Schildklier en supplementen / Thyroid and supplements

Het gebruik van kruidenpreparaten en voedingssupplementen neemt wereldwijd toe. De controle is over het algemeen slecht geregeld. Veel van die ‘zelfzorgmedicijnen’ worden over-the-counter verkocht, wat betekent bij de drogist, de supermarkt of via internet zonder recept. Wat slikken die consumenten eigenlijk? Mary Shomon besteedt op haar website aandacht aan deze supplementen.

Kang, G.Y. Thyroxine and Triiodothyronine Content in Commercially Available Thyroid Health Supplements, Abstracts of the American Thyroid Association Annual Meeting 2011, poster 78

Hoang, T.D. Thyroid Disorders Associated with Over-the-Counter Iodine Supplements: An Increasing Trend, Abstracts of the American Thyroid Association Annual Meeting 2011, poster 115

Thyroid Health Supplements

Researchers recently reported on a study of the thyroid hormone content in the ten most popular over-the-counter (OTC) health supplements that are marketed as thyroid support. The selected products were assessed for the presence of thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3), and the amount of T4 and T3 was measured separately for each supplement sample.

Surprisingly, nine out of ten supplements showed detectable amounts of T3, ranging from 1.3 mcg to 25.4 mcg per tablet.

The message for patients: You'll want to be discuss use of over-the-counter thyroid support supplements with your doctor, and make sure that you don't end up accidentally overmedicated, by combining your thyroid hormone replacement medication with over-the-counter supplements that contain active thyroid hormone. 


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Iodine Supplements

Researchers have evaluated an increasing popularity for patients to self-prescribe and treat with over-the-counter iodine supplements, and the potential of negative outcomes for some patients.

In one case, a 63-year old woman suffered from 15 hours of atrial fibrillation, and was found to have a high iodine levels from self-administration of iodine, along with a Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH) level of less than .006 . After a week on a low-iodine diet, her heart rhythm returned to normal, and her thyroid normalized.

In another case, a 38-year old woman who was experiencing fatigue had a TSH measured at 3.6, and her Thyroid Peroxidase Antibodies (TPOAb) were 1910. She started taking Iodoral iodine/iodide tablets for three months, and when rechecked, her TSH had increased to 94, her thyroid had enlarged - going from from 30 grams to 50 grams - and her antibodies had risen to 4670. After stopping Iodoral, the woman went on a low-iodine diet, and took thyroid hormone replacement medication, and her thyroid returned to normal.

In a third case evaluated, a 35-year old woman with Graves' disease was treated with the antithyroid drug propylthiouracil (PTU), as well as the beta blocker atenolol. She started taking over-the-counter iodine for three months, and returned to severe hyperthyroidism. After starting a low-iodine diet and increasing the doses of PTU and atenolol, her thyroid normalized.

The message for patients: While iodine is essential for proper thyroid function, too much can be a trigger for worsening thyroid conditions. Work with an experienced practitioner to evaluate your iodine levels, and don't supplement with iodine unless you know you need it.


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Reacties

Dennis zei…
Dit is wel heel interessant, zeker nu ik mijzelf ook in supplementen aan het verdiepen ben.
Kim zei…
Interessante om te lezen. Zeker de moeite waard om eens door te lezen. Staat zeker goede informatie in!