Can Iodine cause Rheumatoid Arthritis flare ups?

Hi.
I have had to stop taking Iodine twice. First I took it for a few months (12mg/day Iodoral) and had "sneezing" side effects. I gathered it was a detox reaction. I stopped for about 2 months, and started again, getting up to 6 mg per day (Iodoral).

This time, the joint pain in my fingers, wrists, and shoulders has gone into a constant "screaming mode". (My shoulders hurt night and day and interfere with my sleep.) My right pinky is deformed. My middle right finger is swollen. My left hand is on the verge of swelling . . . I play guitar, which is now difficult at times. I also work (manual labor) and have a lot of pain. I come home exhausted - thank goodness I only work part time, so I have time to rest and recover.

What's causing this permanent flare up?
I had simultaneously reduced my caloric intake (when on Iodoral) to around 1200 per day. Could this be the cause?

I went off my supplements for a couple of months. Could this be the cause?

I've developed a type of excema that never goes away (on my hands). I've read this is a sign of parasites. Could this be the cause?

Perhaps the Arthritis is a hormone issue; I'm 52 years old and have not started menopause yet. Are my hormones shifting, or lacking? Someone mentioned taking "gladulars" like Armour. Would this help the arthritis?

I WANT TO TAKE Iodine AGAIN, but am afraid this may have caused the accelerated arthritis. Do you think it did? Or do you think an even smaller does would YET help the arthritis?


Any ideas anyone?
thanks
(k)