Thyroid-depression, hairloss,restless leg and more..

Hello,

My latest blood test showed that my ferritin (iron storage) was at the lowest end of normal.

Iron, zinc, and copper have a great love/hate relationship!

Please read the last site at bottom for precautions if one should supplement with iron, zinc, and copper.

Iron deficiency is the most common nutrient deficiency in the U.S.

Some of the people on this board may need one or all.

A most inspiring story about ferrous iron, chelated zinc, and copper.

t2t

Iron is a very critical mineral for persons with thyroid disease. There is a high association between hyperthyroidism and anemia and while most of those cases of anemia are from copper deficiency, it is possible that some of them are from iron deficiency.
Many hypos also seem anemic and it's possible that in hypothyroidism, anemia stems more often from iron deficiency than from copper deficiency.
The balance of the three minerals, copper, zinc, and iron, is critically important in preventing and correcting thyroid diseases. Each of these three minerals antagonizes and can deplete the other two. Many times the antagonistic and depletion effects are not due to competition in absorption, but because these minerals work together.
We can think of these three minerals as corners of a triangle. Each one affects the other two. If any one of the three is ingested in large amounts it depletes the other two. Likewise if one of the three gets deficient, then the other two may not be utilized and therefore build up in the liver, hair, or other tissues.
For example, if zinc gets too high in the body, copper and iron will get depleted with the result of anemia and (probably) hyperthyroidism. If two of the three minerals are high, then the third mineral will get very depleted. For example, high intake of both iron and copper could deplete zinc and cause hypothyroidism.
An interesting pair to look at is copper and iron. Copper and iron work together to form hemoglobin, the oxygen-carrying molecule in the red blood cell. The two minerals have to be present is a balanced amount, usually about 5:1, and if one of the two is supplied in higher amounts it can cause the other to be depleted.
We see this when people take large amounts of iron to correct anemia. Anemia can be caused by iron deficiency or copper deficiency (or B-12 or other vitamin deficiencies), but most people and doctors assume that anemia is always caused by iron deficiency.
Taking large amounts of iron when it is copper that is deficient will cause copper to be further depleted and lead to a worsening of the anemia. I believe this is one practice that can lead to hyperthyroidism. It's possible that the addition of nutritional supplements like iron to foods may also contribute to thyroid disease. For example, iron is added to many food products, especially breakfast cereals, breads, and other grain products. We know that excess iron will deplete copper, so it's possible that eating iron fortified foods is a contributing factor to hyperthyroidism.
If one of the pair gets deficient then the other will not be able to be used effectively and will build up in the liver or other tissues. For example, if iron gets deficient, then copper may build up in the liver, hair, and appear as rings or spots in the iris of the eyes. These accumulations of copper occur in Wilson's Disease, a disease which is described as a hereditary disease of copper buildup. Whether Wilson's disease is caused by iron or zinc deficiencies is unknown but many Wilson's patients take zinc to keep copper levels low (often along with a copper chelator).
There is one subset of hyperthyroids who have high copper levels in the hair and presumably also have high copper accumulations in the liver. These people often manifest schizophrenic or manic-depressive symptoms. In fact one of the characteristics of these psychiatric symptoms is high copper levels which can be detected in the hair. Also these conditions are highly associated with hyperthyroidism.
One of the hypotheses that I'm working on is that this subset of hyperthyroidism, where the person has high copper levels, may be caused by iron deficiency, with a "functional" copper deficiency caused because the lack of iron is preventing the copper that is present from being effectively used. I don't think zinc is deficient in these people because if that were true, the person would probably be hypothyroid.
What happens when copper and zinc are high and iron gets depleted? I can tell you from personal experience that bad things happen. I just went through this through a serious oversight on my part and my failure to supplement iron along with copper and zinc. I'd like to relate the story so that others don't have to go through the same problems. Here's what happened:
