Feeling hot under the collar? Need to turn down the heat? If menopause symptoms have you feeling overheated, overstressed, and overwhelmed, iodine might be the answer. Long appreciated for its essential role in thyroid function, iodine can also benefit other body systems impacted by menopause. In this article, we’ll explore how to use iodine for menopause hot flashes, including what causes menopause hot flashes.

What Causes Menopause Hot Flashes?

Flushed skin, sweat, sudden heat. Starting in their late 40s, many women begin to experience the symptoms of menopause, including hot flashes. The hot flashes associated with menopause are typically vasomotor responses dependent on the dilation of blood vessels. As the blood vessels expand, blood rushes in, rapidly heating the skin.

While it’s unclear what exactly causes these dilations, many researchers believe they are triggered by the intense hormonal fluctuations that occur during menopause. As estrogen declines, other hormones such as progesterone and cortisol destabilize as well. As a result, symptoms such as hot flashes, mood swings, joint pain, and weight fluctuations become more common.

Symptoms of Menopause Hot Flashes

The common symptoms of menopause and perimenopause hot flashes include:

• Reddened skin (flushing)
• Sweating (including night sweats)
• Clammy skin
• Dysregulated temperature
• Heart palpitations

Menopause vs. Thyroid Hot Flashes: How to To Tell the Difference

Unfortunately, an overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism) can also cause hot flashes and may be confused with the onset of menopause. With hyperthyroidism, the thyroid (a small, butterfly-shaped gland at the base of the throat) produces too many hormones than the body requires. With hypothyroidism, the thyroid is underactive and does not produce enough hormones to function properly.

Since the thyroid is primarily responsible for regulating metabolism, including body temperature, an increase (or decrease!) in thyroid hormones can cause serious hot flashes and chills. Typically, hyperthyroidism is caused by autoimmune issues such as Graves’ disease; however, it may also be the result of thyroiditis (thyroid inflammation), excess iodine, or thyroid nodules. Conversely, hypothyroidism can be caused by insufficient iodine, Hashimoto’s, or pregnancy.

How can you tell if your hot flashes are the result of menopause vs. a symptom of a thyroid disorder? The first order of business is to get tested. A licensed medical professional can administer a blood test to check the levels of vital thyroid hormones such as TSH (thyroid-stimulating hormone), T3, and T4. When levels of these hormones fall outside the normal ranges, a thyroid disease is typically present.

Additionally, hot flashes resulting from thyroid imbalances tend to present differently than hot flashes from menopause. With thyroid-based hot flashes, the heat is almost constant and worsens slowly over time. Additionally, skin remains flushed, even outside of the flash’s “peak.”

Menopausal hot flashes, on the other hand, tend to be short and sudden. The flash lasts, on average, one to five minutes. Otherwise, body temperature remains comfortable outside of the flash.

Iodine for Menopause Hot Flashes

Studies demonstrate that menopausal and postmenopausal women who experience hot flashes tend to have lower levels of iodine. In fact, in one study, researchers found that low iodine levels positively correlated with both increased hot flash frequency and severity.

As a result, supplementing iodine may help support flagging thyroid hormone levels and boost metabolism. However, it’s important to seek medical guidance as too much iodine can seriously harm your health.

Ideally, seek natural supplements that derive iodine from effective, highly-absorbable sources rather than harsh, poorly-absorbable artificial supplements.

How much iodine do you need?

Too much iodine can cause some of the same problems as too little, including goiter and an under- or overactive thyroid. That's why it's worth testing before you supplement.

Food sources of iodine: seaweed, cod and other saltwater fish, shrimp, dairy, eggs, and iodized salt. If you use sea salt or pink salt instead of iodized salt and don't eat much seafood or dairy, your intake may be low.

Other ways to cool hot flashes

• Know your triggers. Alcohol, caffeine, spicy food, and hot rooms set off hot flashes for a lot of women. Track when your flashes start for 2 weeks to get an idea of your triggers.
• Dress in layers. Peel off a layer as soon as a flash starts.
• Keep your bedroom cool. A fan and breathable sheets make night sweats easier to handle.
• Try slow breathing. Some women find slow, deep breathing at the start of a flash takes the edge off.
• Talk with your doctor about treatment. Hormone therapy and newer non-hormone prescriptions are options for moderate to severe hot flashes.

Plant support: Wild yam has a long history of traditional use by women going through menopause. Learn more about wild yam for menopause.

Not sure where to start? Take the free Female Hormone Quick Check or Thyroid Quick Check.

If your practitioner recommends iodine, Standard Process Iodomere® gives you 200 mcg per tablet. For plant support, MediHerb Wild Yam Complex is a smaller first step than the full protocol.

Iodine and menopause FAQs

Does iodine help with hot flashes?

It might, but the evidence is thin. One 2015 study linked lower iodine levels to more frequent and more severe hot flashes in postmenopausal women. No large trial has tested iodine supplements for hot flashes.

How much iodine should a menopausal woman take?

Adults need 150 mcg a day, and the upper limit is 1,100 mcg a day. Anything above everyday amounts should be guided by a practitioner who checks your thyroid.

Can low thyroid cause hot flashes?

Not usually. An underactive thyroid more often makes you feel cold. An overactive thyroid is usually the one that causes heat, sweating, and a racing heart.

How can I tell a hot flash from a thyroid problem?

Hot flashes come in sudden waves and pass within minutes. Thyroid-related heat tends to be more constant and is usually accompanied by weight loss, a racing heart, or shaky hands. A blood test can tell you for sure.

What foods are high in iodine?

Seaweed, cod and other saltwater fish, shrimp, dairy, eggs, and iodized salt.

What else helps hot flashes naturally?

Avoiding your triggers (often alcohol, caffeine, spicy food, and hot rooms), dressing in layers, keeping your bedroom cool, and slow breathing at the start of a flash can all help. For moderate to severe hot flashes, talk with your doctor about treatment options.

Curious about supplementing for menopause? Check out our Menopause Protocol. Packed with natural hormone-balancing botanicals and compounds designed to help you navigate life’s changes with poise. Get it now.

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