- With Mayo Clinic endocrinologist
Todd B. Nippoldt, M.D.
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Todd B. Nippoldt, M.D.
Todd Nippoldt, M.D.
Dr. Todd Nippoldt is a board-certified specialist in internal medicine and endocrinology and metabolism. He has special expertise in the area of hormone disorders affecting the pituitary and adrenal glands as well as the testes and ovaries. He has been a member of the Mayo Clinic staff since 1988.
He's a consultant in the Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Nutrition and works with patients who have disorders of the hormone-producing glands. Common disorders include diabetes, thyroid problems, osteoporosis and elevated cholesterol levels.
He's also involved in andrology, the study of male hormonal disorders, male infertility and male sexual dysfunction, and is an assistant professor of medicine at College of Medicine, Mayo Clinic.
Dr. Nippoldt, a St. Paul, Minn., native, has also contributed to "Mayo Clinic Health Letter," the "Mayo Clinic Family Health Book" and a Mayo Clinic CD-ROM. He's a fellow in the American College of Physicians and a member of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, the American Society of Andrology, The Endocrine Society, The Pituitary Society and the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists.
"I have found that those patients who have gone to the Internet and obtained accurate medical information come to their appointment with me very well informed, and the discussions regarding the evaluation and management of their condition are very productive and satisfying," he says.
"The key, however, is obtaining accurate medical information. As a medical editor, I hope to be able to ensure that accurate, relevant and up-to-date information is available for patients and their families."
Definition (1)
- Wilson's syndrome: An accepted medical diagnosis?
Symptoms (2)
- Hypothyroidism: Does it cause joint pain?
- Thyroid disease: Can it affect a person's mood?
Complications (1)
- Hypothyroidism symptoms: Can hypothyroidism cause eye problems?
Treatments and drugs (5)
- Soy: Does it worsen hypothyroidism?
- Hypothyroidism diet: Can certain foods increase thyroid function?
- Coconut oil: Can it cure hypothyroidism?
- see all in Treatments and drugs
Alternative medicine (1)
- Coconut oil: Can it cure hypothyroidism?
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Question
Hypothyroidism: Should I take iodine supplements?
Can iodine supplements help regulate thyroid function in a person with hypothyroidism?
Answer
from Todd B. Nippoldt, M.D.
Iodine supplements usually aren't necessary if you live in the United States or in most developed countries. Some alternative medicine practitioners recommend iodine tablets or kelp supplements — which are high in iodine — for people with hypothyroidism. It is true that severe iodine deficiency can cause hypothyroidism. But iodine deficiency is rare in the United States and other developed countries since the addition of iodine to salt (iodized salt) and other foods. If iodine deficiency is not the cause of hypothyroidism, then iodine supplements provide no benefit.
Hypothyroidism is safely and effectively treated with the synthetic thyroid hormone levothyroxine.
Next questionHypothyroidism: Can calcium supplements interfere with treatment?
- Ross DS. Disorders that cause hypothyroidism. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Feb. 18, 2010.
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