At Christmas time I got the flu and it was quite severe. To mitigate the symptoms and hopefully get over it, I did what I tell people not to do: I stopped taking iron, because viruses and bacteria need iron to live, just as we do. This is an effective but unwise strategy for stopping a cold or flu. Many people do this inadvertently when they stop eating red meat and then go for years without getting sick. They think they have become very healthy because they are no longer getting sick, but what they've actually done is make their body so depleted in iron and copper that even viruses can't live there. They usually go along happily until they get hyperthyroidism. I've done this very thing.
When I stopped taking iron, I started developing pains in my abdomen that concentrated on the left side (left side pain that some people have reported?). The pains migrated around my left side, sometimes higher, sometimes lower, sometimes in the front and sometimes in the back. They seemed to be pains in the liver, pancreas, and kidneys. In addition, I had pains in the ribs, mostly in the left side but sometimes in the right side, which seemed to be caused by calcium deficiency, but yet calcium or magnesium didn't correct the problem. On top of all this I couldn't sleep well and started getting nighttime rapid heart beat.
These pains got worse and worse over the following months and on the occasions when I did try iron, I had negative symptoms immediately afterward. However, after I started looking at iron, I discovered that the following day is when I got the benefits, while at the time I was concentrating on the immediate negative effects.
I tried just about every combination of vitamins and minerals except taking iron but could not figure out what was wrong. I fasted, went on raw foods, and tried a vegetable only diet. Nothing helped. Also I noticed that every high copper food was making it worse. Nuts, beans, chocolate, and beer increased the symptoms so I discontinued them.
I finally got a critical clue when I went to the mountains snowboarding. I got out of breath frequently and it reminded me of years ago when I was anemic. In fact I was anemic. Then I started getting dizzy and feeling I might faint. The clues were hitting me in the head, but for some reason I was not paying attention. I think it's because I'm male and males are not supposed to need iron like females. What I didn't take into consideration was that I was supplementing copper, about 5 mgs. per day.
A couple days after returning from the mountains, I had a dream that all my relatives were coming to visit me because I was dying. As you can imagine that is a disturbing dream! That morning I got up and the inspiration came to me to take iron. Within one hour of taking 25 mgs. I started feeling better, so I took another 25 mgs. I continued to improve so I took another 50 mgs.
By that night 50% of my symptoms were gone. I slept through the whole night without waking once, which hadn't happened in many months. After another day of taking 100 mgs. of iron, 75% of my symptoms were gone and I again slept the whole night without waking. I was back to life.
This was a good lesson for me. I recalled that through the last 20 years whenever I have serious, chronic health problems they always turn out to be mineral deficiencies. I always think I have some vitamin deficiency or feel like I'm being poisoned.
I would try all different kinds of vitamins, fast, eat raw foods, eat only vegetables, eat only potatoes, etc. trying to find the answer. Then after months of getting worse despite all my efforts I would discover it's a mineral deficiency. I would take the mineral, feel much better in only a few hours, and then recover completely over the next couple weeks. It's taken me a very long time to learn this lesson.
Minerals are the key to health and just about every disease is the result of mineral deficiencies. When you take the right mineral, you might feel better in hours or you might feel worse immediately. However, usually within the next day or two you feel significantly better. It always amazes me how fast health returns once the right nutrient is supplied to the body. When we have a mineral deficiency we deteriorate slowly, but when it is corrected, we improve very fast. Underneath our sickness is a body crying for nutrients!
ABSORBING IRON
Getting enough iron is difficult for many people. This is probably why iron deficiency is still the number one nutritional deficiency world-wide.

