Our recent article on Iodine stirred plenty of interest – it truly is a forgotten and misunderstood mineral. One of the more prevalent medical myths is that of the “Allergy to Iodine” – a frequently asked question by both doctors and nurses – who should know better. What they are really asking is “are you sensitive to Providone/Povidone-iodine (Betadine) topical (skin) solutions or iodine-containing injectable contrast medias?”

Marilyn B writes:

I’ve had low thyroid all my life, but am allergic to iodine (the doctor gave me iodine drops and my jaws locked). I use iodized sea salt. I have just about every disease you mentioned in the next-to-last paragraph… arthritis (everywhere), fibromyalgia, lumps on my thyroid and low thyroid, ovarian cysts (hysterectomy), breast cysts, chronic bronchitis… what can a person who is allergic to iodine do?

Nurse Mark replies:

No-one is truly allergic to iodine, any more than one could be allergic to water – iodine is a trace mineral that is essential to life. It is naturally present throughout our bodies. Many people have reactions to other components of things that may contain iodine, and iodine has been unfairly implicated – it is important to be sure that one is not reactive or sensitive to other ingredients or components of preparations or products that also contain iodine.

It is interesting to note that Marilyn describes using iodized sea salt. Iodine is iodine, and iodized means iodine has been added. Obviously, the problem that Marilyn experienced when given “iodine drops” (and we don’t know what these were nor how they were administered) was not due to the iodine but to some other ingredient or component of the “drops.”

What can someone like Marilyn do? She can work with an iodine-savvy holistic physician like Dr. Myatt who will help her to correct the iodine deficiency that is causing so many problems. A skilled physician will get to the bottom of the “allergy” so that appropriate forms of iodine supplementation can be used and the deficiency is corrected.

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