Iodine

USAGE AND EFFECTIVENESS

Usage	Effectiveness
Iodine Deficiency	Effective (Increase iodine level and reduce symptoms in adults and children) Clinical studies showed that consumption of iodine increased iodine level and reduce symptoms such as size of goiter (unusual growth of the thyroid gland, characterised by large lump on the neck) in both adults and children; more evidence is needed for iodine supplementation for pregnant women
Radiation Exposure	Effective (risk of thyroid cancer) Several clinical studies showing effectiveness in radiation protection against uptake of radioactive iodine into thyroid gland; however, it does not protect against other threats posed by radiation
Breast Pain	Mild effectiveness (Reduce pain) One clinical study showed reduction in pain, tenderness, and abnormal tissue growth when a large dose is used; but clinical study is not robust enough; More evidence needed
Diabetic Foot Ulcers	Mildly Effective (Improve symptoms diabetic foot ulcers) One clinical study to support the above point; but clinical study is not robust enough; more evidence needed
Eye Infection	Mildly Effective (Reduce risk of conjunctivitis) One clinical study showed that iodine eye preparation is more effective than silver nitrate in treating conjunctivitis in children but it is not more effective than other eye antibiotic preparations (erythromycin and chloramphenicol); when combined with steroid, the eye preparation showed effect of improvements in symptoms and reduction in virus; More evidence is needed
Fibrocystic Breasts	Mild effectiveness (Improve symptoms of Fibrocystic Breasts) One clinical study showed significant improvement in the symptoms of Fibrocystic Breasts; but clinical study is not robust enough; more evidence is needed to support Fibrocystic Breasts are conditions where lumps develop on the breasts and may or may not be accompanied by symptoms such as breast pain, discomfort, greenish or brownish discharge from the nipples
Gynaecological Issues	Mildly Effective (Reduce risk of endometritis) Several clinical studies showing reduction of risk of endometritis (a condition where tissues normally found in uterus grow outside womb) after giving birth via cesarean (c-section) when compared to other preparations without active ingredients; however, it is not more effective than preparations with chlorhexidine or metronidazole; More evidence is needed
Leg Ulcer	Mild effectiveness (Improve wound healing of venous leg ulcers) Several clinical studies showed that healing rate using iodine was comparable to those with other wound dressing such as hydrocolloid; More evidence needed
Oral Mucositis	Mildly effective (Reduce mouth ulcer formation) 2 small clinical studies showed that using mouthrinse with iodine reduced probability of mouth ulcer compared to gargling with water alone; however, clinical study is not robust enough; more evidence needed Oral Mucositis is a complication from cancer chemotherapy, causing symptoms such as severe mouth ulcers, red gum, pain in the mouth, and difficulty in swallowing food.
Overactive Thyroid	Mild effectiveness (Reduce thyroid hormone level and the size of thyroid nodules) Several clinical studies to support the point above as a supportive treatment (used together with medication and other treatments).
Periodontitis	Mild effectiveness (Reduce symptoms of periodontitis) Analysis of small clinical studies showed that rinsing with iodine with dental scaling reduced the gap between teeth and gum (a measure of seriousness of periodontitis; more evidence is needed to support the above) Periodontitis is condition where there is a serious dental infection with symptoms such as swollen and bleeding gum, toothache and pus in the gum; it may lead to possible loss of teeth and other health complications (e.g. heart disease and worsening of blood sugar control).
Post-Operation Infection	Unclear effectiveness (Reduce risk of postoperative infections) Several clinical studies showing that it was more effective than preparation with sterile water or salt water but it seemed to be less effective when compared to other preparations such as chlorhexidine); more evidence is needed
Wounds	Mildly effective (Promote wound healing) Analysis of clinical studies showed that external preparation would be more effective than non-antiseptic wound dressing and some antibacterial preparations but iodine would be less effective than external antibiotics; More evidence needed
Blood or Urine Tube Related Infection	Unclear effectiveness (Reduce risk of catheter-related infections) Several clinical studies showed that it was effective in reducing infections when used on application site of dialysis needle/ tubing connecting to the central vein; however, others showed that iodine was not effective when compared to chlorhexidine, in preventing blood infections (due to injection);it also does not reduce the risk of urinary tract infections (due to insertion of urine tube) when compared to not using anything; More evidence is needed
Chyluria	Unclear effectiveness (Prevent and improve symptoms of chyluria) One clinical study to support the point above; but clinical study is not robust enough; More evidence is needed Chyluria is a condition where lymph fluid enters the kidney and goes into the urine; symptoms include white murky urine
Corneal Ulceration	Unclear effectiveness (Reduce risk of visual impairment) In a small study, usage of iodine eyedrop did not reduce vision loss as compared to usual antibiotic eyedrops; More evidence needed
Lung Infections	Unclear effectiveness (Reduce risk of lung infection due to assisted breathing machine) One clinical study to support the point above as compared to salt water; but clinical study is not robust enough (too little clinical research); More evidence is needed
Postoperative Recovery	Unclear effectiveness (Reduce postoperative bleeding) One clinical study to support the point above; but clinical study is not robust enough (too little clinical research); More evidence is needed
Rhinosinusitis	Unclear effectiveness (Improve symptoms and reduce infection risk of rhinosinusitis) One small clinical study to support the point above; while small clinical study showed that iodine preparation did not have any benefits as compared to an antibiotic (mupirocin) and salt water individually; More evidence is needed Rhinosinusitis is the condition where the spaces connected to the nose (known as sinus) are filled up with fluid instead of air, leading to symptoms such as blocked & runny nose, pain around the nose and cough
Skin Infection	Unclear effectiveness (Reduce symptoms of cutaneous sporotrichosis (a type of fungal skin infection)) Several clinical studies supporting the point above for external iodine preparations; but clinical studies are not robust enough (only patient reports and one clinical study without proper comparator) and some patients were not able to complete treatment due to side effects; More evidence is needed
Premature Birth	Ineffective (Reduce death risk and improve brain development of premature infants) Analysis of two clinical studies showed that there was no difference in brain development or death rate whether premature infant received additional iodine or not; More evidence needed

