Can you have too much iodide?
Yes, if you get too much. Getting high levels of iodine can cause some of the same symptoms as iodine deficiency, including goiter (an enlarged thyroid gland). High iodine intakes can also cause thyroid gland inflammation and thyroid cancer.
What happens if I take too much iodine? Taking high doses of iodine for long periods of time could change the way your thyroid gland works. This can lead to a wide range of different symptoms, such as weight gain. If you take iodine supplements, do not take too much as this could be harmful.
- Abdominal pain.
- Coughing.
- Delirium.
- Diarrhea, sometimes bloody.
- Fever.
- Gum and tooth soreness.
- Loss of appetite.
- Metallic taste in mouth.
Ingestion of over 1.1 milligrams/day of iodine may be harmful and can lead to acute and/or chronic toxicity.
Ingestion of greater than 1,100 mcg of iodine per day (Tolerable Upper Limits for iodine) (1) is not recommended and may cause thyroid dysfunction. During pregnancy and lactation, the recommendations for the upper limit vary and range from 500-1,100 mcg of iodine daily (2).
The UL for iodine for adults 19+ years and pregnant and lactating women is 1,100 mcg daily.
If you had intravenous contrast, you should drink at least eight glasses of water throughout the day to help flush the contrast out of your body. Your doctor will receive the results within 48 hours.
Boosts kidney and liver functions
Because of iodine's ability to improve thyroid function, through encouraging the production of important thyroid hormones, it can also have somewhat of an indirect effect on improving the functions of both the liver and kidneys, two super vital organs when it comes to detoxification.
Anti-thyroid medications, such as methimazole (Tapazole®), are used to treat hyperthyroidism. Taking high doses of iodine with anti-thyroid medications can have an additive effect [82] and could cause hypothyroidism.
Iodine is used by the thyroid gland in your throat to make thyroid hormones. These hormones control your metabolic rate (the rate at which your body uses energy when it is resting). They also help your brain and body grow and develop.
How long does it take for iodine to leave the body?
Iodine that does not go into your thyroid gland leaves the body in your urine in a few weeks to months. Small amounts of iodine can also leave your body in sweat or in breast milk.
After ICM administration, iodine deposits remain elevated for up to 4–8 weeks in patients with healthy thyroid. The urinary iodine excretion increased by 300–400% from baseline to peak levels after 1.1 week and normalized by 5.2 weeks following ICM administration [37].

Excess Iodine. For some people with abnormal thyroid glands, excessive iodine can trigger or worsen hypothyroidism. While initially, you may have more energy, high doses can cause an "iodine crash" that leaves you feeling exhausted and achy within a few days.
If the underactive thyroid isn't caused by iodine deficiency, then iodine supplements give no benefit and shouldn't be taken. In fact, for some people with an underactive thyroid, too much iodine can cause or worsen their condition.
Iodine is essential for thyroid hormone synthesis. High iodine intakes are well tolerated by most healthy individuals, but in some people, excess iodine intakes may precipitate hyperthyroidism, hypothyroidism, goiter, and/or thyroid autoimmunity.
Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT) is a common autoimmune thyroid disease. In recent years, increasing evidence has proven that the incidence of HT is associated with the excessive iodine intake of the body.
The "Dietary Reference Intakes for Japanese" released by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare states that the estimated average iodine requirement is 0.095 mg per day and recommended intake is 0.13 mg per day. Japanese people consume a lot of seaweed, fish and seafood on a daily basis and are considered to take ...
Avoid taking your thyroid hormone at the same time as:
Iron supplements or multivitamins containing iron. Calcium supplements. Antacids that contain aluminum, magnesium or calcium.
- Maintain Healthy Iodine Levels.
- Include Selenium-Rich Foods in Your Diet.
- Increase Your Probiotics.
- Cut Back on Your Sugar Intake.
- Exercise Regularly.
- Manage Your Stress.
Higher exposures may cause a build-up of fluid in the lungs (pulmonary edema), a medical emergency, with severe shortness of breath. ► Iodine can cause headache, metallic taste, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal pain.
How long does it take for iodine to get out of your system?
Iodine that does not go into your thyroid gland leaves the body in your urine in a few weeks to months. Small amounts of iodine can also leave your body in sweat or in breast milk.
Of the people who took 400 micrograms, 5 percent developed subclinical hypothyroidism. And the numbers rose in tandem with the iodine dose: Of people on the highest dose (2,000 micrograms per day), 47 percent developed subclinical hypothyroidism.
Iodine rarely occurs as the element, but rather as a salt; for this reason, it is referred to as iodide and not iodine. Iodide is quickly and almost completely absorbed in the stomach and duodenum. Iodate is reduced in the gastrointestinal tract and absorbed as iodide [2,5].
Present findings demonstrated that iodine excess could dose dependently induce hepatic steatosis.
Serious kidney damage can be caused by the iodine-containing “dyes” that doctors use to enhance the quality of medical scans. These dyes are called contrast agents, and are usually given intravenously before a CT scan, angiogram or other test.
Thyroid accumulation of radioactive iodine increases the risk of developing thyroid cancer, especially in children (59). The increased iodine trapping activity of the thyroid gland in iodine deficiency results in increased thyroid accumulation of radioactive iodine (131I).
Iodine trapping is the first step in the metabolism of iodine (Fig. 1). The process commences with the uptake of iodide from the capillary into the follicular cell of the gland by an active transport system.
If the underactive thyroid isn't caused by iodine deficiency, then iodine supplements give no benefit and shouldn't be taken. In fact, for some people with an underactive thyroid, too much iodine can cause or worsen their condition.
Iodine is essential for thyroid functioning. Your thyroid needs it to produce hormones essential for metabolism. A deficiency can lead to hypothyroidism, meaning that your thyroid isn't working as well as it should, and it can lead to issues such as fatigue, joint pain, and fertility problems.
Studies have indicated that low iodine levels can contribute to mental health problems, including anxiety and depression. The thyroid hormones influenced by iodine play a vital role in brain development and neurotransmitter regulation, which directly affect mood and emotional wellbeing.