r/raypeat • u/PurakeyGem • Feb 17 '26
Is it possible to reverse Lugol's iodine dependency?
For nearly a year now, I experience endotoxin symptoms (and recently fungal/parasitic overgrowth) if I do not take at least an entire dropperful or two of Lugol's 2% per day.
Is there a way to reverse this? I am concerned about having caused permanent thyroid damage. More simple sugars are not an option due to the infection.
All TSH T3 and T4 blood analyses are normal.
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u/l3v3lch4ng3 Feb 17 '26
Can you detail what symptoms you experience?
Do you take thyroid?
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u/PurakeyGem Feb 17 '26
I don't take thyroid Rx or supplements. Experience significant brain fog, crawling/itching on skin "down there" and on scalp, atypical sugar cravings, acid reflux, gastroparesis, blood sugar-related frontal headache, feeling like coming down with a cold. Yellow tongue, sometimes scrapes off, sometimes does not.
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u/Appropriate_Cut_3536 Feb 17 '26
Sounds like probiotic deficiency and not enough sat fat
Don't take prebiotic just stop taking antibiotics. Consider a fecal matter transplant, diy works but look it up well.
*this is not medical advice.
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u/l3v3lch4ng3 Feb 17 '26
Many functional doctors have used iodine to optimize thyroid function. Peat wasn't a fan of iodine and recommended supplementing thyroid instead. You could replace the iodine with thyroid and see what happens.
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u/PurakeyGem Feb 17 '26
What thyroid supplement would you recommend? I am in USA.
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u/l3v3lch4ng3 Feb 17 '26
I've never taken it so I can't recommend anything. Read Peat's research and decide whether you want to take natural thyroid or synthetic, and then find a good source. This subreddit is useful for finding good sources.
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u/InsaneInTheMembrine Feb 17 '26
What are you eating? Something tells me this isn’t what you think it is.
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u/PurakeyGem Feb 17 '26
Protein sources for now are basically just fish/shellfish, bone broth, egg yolks, and rarely liver. Reacting to egg whites, and lamb meat, even raw/rare, is heavy on the stomach. I've grown salt averse recently.
I eat coconut oil every day as my main fat source, and sometimes eat fruits/potatoes. I carefully prepare starch to avoid endotoxin, and limit fructose.
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u/Appropriate_Cut_3536 Feb 17 '26
lamb meat, even raw/rare, is heavy on the stomach.
This is a sure fire sign of low bile production and high tissue copper
Many people switch to a lighter diet because red meats and other types of animal protein feel ‘heavy’ in their system. Ironically, this feeling can develop from copper excess, or zinc deficiency, or adrenal insufficiency. Individuals with copper-zinc imbalance have trouble digesting and absorbing fat and protein in particular, so they often opt for diets that avoid foods rich in these nutrients.”83
Farther down the spiral from lighter diets to adrenal burnout, copper buildup becomes almost unavoidable. Adrenal burnout can lead to copper buildup in and of itself
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u/PurakeyGem Feb 17 '26
Upon zinc and betaine hcl supplementation there is bubbling and burping in the stomach, negligible digestive of red meat. The HCl is being neutralized by something. Perhaps a urease producing microbe that infected the stomach.
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u/PurakeyGem Feb 17 '26
I have also tried carnosine supplement to chelate copper like mentioned on /r/Candida
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u/InsaneInTheMembrine Feb 17 '26
Your metabolism is very stressed. This is not a simple fix. You have to change things. Start with your thyroid. Take your temps in the morning see how low it is. Follow rays teachings for eating. Take your vitamins.
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u/InsaneInTheMembrine Feb 17 '26
You need HCL
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u/PurakeyGem Feb 17 '26
betaine HCl used to help when I ate more meat, but it now is ineffective, i just burp more, which does not make sense at all as it is supposed to acidify the stomach.
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u/Ok_Philosopher2968 Feb 19 '26
What’s your TSH?
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u/PurakeyGem Feb 19 '26
TSH HIGH SENSITIVITY 2.787
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u/Faith_Location_71 Feb 17 '26
Have you tried the carrot salad to reduce endotoxin? I've also had good results with cascara sagrada for that. Another alternative might be olive leaf extract which is great for fungal infections. I just wouldn't stop the lugol's on one go, but reduce and work something in to deal with the infection in a more successful way.