I have read about iodine drops in this forum; I have taken her to a psychiatrist who has her on Quetiapine, but I have also read that that medication is supposedly not good for someone with dementia. I have managed to get her to take the Quetiapine without argument...I would perhaps have to use a more subtle approach with iodine drops.
For what symptom was the drug prescribed for your mother? How long ago? Does it seem to help that symptom?
From what I've read, iodine, strictly monitored medically, may be an appropriate treatment for thyroid problems, but there are many cautions and warnings about the dangers of overdosing. Self-prescribed supplements are generally discouraged.
Your mom's psychiatrist finished college and then went on to 8 more years of post-graduate study to become a physician and then to specialize in diseases of the brain. And you are willing to disregard the advice your mother got from the psychiatrist who saw her in person. Yet you are willing to try a "remedy" recommended by -- whom? -- someone who has never seen your mother, I suspect, and didn't spend 4+8 years in school to become a brain specialist and which has SERIOUS potential side effects.
My husband and my mother each had dementia. I understand the desperation to find something, anything, that will help. But don't let that desperation lead you into dangerous experiments without exhausting all well-studied answers first.
Your mother is 88. She has already outlived the life expectancy for the year she was born, and for the year she turned 65. If a drug risked the possibility of reducing her lifespan but ensured she had a better quality of life for the remainder of it, wouldn't that be a good trade? It was for my husband, in my judgment!
The only real question here, in my opinion, is whether the prescribed Quetiapine is providing improved quality of life. If it is not, ask the psychiatrist to try something else. Even ask them to supervise an iodine experiment if you are convinced that is a good idea. But accept that there are no perfect dementia treatments, and that the best we can do is use what is available to us.
"Iodine deficiency is rare, but some people supplement their diets with iodine drops for a variety of health reasons, and this practice can be dangerous. Iodine, a trace mineral, is necessary for making thyroid hormones, healthy thyroid gland function, and for healthy growth and development. Between 70 and 80 percent of iodine is located in the thyroid gland in your neck, while the rest is found elsewhere in your body such as your blood, muscles and ovaries.
"Dangers of Iodine Drops
Using iodine drops or other supplements to increase iodine levels can be hazardous to your health, as too much iodine disrupts thyroid gland function. Also, large quantities of iodine over a prolonged period of time can lead to symptoms such as a metallic taste in your mouth, headaches, eye irritation, sore teeth and gums, and a burning sensation in your mouth. Other symptoms include irregular heartbeat, numbness or weakness in your hands and feet, and unusual fatigue.
"Dosage
Iodine drops should be taken under a doctor’s supervision, as the recommended dose varies depending on the condition you’re trying to treat. In general, to treat an overactive thyroid gland, adults can take 250 mg of iodine oral solution three times daily, according to MayoClinic.com. Children’s doses should be determined by a doctor. To treat radiation exposure, adults may be prescribed 2 ml of potassium iodide solution, while children between ages 3 and 18 can take 1 ml, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. However, potassium iodide should be taken only under direction from a state or local public health official.
"Amount of Dietary Iodine Needed
For general health, it’s safer to get your daily dose of iodine from food. Aside from iodized salt, food sources of iodine include garlic, lima beans, sesame seeds and green leafy vegetables such as spinach and Swiss chard. The upper daily limit of iodine for children ages 1 to 3 is 200 mcg of iodine; for children ages 4 to 8, it’s 300 mcg, according to Beck. For children ages 9 to 13, the upper daily limit is 600 mcg and for children ages 14 to 18 it’s 900 mcg. Adults 19 and over can have a maximum of 1,100 mcg daily.
From Livestrong.com (www.livestrong.com/article/448272-are-iodine-drops-dangerous/) KAY UZOMA Oct. 03, 2017