Iodine / Lodoral and Potassium levels?

Timothy-

You might try posting at the IOdine Yahoo Group - the moderator, Steph, or  someone else there, may have the knowledge to help you.

I take 100mg of Iodoral a day, and I was Ok on my last test 6 months ago. I know that sometimes it can be about balance between several minerals. For example,  I found out that my Selenium levels were too high (from eating so many Brazil nuts), that it had adversely affected and lowered my zinc levels.

Good Luck!

Beth

Hi Timothy,

Hyperkalemia is a very serious condition.  *Please*, for your wife's sake, DON'T rely on message boards and internet chat groups for this!  Potassium is used to stop the heart during some surgical procedures - it isn't something to take lightly based on skepticism.  Does the doc know she's taking Iodoral?   Maybe it could be the blood draw stress, but why would you even consider continuing to give her a "high potency" potassium supplement?   You should be double cheking everything she's taking to see if there is anything else in her regimen that contains potassium, and stop taking it until her levels are back to normal.  

Umm, mathteacher - www.optimox.com calls Iodoral a "High Potency Iodine/Potassium Iodide Supplement," and the label itself says the same thing.  It also says "Iodoral® is a precisely quantified tablet form containing 5 mg iodine and 7.5 mg iodide as the potassium salt."

I won't go into the facts (or lack thereof) regarding Iodoral supplements here, but for the sake of Timothy's wife, I hope that caution and common sense prevail over using speculation and internet advice for treatment of a compromised patient with pathologically diagnosed mild hypokalemia.  Yikes.  

Maybe it's a fluke reading, maybe it's inaccurate, maybe it was the stress, maybe she's taking something else with potassium, whatever, but I'm just stunned that continuing a potassium supplement would even be considered...??!  

Hi Timothy,

Did the doctor say when they want to recheck the blood work?  I've always been told that fasting blood work requires no food, but that plenty of water is advisable.  If she withheld liquids too, maybe the mild dehydration contributed to the elevated potassium reading (and definitely made the blood draw harder).  Hopefully the reading was a temporary one-time thing and will be back to normal on her recheck! Is she on any other medications or supplements that may contain potassium?

I have a terrible time with blood draws, and increasing my water intake for a day or so before really does help.  Also, I'm not sure where your wife is in her treatment, but if she's doing or plans to do chemo, a port might be worth considering.  It makes both the infusions and blood draws infinitely easier, especially for those of us who are "tough sticks" to begin with.

Best of luck! Your wife is fortunate to have you so involved with her care!  My DH was too, and I don't know how I could have done it without him!

Aaah, so she's at about the same point as me, then. I'm almost a year out too.  And I'm keeping my port.  I also can't have sticks in the left arm, and had difficult veins to start with, so I definitely understand the blood-draw/IV trauma!  

Definitely check to see if she can load up on water the day before.  Is there someone in her lab who has had good luck with her before?  I've gone so far as to reschedule a blood test to get the one person in the office who has been successful with my roly-poly veins.  At my oncology office, they have a "one-stick" guideline - if the person can't get it in one stick, they call someone else.  Also, always ask for the smallest needle (butterfly needle) - it may take a little longer after the stick, but it sure is easier!  For me, the standard needles always seem to "snag," but the butterfly or pediatric needles seem to go in smooth and easy.  I've found the lab techs at the oncologist's office to be generally much better at blood draws than the PCP office, so I try to have everything done through the onc.  

Again, best of luck!

PS - Mathteacher, nope - I'm no chemist or mathteacher and don't presume to play one on TV (or the internet)!  

That's great. If Bev had stopped the supplements, taking the advice of certain people not familiar with Iodoral, and then Bev got a normal retest she would have been misdiagnosed and lost the protection of iodine.

I'm so glad you have read up on everything Bev is taking. Best to you both.

Tim,

How is Bev doing?

Dumb question....What is the best source of iodine OR where's the best place to get an iodine supplement and how much should we take? I really know nothing about it, other than we need it.

Thanks, Beth!

Do we have to be concerned about the potassium levels getting too high (from reading the comments here).