General Safety

• Generally safe when used orally and appropriately; Generally unsafe when used orally in high doses

Pregnant/ Breastfeeding

• Generally safe when used orally and appropriately; Generally unsafe when used orally in high doses

Children

• Generally safe when used orally and appropriately; Generally unsafe when used orally in high doses

Elderly

• With regards to usage of iodine as a supplement, there is little data to show it is safe or otherwise; avoid if possible; as food, avoidance of iodine is not needed

Special to Note

• Unknown

Contraindications

• May worsen condition in individuals with itchy skin diseases
  May cause or worsen condition in individuals with thyroid diseases and also aggravate side effect of iodine in such individuals

Side Effects

• Generally safe; side effects can be reduced by not taking high dose; side effects may include:
  Skin:May cause lesions that look like acne when consumed; when externally use, it may cause skin discolouring, skin irritation, rashes that resembles burn
  Hormone System:May worsen thyroid diseases; one case of paralysis due to high dose intake
  Digestive System:May cause nausea, stomach pain, metallic taste, and diarrhoea; High dose intake may cause sore teeth and gums, burning sensation in mouth and throat, throat inflammation, and others
  Immune System:May cause allergy reactions like swelling, fever, rashes, and others
  Brain/CNS:May cause headache
  Eye:May cause discomfort and swollen eyelid
  Respiratory System:May cause sneezing, coughing, clear nasal discharge, and excess fluid in the lungs
  Kidneys:May cause kidney failure and death when potassium iodine is consumed orally; will cause severe back pain when injected into the kidney as a treatment

• Medicines
  Medium severity interactions with medicines for lowering blood pressure/diuretic (theoretically, if potassium iodide is used)(diuretics are medicines that promote urinatiion), irregular heart rate, thyroid, and mental health issue
• Supplements
  None known
• Food
  None known
• Lab Tests
  Interacts with lab tests for thyroid hormones

• General (Adults)
  0.15 mg/day; 0.22 mg/day (Pregnant); 0.29 mg/day (Breastfeeding)
• Skin Infection (Adults)
  For Cutaneous sporotrichosis (a type of fungal skin infection): 5-10 drops thrice a day, and increase to 30-50 drops thrice a day after 2-3 months
• Fibrocystic Breasts (Adults)
  70-90 mcg/kg daily for 4-18 months|Iodine Deficiency (Adults):20-40mg/kg; 0.25mg/day, or 0.4 grammes/year (Pregnant/Breastfeeding)
• Breast Pain (Adults)
  3-6mg/day for up to 5 months
• Radiation Exposure (Adults)
  0.12 grammes (Pregnant/Breastfeeding); 0.13 grammes (More than 40 years of exposure)
• Overactive Thyroid (Adults)
  0.6% with 0.1% dexamethasone 4 times daily for up to 4 days
• Chyluria (Adults)
  Apply externally 6-10 mL of solution containing 0.2% povidone-iodine for up to 12 weeks
• Diabetic Foot Ulcers (Adults)
  Apply externally 0.9% for up to 12 weeks
• Oral Mucositis (Adults)
  Rinse as a mouth wash, 100 mL for 3 minutes, 4 times daily for up to 1 week
• Periodontitis (Adults)
  Rinse as a mouth wash, 0.1-10% solution
• Lung Infections (Adults)
  Rinse as a mouth wash, 20 mL of 10% solution every 4 hours
• Bleeding(in general) (Adults)
  Use externally as 1% solution
• Rhinosinusitis (Adults)
  Use a nose wash 0.08% on alternate days for up to 7 weeks
• Surgery (Adults)
  Use 0.35-10% solution as wound wash for 1-3 minutes
• Leg Ulcer (Adults)
  use externally 10% solution or ointment, and 2.5% dry powder spray
• Gynaecological Issues (Adults)
  Use on vagina 1-10% solution before caesarian delivery
• General (Children)
  0.11mg/day (0-6 months); 0.13mg/day (7-12 months); 0.09mg/day (1-8 years); 0.12mg/day (9-13 years); 0.15mg/day (14 years and above)
• Skin Infection (Children)
  For Cutaneous sporotrichosis (a type of fungal skin infection): 3 drops or 0.15 grammes daily for up to 33 days
• Iodine Deficiency (Children)
  0.09mg/day or 0.2 grammes/year
• Radiation Exposure (Children)
  16mg (0-1 month); 32mg (2 months-3 years); 65mg (3-12 years); 65mg or 200 mg (12-18 years)
• Eye Infection (Children)
  2.5% solution eye drop

• General Information
  • Iodine is used by consumers for thyroid conditions, radiation-related problems, weight loss, eye disease, diabetes, and others
• How does it work?
  • Iodine is a required nutrient by our body; it has antibacterial & antioxidant effect, stops bleeding heart diseases, thins mucus in the airway and prevents uptake of radioactive iodine (which may cause thyroid cancer)