Iron absorption from foods is very limited. The Nutrition Almanac states that only 2 to 10% of the iron in beans, fruits, and vegetables is absorbed. Animal sources of iron are better absorbed. While the body can use several forms of iron, such as ferric or ferrous iron (ferrous is better), the best form is heme iron. Actually heme iron makes other forms of iron more absorbable, so it's probably best to take an iron supplement with a meal of red meat.

Some things can interfere with iron absorption. Lack of hydrochloric acid in the stomach is a big reason. Person on a low salt diet might not be getting enough chlorine (the Cl in NaCl) and therefore not able to produce enough HCl. Taking a good digestive enzyme with the iron supplement should assist the absorption.

Too high an alkaline diet might interfere since iron needs an acid environment. Eat more acid foods with your iron. Too much roughage in the diet can speed up intestinal transit time and reduce iron absorption. Too much coffee, tea, phytates (from grains), oxalates (spinach, rhubarb), and phosphates can all interfere with iron absorption.

There are nutrients which need to be present for iron absorption: B-12 (try a high potency, 3000 mcg); folic acid (400-800 mcg); vitamin C (1000 mgs); vitamin A; copper; calcium; manganese; molybdenum; and other of the B complex vitamins.

Excessive intake of vitamin E and zinc can interfere with iron absorption. Vitamin E in amounts like 800-1000 IU per day can cause iron deficiency (causing ear aches). Don't take more zinc than iron, since that can also deplete iron.

If all else fails, you might want to experiment with different levels of the B vitamins. It may be that you need more B vitamins and need to get up the the 200 mgs per day quantity. However, I'd try the other things first.
Iron Deficiency and Anemia
Iron deficiency is the most common nutrient deficiency in the U.S. There are two types of iron problems:
• Iron deficiency (ID) - low iron stores; typically measured by a serum ferritin of less than 18 ng/ml.
• Iron deficiency anemia (IDA) - typically measured by a hemoglobin of less than 120 g/l.
IDA symptoms include pale skin, brittle fingernails, fatigue, weakness, difficulty breathing upon exertion, nighttime rapid heart beat, inadequate temperature regulation, loss of appetite, apathy, and hair loss. Many of these are symptoms of other nutritional deficiencies and diseases and therefore only a medical doctor can properly diagnose IDA. It is relatively inexpensive to have your iron levels tested by a doctor.
Iron
What is it? (physiology and clinical effects)
Iron is a trace mineral vital to the production of hemoglobin and myoglobin, a molecule that carries oxygen in the blood and muscle tissue. Iron is also important for many enzymatic reactions, for a healthy immune system, and for energy production. Iron-deficiency anemia is quite common in the United States.

Clinically relevant conditions:
1. Bleeding
2. Canker sores
3. Celiac disease
4. Crohn's disease
5. Depression
6. Fatigue
7. Growth retardation
8. Iron-deficiency anemia
9. Menstrual bleeding (excessive or prolonged)
10. Restless leg syndrome
11. Ulcerative colitis

IRON STUDIES
Hemochromatosis is a disease of iron accumulation with resultant damage to the liver, pancreas, heart, and pituitary. Premenopausal women are protected from getting it because of menstrual blood loss. While many people believe it is a hereditary disease, I believe it is a disease of copper deficiency. When copper gets deficient, the body can't use iron so it accumulates and causes damage. The disease is also called siderosis, which is characterized by a gray pallor to the skin from iron accumulation in the tissue.
The first study concludes "The frequency of thyroid disorders in men with hemochromatosis is about 80 times that of men in the general population." What this means is that when men get copper deficient, they get iron accumulation and thyroid disorders.
I've also seen information that links hemochromatosis to a deficiency of selenium and copper.
Title
Thyroid disease in hemochromatosis. Increased incidence in homozygous men.
Author
Edwards CQ; Kelly TM; Ellwein G; Kushner JP
Source
Arch Intern Med, 143(10):1890-3 1983 Oct
Abstract
The thyroid function of 49 patients homozygous for the hemochromatosis allele was studied by measurement of serum thyroxine and thyrotropin concentrations. Of 34 homozygous men, three were found to be hypothyroid (thyroxine, less than 3.0 micrograms/dL and thyrotropin, greater than 40 ImU/mL) and
http://www.ithyroid.com/iron.htm



http://www.veganhealth.org/articles/iron

http://books.google.com/books?id=2s_q2y_J3rwC&pg=PA35&lpg=PA35&dq=high+iodine...

http://www.nzthyroid.comfypage.com/index.php?content_id=28

Zinc & copper, (ALWAYS take at about a 10to1 ratio but don't exceed about 4mg of copper - also NEVER take over 100mg Zinc daily), including your Multi, take about 30 to 60mg chelated Zinc & 2 to 4mg Copper. "WARNING" zinc/copper MUST BE taken together. Taking a little extra Zinc (like a Zinc Lozenge if you have a cold) without the additional Copper is probably not a real big deal but taking extra Copper without Zinc...can be a big deal - if you have copper water pipes, get tested for copper before taking a copper supp.
http://www.rense.com/general77/bowel.htm


http://www.myndonline.com/naturopathy-medicine-encyclopedia/iron-natural-medi...


Ferritin is a protein that acts like a large holding vessel. Ferritin contains iron that we don't presently need. It is sometimes called an iron storage protein. Ferritin is produced by nearly every cell of the body. The brain contains huge amounts of ferritin, so does the liver. Ferritin is a very large molecule; one ferritin molecule alone can hold up to 4, 500 atoms of iron.
http://www.irondisorders.org/Disorders/about.asp