Question: How can I raise my metabolism? My basal metabolism (checked early in the morning when awakening) is 96.6. My daytime temperature is 96.6. I am taking extra iodine (four to six mg/ day) and the glandular from Life Enhancement called ThyroPlex. I also take 750 mg of tyrosine daily.

Dr. Hibberd's Answer:

I hope you enjoy gambling with your thyroid health, because that is exactly what you are doing. An adequate iodine oral intake is approximately 100 micrograms per day (there are 1000 mcg per 1 mg!). Iodine toxicity occurs with intakes of over two mg per day, so you are taking a toxic amount.

If you have been on this dose for several months, you may have caused hypothyroidism and induced a goiter with this excessive amount of iodine. You need to reduce it now.

You would be wise to establish your thyroid baselines. Have a TSH (thyroid-stimulating blood test –3rd generation) test and consider having your urinary amount of iodine checked as well.

The ThyroPlex formula you were taking contains tissue extracts of ovary, thyroid, brain (hypothalamus), pituitary, and adrenal . . . do you have any idea what you are taking? If I don’t know, neither do you!

The tyrosine has no proven value. Do yourself a favor and seek professional advice on your medications. Don’t blindly follow product advertising for anti-aging formulas whose claims are a hoax, but are probably metabolically active enough to foul up your own endocrine system balance.

I hope you feel better soon. Let this case serve as an example of how unguided supplement use can do more harm than good.