Thyroid hormones control all aspects of your reproductive health, from ovaries to sex hormone binding globulin. The small butterfly-shaped gland at the base front neck is responsible for producing these essential chemicals that regulate everything you do both inside and outside hormonal boundaries.

At some point in life, many females ask why women need iodine more than men. Well, one of the reasons involves the menstrual period. The menstrual cycle is a significant indicator of health. For example, thyroid disorders caused by lack of iodine can result in hormonal imbalances that affect your periods or make them more challenging to figure out than they should be. This includes both normalizing the flow and ensuring it comes on time every month without fail.

The menstrual issue symptoms may seem minimal at first but can become severe if left unchecked by treatment from doctors. So if you or someone in your family is experiencing unusual menstrual symptoms, it's vital to get evaluated by a healthcare provider.

You may experience various symptoms with thyroid disorders such as depression or weight gain. In this article, we explore the connection between your menstrual cycle and different thyroid conditions so that it will be easier for women with chronic illnesses to cope during their periods without feeling discomfort all day long.

Most people have a serious deficiency of iodine but don’t know it. This deficiency isn’t recognized by your everyday doctor, in fact most doctors misdiagnose iodine deficiency as something completely different. You need to find an iodine literate doctor and/or join the following groups.

Read More About It : How Much Iodine Should I Take to Get Started?

HyperThyroidism vs HypoThyroidism

Heavy or irregular menstrual cycles often signal that the body's hormone levels are unbalanced. For example, the average woman has bleeding every 21 to 35 days and lasts 2 to 7 days, but some experience up to 50+ bleedings in a year. This can indicate more serious underlying health problems like endometriosis which affects women differently depending on when they lose their period during development. In contrast, others develop it at an older age when the body stops making few essential compounds.

Symptoms of menstrual issues caused by lack of iodine include feeling fatigued, gaining weight, or having dry skin and hair. You may also experience brain fog and heavy periods.

The menstrual cycle can be challenging to manage if women have an underactive or overactive thyroid. Women’s menstrual issues symptoms may vary depending on type of disorder. Still, it's crucial for anyone who experiences symptoms like weight gain despite dieting, difficulty focusing or concentrating at work or school due to frequent mental fogginess to see their doctor right away. You don't want to miss out on any treatment options available.

So what are the problems in periods? The first one that we will talk about is the lack of iodine that contributes to hypothyroidism. Hypothyroidism, or an underactive thyroid gland, can cause several menstrual problems. These include heavy bleeding during periods and infrequent cycles, as well as absent menstruation altogether. Women with hypothyroidism often experience period irregularities. In a 2013 study, 68% of participants had absent or extremely light periods, while 28 percent reported heavy periods that lasted more than two weeks.

There are many treatment options available for people with Hashimoto’s disease, an autoimmune disease. Iodine literate doctors will tell you that Hashimoto’s is caused by lack of iodine intake. Iodine intake has been declining in the US while at the same time the rate of breast cancer and Hasimoto’s disease skyrocketed. 

Dr. David Brownstein does a great job of busting the iodine myths. People have been deprived of sufficient iodine supplementation for a long time, starting in the 1950s. However, it has not reduced thyroid disease. If iodine causes thyroid issues, why is thyroid disease on the rise even when people consume less iodine? His studies further prove that it is impossible to satisfy iodine requirements with only 150mcg per day. There is no relationship between higher iodine intake and thyroid disease.

Iodine deficiency is a real problem because the FDA only recommends just enough iodine to avoid goiter. They ignore the fact that every cell in the body needs this essential mineral. FDA does not inform people about the daily dose required for staying healthy and functional. Professionals such as Dr. Brownstein are spreading the word about iodine supplements. Iodised salt is a poor source of iodine. Therefore, switching to iodine supplements is the best solution.

Therefore an iodine literate doctor will give you iodine as a remedy for Hashimoto disease. Iodine has been vilified by doctors that work for the medical industrial complex and for a good reason! It isn’t possible to earn any money on it.

If you go to an iodine illiterate doctor she will be quick to prescribe to you the most popular antithyroid drugs, which can help prevent female menstrual issues and fertility problems. 

Treating the lack of iodine with drugs is dangerous and will lead to other serious health problems and side effects. Sadly, if a woman has hashimoto’s disease during pregnancy it will result in a significant IQ decrease in children. On the contrary when pregnant women take the dosage recommended by Dr. David Brownstein the babies born will have a significantly higher IQ. 

Moreover, it can help shrink the thyroid gland to relieve symptoms such as a tingling sensation on your skin or weight loss due to excessive tiredness from lack of energy. However, before taking this kind of medication, one thing to consider would involve discussing potential side effects with a healthcare professional and what messes with your period.

