Hi. I am currently following this exact protocol, but with fewer drops of iodine than recommended. For me, taking the vitamin C at the same time of day as the iodine was extremely irritating to my stomach. Now, I take the vitamin C with a little food when I wake up, then take the rest of the supplements and iodine with more food an hour or so later. I only notice shrinkage of my nodules when I stay away from the brassica vegetables along with this protocol. To answer your other question, I have reacted to it twice when I tried to increase the iodine, and it was with extreme dizziness that went away by the day's end.

Hi Lgd...Without doubt, Graves disease is difficult to cure because you generally will have both adrenal as well as thyroid problems.

Some thoughts and answers to all the questions:

First, I think the current protocol you are on is fine but you will have to take particular care managing the iodine dosages in order to avoid going into hyper or irritable mode. Your sensitive hyper reactions would also suggest that you need to carefully detox heavy metals from your gut and body. So I would perhaps add chlorella and and cilantro extract to your daily regimen. These will help to rid your body of these heavy metals. The other way is to use tri- or disodium EDTA but that one is difficult to get in the Philippines.

One of the reasons iodine gives you these problems is perhaps because it is such a wondrous detoxer of heavy metals(detoxes cadmium, lead, mercury, arsenic, aluminium) and halides(bromine, fluorine). So any extreme reaction to supplementing iodine could well mean that your body is extremely high in heavy metals or halides because iodine detoxes them and puts them into the blood which then causes peripheral problems and stress for both the liver and adrenals. So until you have thoroughly detoxed your body, please go careful with the iodine. I currently take between 6 to 8 drops of 5% LI per day -- I can do this without any problems at all only because I have thoroughly detoxed my body and I've also ensured that I take all the other nutrients and anti-oxidants from the Iodine Protocol as well on a regular basis. That's why I strongly recommend that you take ALL recommended companon nutrients. Also don't expect immediate results from detoxing. Depending on your body's heavy metal and halide load, detox clearance can take 6 months or longer.

Taking sea salt every day is also quite important to help remove any excess bromine in your body and sea salt also helps adrenal problems.

If you can, I would avoid eating brassica vegetables which normally have high calcium content. Excess calcium in the blood tends to inhibit thyroid iodine uptake. An easy way to guard against high blood calcium levels is to take Chanca piedra every day -- tea or capsule form. This herb is common in the Philippines (grows wild in my garden) and has the following benefits for the blood: lowers blood calcium, lowers high blood pressure, lowers blood sugar, lowers blood fat, dissolves gallstones and kidney stones and is anti-viral. I take this herb regularly. This herb when taken regularly together with iodine seems to keep me trim and slim(I'm 65 y o). The story was different 8 years ago; I was 35 lbs overweight because of factors like candida problems.

Iowama...Vitamin C should not irritate the stomach -- I take it every day. Don't take the Ascorbic Acid form -- take the Ascorbate form if you can because it is more alkaline and is more easily absorbed into the body. You can also add the lugol's iodine to the Vitamin C powder dissolved in water and they will enhance each other. The Li converts to the iodide form and changes color to clear. I regularly use Arm & Hammer to convert the Ascorbic acid to Ascorbate. Just sprinkle the baking soda into the vitamin c powder in water until the fizzing stops. Now you have sodium ascorbate. Why buy the expensive ascorbate when, with such little effort, you can make it so easily and cheaply yourself from ascorbic acid powder and A & H baking soda ?

Concerning the amusing Tagalog phrase you used to make your point about the doctor's diagnosis -- I would perhaps change that to 'nang bula bula lang sya'. Remember that, these days, doctors are not trained to think. That's because they are the most uncurious people on this planet. They are like stressed cooks in a fast food restaurant doing good business. They need a cure recipe, so they go and read their Merck Standard of Care Manual and dispense their drugs like discounted jelly-babies(except they're not discounted are they?). If you tel them that their advice and drugs has not helped your problem then you are either lying to them or you are an idiot who knows nothing about your own problem.

If it were me with your problems, I would do all in my power to resist having my thyroid removed. Reason? In my book, the thyroid(not the pituitary gland) is king of all the hormones. Cut it out and you will probably create more problems and issues that cannot be cured. If the thyroid is removed, then please also consider that you will be on synthetic hypothyroid meds for the rest of your life. This is the same as a doctor saying, "Well OK, you have a hyperthyroid problem. Say, how about we slice out your thyroid, you pay us a ton of money for the operation, and then you will be on hypothyroid meds for the rest of your life. Sound good? Sign here, sucker." That's not a cure, is it ? That's just business as usual.

Some more answers for you:

Is it ok, if I will take 4 drops of LI after breakfast, then 4 drops after lunch. - See more at: http://answers.earthclinic.com/lugols-iodine-for-graves-disease.html#sthash.WoWNnB1b.dpuf

That should be fine provided you don't get a reaction. If you do get a reaction then cut down the iodine dose.

Do I need to take calcium, iron supplement and vitamin b6-complex? - See more at: http://answers.earthclinic.com/lugols-iodine-for-graves-disease.html#sthash.WoWNnB1b.dpuf

I've already made the point that you should avoid dairy, brassica veg and calcium if you have thyroid problems because excess calcium inhibits iodine uptake by the thyroid. Also, you should take ALL the recommended companion nutrients for iodine supplementation.

Do I need to have a thyroid scan, just to take note the size of my goiter (baseline). - See more at: http://answers.earthclinic.com/lugols-iodine-for-graves-disease.html#sthash.WoWNnB1b.dpuf

Avoid a thyroid scan if you can. Do you really and honestly need the scan? I say this because any form of X-ray scan helps to destroy the thyroid. Same with breast scans.

Want are the signs and symptoms of detoxification with iodine supplementation? - See more at: http://answers.earthclinic.com/lugols-iodine-for-graves-disease.html#sthash.WoWNnB1b.dpuf

The signs and symptoms vary according to the detox state and antioxidant nutrient status of your body. I think that I have already explained this one up top.

Is it ok, to drink lemon balm tea along with LI?

Yes, that's ok.

What food to avoid and what to eat?

Avoid dairy in excess -- cheese, milk, yoghurt etc. No sugar, reduce carbohydrates(can be converted to sugar in the body). Move towards a more paleo diet if you can. The ideal meal for you would be chop suey -- lots of veg, small amount of meat.

Some more references for you:

STTM -- Graves' Disease

STTM -- Hyper symptoms

Proper Testing and Labwork

Optimox Iodine Research