.com/fusionbb/showtopic.php?tid/7727/post/last/
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I am a newbie to this thread. I read through the whole thread and I would like to contribute. I found out about Iodoral 4 years prior to my diagnosis of BC. I was afraid to take it. Fast forward to a chemo, MX & reconstruction, I started on the Iodoral Protocol as recommended on breastcancerchoices.org shortly after my diagnosis (no, it didn't make the cancer go away) and I do work with an integrative doctor. Five months before my BC diagnosis, I was diagnosed with adrenal exhaustion which can sometimes present like thyroid problems. I am hoping the Iodoral will act as a preventative measure. But what I really wanted to mention to everyone here, because I have never seen it mentioned, is a great source of information in the form of a book: Breast Cancer and Iodine : How to Prevent and How to Survive Breast Cancer by David Derry. This book outlines how in the 70's the government removed iodine from all of our bread and bakery products and replaced it with bromides, which hinders iodine in the body. There was also a shift in how the thyroid was measured and treated, so now there is a much larger hypothyroid population then ever before. I would quote directly from the book, but I have it out on loan right now. I will say, the book is incredibly informative and I would recommend reading it.
Also, on breastcancerchoices.org, they have a list of doctors who work with natural thyroid meds and Iodoral.
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MBJ, thank you for reminding us of Dr. Derry. He is an unsung hero. I think he knew about the iodine research before the newest wave of doctors, right? His old book was out of print and they revived it. I lent my copy out
and have not seen it since. Didn't Dr. Derry say he never had an early stage patient have a recurrence on iodine?Thanks!
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Didn't Dr. Derry say he never had an early stage patient have a recurrence on iodine?
Wow. That's amazing!!
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Does anyone know the dose Dr. Derry recommends? My alternative doc thinks the dose breastcancer.org recommends is way to high?
Peace and Blessings to all, Patty
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I agree that the book is good, but again, make sure you ARE hypo-thyroid before starting to take iodine. Otherwise you put your life in danger.
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Day: You are so right. Breastcancerchoices.org does recommend high doses of Iodoral, but there is an entire protocol that goes with it and I highly agree that it should be done through a doctor's care.
seaotter: Yes, Dr. Derry does say that. I wouldn't use it as a cure--I was on it five months prior to my diagnosis and my tumor was still rapidly growing--but I would use it a s preventative measure. I have a friend in the UK who is refusing Tamoxifen and doing the Iodine protocol through a Naturalpathic doctor there. She had mny long conversations with Dr. Derry while researching iodine and she is convinced her cancer won't come back because of the Iodine. She is like I am, she had a left side MX and very harsh chemo and was completely wiped out and unable to get out of bed for months until she found her dr there.
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I have Dr Derry's book around here somewhere. His iodine book had been on my list for so long that when I finally got a copy, I was surprised to find myself really slogging through it. The dear man needs a better editor, or any editor at all perhaps. I gathered information from his book anyway that I found very helpful.
Day, I know you mentioned having thyroid storm episodes some pages back but it's not something I'm very familiar with. Are you allergic to iodine?
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Althea: I agree, it reads like a self published, un-edited book. Terrible read, but still alot of good info 0
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Althea, no, iodine puts the thyroid in high gear. That is why it's efficient for people who have hypo-thyroidism. For people who have hyper-thyroidism, and their thyroid is already in high gear, consumption of iodine can put their life in danger (i.e. trigger a thyroid storm). Thyroid "sucks" all the iodine you ingest - that is why radioactive iodine is used to kill it, as the substance will go directly to the thyroid.
That is the "standard". Of course, there are cases when it's backwards, and even if you are hypo-thyroid and ingest iodine, it can cause problems - even make the hypo-thyroidism worse (and yes, in some cases, hypo-thyroidism can get to be life-threatening). The thyroid has a VERY delicate balance, and it's not something to play with.My endocrinologist said that she wouldn't be surprised if my Graves disease was triggered by the difference in the iodine in the diet I was subject to when moving from Europe to the USA.