Another condition is hyperthyroidism often caused by Graves’ disease which also causes female menstrual issues. Women with hyperthyroidism have an overactive thyroid gland, which means hormone production is too high. One sign that can be seen in these females is abnormal menstrual bleeding, usually more intense than normal periods or premature menopause.

Again, an iodine literate doctor will tell you it’s impossible to cure hypothyroidism without iodine. Please avoid talking to a doctor who is illiterate about iodine. It can cause you untold suffering and literally kill you.

All iodine literate doctors know Dr. Armand Trousseau’s story to be true, not because they are blind believers in medical anecdotes but because this is their lived experience year after year. Dr. Armand Trousseau in 1863 accidentally treated Graves’ disease patient (exopthalmic goiter) with iodine instead of digitalis. The patient improved. However, upon realizing his mistake, he stopped iodine and gave him digitalis. The patient worsened! He used 75-100mg of 5% tincture of Lugol’s iodine!

Menstrual Complications Caused By Iodine Deficiency

Too little thyroid hormone can cause heavy menstrual bleeding, while too much of it may have the opposite effect. Both conditions are associated with missed or no periods and affect fertility in women trying to get pregnant. 

However, these conditions show menstrual related issues, which, if caught early on, can be treated easily. When the body's thyroid hormone levels drop too low, a signal is sent from one part of your brain (the hypothalamus) to another. This eventually results in increased production by more than just 100% of TSH hormone. It also increases at a faster rate because it has been told that there should be greater demands on its resources - like food or energy sources, for instance. The result? More TSH, which tells these glands what they need: new hormones called thyroxine(s).

However, several types of menstrual problems occur due to a lack of iodine. We explored a few of them here.

1. Heavy Menstruation
   
   

   Women with heavy menstrual bleeding might need to wear several pads at once or change them often. Some women also find it necessary to use tampons daily because their periods are so heavy, but these can be uncomfortable and expensive if not needed for more than three days each month. Does menstrual flow last longer than seven days? Bleeding lasting over 15-20 minutes before the occurrence of menstruation (MFM)? You may need one pad per hour throughout an entire cycle.

   There are many possible causes of heavy bleeding, including hypothyroidism. Other triggers may include infection or medication side effects, fibroids and PCOS, to name just a few others on the list. Therefore, you must consult a doctor if you feel severe menstrual problems, especially if they are ongoing.

   
   Heavy periods can be a symptom of many different things apart from menstrual issues caused by lack of iodine. If you have been experiencing heavy flow and it's not time for your next menstrual cycle, then make sure to see an OB/GYN. They may want to perform some tests such as a pelvic examination. Transvaginal ultrasound imaging is done by inserting a wand into the vagina so that images of reproductive organs are transmitted onto the monitor. Thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) blood test is another way to determine thyroid health.
   

2. Irregular Menstruation
   

   Hypothyroidism can affect the thyroid hormones and lead to infrequent or absent periods. Women may experience irregular cycles as part of iodine deficiency menstruation as well.

   In addition, high levels of the thyroid-releasing hormone (TRH) can trigger the pituitary gland to release prolactin. The pea-sized organ is located at the base of your brain and controls hormones that regulate growth in various parts of your body, including breasts or facial skin hair. The absence or irregular cycles happens when there's an excess estrogen called "female hormones." It can lead to several women’s menstrual issues, including early periods.

   Too much prolactin can interfere with the production of estrogen by your ovaries. This could lead to some menstrual issues caused by lack of iodine. This includes infrequent periods or absence, abnormal milky discharge from breasts (galactorrhea), hot flashes, vaginal dryness, and infertility.

   High levels of thyroid hormones can stop your period altogether or make it occur less frequently. That's because TRH triggers production in prolactin, which interferes with the ovaries' ability to produce estrogen. This affects their function and thus causes an interruption to the monthly cycle.

3. Decreased Fertility 

   When it comes to getting pregnant, a lack of thyroid hormone can be detrimental as it can cause different types of menstrual problems. Not only does this affect your reproductive system but also overall health and wellness in many ways. This includes an increased risk for miscarrying during the first trimester when you're already struggling with morning sickness.
   Some women use thyroid medication to treat menstrual issues. Still, they continue to experience abnormal periods. But for those struggling with infertility or the risk of pregnancy loss, treatment may improve reproductive health and lower the chances of miscarriage

   
   

Some Final Words

Iodine is your friend - not your enemy as your doctor may have you believe. As iodine levels have fallen over 50% during the last 40 years, thyroid disorders including hypothyroidism, Hashimoto’s disease, Graves’ disease, and thyroid cancer have been increasing at near-epidemic rates. We would expect the opposite to occur thyroid illnesses on the decline if iodine were the cause. In fact, it is impossible to experimentally induce autoimmune thyroid disorders in animals unless the animals are iodine-deficient.