Iodine poisoning?

[rburrillo]

I was hiking in the backcountry of Utah three days ago and ran out of water. Luckily I had my iodine tablets with me, and although the water was brown with mud I was able to filter it through my shirt so that it was relatively clear and then treat it with iodine. Three liters = six of those little iodine tablets.

I have been feeling like *hell* ever since. Stomach cramps, extreme fatigue, dizziness, heart palpitations, even some cognitive fog. I didn't drink all of the water, I only needed about half to hike out, but it was a Camelbak reservoir so what I did drink was everything that settled to the bottom - i.e., probably the bulk of the six dissolved tablets. I haven't looked too deeply into this yet, having thought those things were safe up to any dosage, but I gather that too much iodine at once can cause a thyroid storm that sounds suspiciously like what I've got going on.

Does that sound plausible to anyone else? And if so, is there anything I can do about it? ... or should I consider that I may have ingested a pathogen and make haste to see the doctor?

Thanks!

[Anonymouse88]

You should see a doctor.  If it is a thyroid problem, you'll need tests and levels to see how bad it is.  But I strongly suspect that you picked up some sort of parasite--giardia and cryptosporidium at least are not killed by iodine tablets (see http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11990150).  And god knows what other well protected iodine resistant bugs could have been in water that nasty.  

So yeah, you need to see a doctor SOON (ER if you start vomiting a lot or passing out or the cramps get severe).  And make sure to tell them the whole history of the water--like where you got it from/what sort of animals may have been near the water source.

[silverfox67]

Whoops!  it's not enzymes - it's amino acids:  methionine and cysteine that help. (Sorry, I read that too fast).

[silverfox67]

Sounds like you took just a little too much iodine in your water.  It can cause thyroid suppression...  Antidote:  Omega 3, Omega 6 and Enzymes.  A healthy diet also and plenty of water.

Good health to you -