Check this out, just to get an idea:
http://thyroid.about.com/cs/vitaminsupplement/a/iodine.htm
http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=18119
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Hi, Day ~ I've been following this thread and am interested to know from your perspective... Do you think it's a coincidence or not related that so many of us were hypo-thyroid prior to developing bc, or do you think there could be some connection? Obviously, you were/are hyper, but it just seems odd to me that so many of us have or had thyroid imbalances (although mostly hypo), and now bc. I have a hard time believing there isn't some relationship, although I'm still not 100% convinced, so very interested to discuss it.
I'm also curious where you lived prior to the US, and how your diet was different. Deanna
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Deanna: I have read that Thyroid Cancer and Breast Cancer are happening at the same rate! Thyroid problems are at an all time high and when I had my chemo, it was always a full house! I was convinced that my thyroid was why I was feeling terrible, but when my doctor obliged me with an ultrasound, they didn't find cancer but they did find several growths.0
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I am more inclined toward the virus theory. Although having bad genes doesn't help. I had fibrocystic breasts starting in my early forties. Was radiated with radioactive iodine which killed my thyroid. Along with a hysterectomy at age 45 and subsequent HRT, I have been on thyroid pills for 20 years. Guess I shouldn't be surprised at getting BC. My one big regret is not getting timely mammograms. I went for 9 years with no good reason except I didn't have the time. I am in Canada and mammo screening is free. I preach early screening to anyone who will listen. Never mind running for the cure, let's have earlier screening of younger women. Why not breast screening clinics set up like flu clinics.
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MBJ ~ Yes, there have been threads about the possible connection between thyroid issues and bc. I also was hypo-thyroid in my 20's, and had a thyroidectomy for a benign node when I was in my 30's. I was on Synthroid until I started using supplements (especially B-Complex, I think) and also got pregnant -- one or both of which seemed to "fix" the thyroid imbalance, so I never took Synthroid again. In retrospect, I suspect that my thyroid was probably never functioning at an optimal level, although I probably tested within the normal range all those years.
I see that you're in LA. Where have you been treated? I'm out in the desert, but have had most of my tx @ UCLA.
immarybell ~ I know what you mean. I recently heard something on Doctor Radio about shingles, and how that's caused by the chicken pox virus that lays dormant for decades, and it made me think about women who have a recurrance 10+ years out, and I couldn't help but wonder if, in at least some cases, there might be a viral component to bc. Oh, why can't all the brilliant researchers working on this get together and figure this out?!?!?! Deanna
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Deanna, I think you may be on to something!
I firmly believe that there is a genetic component, an exposure component (possibly viral), and a triggering component to breast cancer. When all three are present, the disease process begins.
Someone with a strong family history who lives in an environment that exposes them on an ongoing basis to an agent that causes breast cancer would not need much stress or lowering of their immune system to trigger the development of breast cancer.
Someone with less of a genetic tendency who lives in the same environment might need a stronger trigger, or one of longer duration before they would develop breast cancer.
The combination of factors makes it much more difficult to find a direct cause, prevention or cure.
That doesn't mean that there aren't things we can do to help tip the balance in our favor.
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Deanna, yes, I think there is a connection between the hypo-thyroidism state and not only BC, but other cancers as well. My opinion about that is that probably it is due to the fact that hypo-thyroidism makes your body processes "sluggish", so the normal speed of reaction of the immune being slowed down, it makes it possible for cancer cells to develop.
I agree with PatMom too, as in there are more components that come into play before the cancer is able to grow in our bodies instead of being destroyed by our immune system.
But then again, I come and think of my own personal case - no family history, hyper-thyroid with an auto-immune disease disorder (the kind in which your immune system is too "feisty"), a pretty good diet and life-style and then I'm baffled again.
So yes, going back to the "multiple factors" theory, that is probably the best explanation. Stress probably plays a very important role, as in what changes it does to our body, diet, life-style, etc. Going at that, you can elaborate a lot of theories - Earth's geo-magnetic lines anyone?
Heck, it can be that sometime 10 years ago, you had a tooth infection, took too manyantibiotics, and your immune system got sluggish for an hour, and that was enough for some cancer cells somewhere to start multiplying and your immune system was never able to catch up anymore.
