Question on low sodium diet and iodine deficiency and hypothyroidism

Hi - have any of you on a low sodium diet developed an iodine deficiency? I'm taking 12.5 mgs of hctz a day and adhering to a very low sodium diet. I also have celiac so I bake my own cookies/muffins/etc and omit the salt from everything I bake. And I don't add salt to anything else I eat such as vegetables, rice, chicken. I've been eating like this for the last 8 years with the exception of a short time when I went off the diuretic and back on the salt as an experiment. I ended up having 2 vertigo attacks in that month so quickly went back to lo-sodium.

I've noticed a lot of hair loss over the last year or two and finally did a web search and came across the connection between hair loss and iodine deficiency and hypothyroidism. Something like this never even occurred to me and the more I read the more connections I see with other unexplained symptoms I am having - like everything is clicking into place. I know there are sources of iodine other than iodized salt but most of those I don't eat (seafood, dairy, cranberries, baked potato).

My TSH is checked every year and falls within the "normal" range but what exactly is normal varies from doctor to doctor and some doctors would find mine to be not normal. It has been steadily rising for the last few years and if it continues to rise it will be abnormal before long. No other thyroid levels are checked so they could very well be off and I don't even know it.

I'm going to a cardiologist soon because of my high cholesterol (another one of my unexplainable symptoms) and I'm going to ask him about this, hopefully he will be able and willing to check my thyroid levels. Meanwhile just wondering if anyone else has had to deal with this.

 

Most of my weird symptoms (the ones possible related to an iodine deficiency/hypothyroid, not vertigo related ones) developed slowly over the last 2-4-6 years, all a couple years after starting the diuretic and low sodium. My PCP has been of very little help with any of this which is why I insisted on seeing a cardiologist before taking statins.

I'm probably eating close to 1000 mgs of sodium a day. My sodium levels always test normal, it's the lack of iodine that has me concerned.

 

Marie - agreed, there is a lot of misinformation on the web, very confusing. I think if you look hard enough you can find anything you want.

When I told my doctor about my concerns with hair loss he just laughed and said "look at me." Not helpful at all, he's male and I'm female. I should not be losing mine like this.

My intake of iodized salt is pretty close to zero. In the last 6-7 years I'v probably consumed in iodized salt what most people consume in 4 days, if that much. My understanding is that by law salt added to any kind of processed food (sold in stores/bakeries/etc) cannot let iodized unless it's marked that way.

How long have you been eating low sodium?

I'll keep you updated as to what my cardiologist says on Friday.

 

Marie - yogurt is an excellent source of iodine and 1 container will give you 1/3 - 1/2 of your daily requirements so keep on eating it. In fact all dairy is a good source of this. Unfortunately, I eat very little dairy because it does unhappy things to my intestines.

I saw the cardiologist yesterday and he didn't understand the connection between iodine deficiency and thyroid and high cholesterol and because I'm terrible at explaining things when I'm in a doctor's office that conversation went nowhere and I ended up very frustrated as I usually do after any doctor visit. Kind of reminded me of the doctor's visit with a neurotologist when my vertigo was at its worst. I got a copy of the letter he sent to my doctor and it said I saw him for dizziness and disequilibrium; and I have NO signs of meniere's (even though my main symptom was SEVERE hour's long vertigo in which I was totally incapacitated and couldn't move my head a millimeter without it becoming much worse.) Sorry but doctors really annoy me sometimes.

June - I've tried figuring what else could be causing my hair loss but am clueless. Having a doctor who won't acknowledge this is not helping at all. I'm so frustrated. For months I've been"crying" to my sisters "something is wrong, I don't know what, but I just don't feel right, I wish I could get a doctor to listen to me." When I read of the iodine deficiency/thyroid/high cholesterol link everything seemed to fall into place (except getting a doctor to listen.) And I don't want to go to a holistic, natural doctor. The one's around here like to sell their special bottle of vitamins that cost $$$$$$.

Thank you for listening!!