Nevertheless, and returning to the topic of this thread, I never dismissed the good that Iodine treatment might do for some people. The only thing I keep saying, is that it has to be done in a controlled environment, and not before you actually have an endocrinologist check if you have a thyroid imbalance that would benefit from the Iodine treatment. Or else, you'll get in bigger problems than you already are in.
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Day: I have triple negative cancer, and the UK did a study and concluded that my type of breast cancer is caused by birth control pill use. I think it may have screwed up everything in my body, including my thyroid. Medicine just has to become more integrative for anyone to find cause and cure because everyone is a specialist and no one communicates between camps in the medical world--they are all on their own private island!
There isn't any breast cancer in my family although my grandmother died of colon cancer. Both my parents died of heart attacks!
Deanna: I live in Los Angeles and my care was unusual: My oncologist is over at St John Hopkins in Santa Monica but treated me at UCLA Westwood, and my surgeons are at UC Norris Cancer Center near Downtown LA. Great care at both places.
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Hi MBJ, do you happen to know which study that was? I'm TN too, and I haven't seen the study about BC being caused by birth control use. Thanks!
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thenewme: I think a friend of mine sent it to me or it might be on the Calling All TN's thread here on BCO. I would have to find it again. I will post it here if I can find it.
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MBJ, thanks for posting that link... here is the study the article referenced:
Risk Factors for Triple-Negative Breast Cancer in Women Under the Age of 45 Years
This sentence in the article was a little weird:
Yet another study referred to on the website says that women diagnosed with cancer within five years of oral contraceptive use, in particular young women, were found to have the highest risk for breast cancer.
What is that sentence trying to say? that if you get diagnosed with cancer, you have a high risk for cancer??
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Hi MBJ - thanks for the link! And CruncyPoodle-thanks for the study link... that's pretty funny about the sentence you quoted. Yep, after I was diagnosed with cancer, it's pretty safe to say that I had a pretty high risk for breast cancer !
IMO, the whole article MBJ referenced is poorly written and sensationalistic/alarmist (not slamming you, MBJ - just the article!). The very title of the article, 'Pill Causes Triple Negative Breast Cancer' is so misleading! The first sentence says "The use of oral contraceptives has been found to have a significant association with the development of an often fatal form of breast cancer." Once again, correlation does not equal causation.
I think it's terribly irresponsible and misleading to conclude that the pill CAUSES breast cancer. It's so overly simplistic. Of course the association should be investigated, and of course it's something we need to know about, and I'm very concerned about myself, but to say my cancer was caused by the pill is just not accurate. Truth is, we just don't know yet (if ever).
The article also makes inaccurate statements abou the NCI position, first stating that the NCI denies any link between oral contraceptive use and BC and then quotes the NCI about saying there is a link between the two??!
In fact, the NCI says: "In a National Cancer Institute (NCI)-sponsored study published in 2003, researchers examined risk factors for breast cancer among women ages 20 to 34 compared with women ages 35 to 54. Women diagnosed with breast cancer were asked whether they had used OCs for more than 6 months before diagnosis and, if so, whether the most recent use had been within 5 years, 5 to 10 years, or more than 10 years. The results indicated that the risk was highest for women who used OCs within 5 years prior to diagnosis, particularly in the younger group (4). "
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thenewme, I'm glad I'm not the only one who found that sentence rather amusing!
As for birth control pills, you're right, thenewme, that correlation is not the same as causation, and that the study cited doesn't definitively prove that BCP's cause cancer... but at the same time, based on this and other studies, put together with common sense, I am pretty much convinced that they do cause cancer.
Yes, there will need to be plenty more studies (and I'm sure the birth control industry is in no hurry to fund these studies, so it will take time). But, just as I'm sure there were intelligent people back in the 40's and 50's who thought, "Hmm, inhaling cigarette smoke just *might* not be as healthy as the government claims it is," I think the smart ones of us will recognize that taking artificial hormones year after year probably is setting us up for problems.
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I agree with you that the article is not very well written. To tell you the truth, I am not even sure this is the exact article I read--I just did a quick google search and this is what came up first. Chemo brain--so difficult to remember anything.
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