Iron Overload, Gut Flora Imbalance, and the Liver

Hey guys, lately I think I've been getting closer and closer to putting my whole puzzle together. I've got it narrowed down to two things: gut flora imbalance and iron overload. More specifically, their effect on the liver. Before getting into details, I'm 20 years old and began cleaning up my diet about 6 months ago, and over the past 3-4 months, I've stuck with it 100%.

Here are some key symptoms I'm experiencing:

-Cold Hands/Feet: I've been on iodine for about 4 months, reaching doses as high 50-75mg per day for a week. If air temperature is below 75 degrees, these parts are sure to be cold. Testing by grabbing my arm or touching my foot to make leg really makes it obvious. On a side note, I'm not the type to avoid cold weather. I have no problem being outside without a jacket when it's 5 degrees (Fahrenheit), but 85+ and I'm miserable. I think that is related to ancestry though.

-Dark Circles Under Eyes: I have them, but not to a severe extent. Just a little bit of pinkish red on and slightly below the bottom eye lids. They're a little puffy in the morning, but that doesn't last.

-Diffuse Unpattered Baldness (DUPA): This is the big one. The sides and back of my head are shedding, while the top is not. My hairline is slightly receded, mostly at the temples, but I've slowed it down a lot, possibly stopped it. I've searched the forums and found this thread: https://immortalhair.forumotion.com/t2405-unusual-men-balding-pattern-is-this-dupa-photos-which-r - The pictures he provides there are an example of where I'm loosing it, with the exception of the top and vertex.

I've tried chelation, both with Enzymatic Therapy and Immune Boost, as well as MCP. I am taking all of the cofactor minerals with my iodine. I do NOT suspect my thyroid is the issue due to relatively high energy, no problems with weight, skin is vibrant, voice is strong, overall happiness, etc. Also because iodine hasn't resolved it.

I suspect gut flora for a few reasons. One being that a lot of vitamin and mineral supplements (quality ones) have had no noticeable effect on me, be it how I feel or look. A lack of gut flora to assimilate them would easily explain that. With insufficient gut flora, there's nothing there to get rid of the toxic byproduct from food being broken down, so it adds to the toxic load of the liver.

When I was 15 I was prescribed Singulair. Looking back on that, I know for a fact it did nothing for me, and I didn't need it either. Every time I took it I felt an irregular heartbeat and nausea. Somehow I kept taking it until I was 17. I remember a few months before stopping it that I had a hard time eating a lot of things. Ice cream was one of the only foods I could ALWAYS eat without having a feeling of rejection from my body. I think it may have damaged my gut flora in some way, even though now that feeling is long gone. I first noticed my hair loss when I was 18, at a NW2 or so (still about the same). I'm sure this drug did some harm to my liver.

My current plan is to get the Primal Defense probiotic.

I also have a lot of reason to blame iron overload. During puberty, my favorite food was always a huge steak. Had it several times a week. As a result, I'm 6'5" now. Still a slim body type though. I doubt that has much to do with overload, but I'm sure deficiency has never been a problem. Then I noticed my hair loss. I began doing research (the bad kind) and ended up getting a multivitamin with iron since I had read that iron was important for hair. I don't know when the diffuse hair loss began, but I know that I caught it after starting that supplement (which I stupidly took for 6 months). I know excess iron can put a lot of stress on the liver.

Right now I'm taking ecklonia cava and curcumin which I've read have positive effects on overabundant iron. I've been on them for less than a month so it's still too early to tell.

I stumbled upon blood letting today and I think its worth a try. The thought of putting an IV in my arm and draining a pint of blood doesn't sit easy with me, but minor self mutilation does. Hmmm.
Anyway, the procedure would be something like this:
-Turn on death metal
-Make a small incision in my upper arm, let it bleed out for a few minutes.
-Put iodine over the cut to ensure it stays clean
-Repeat every 2-3 days


Bit of a long post, I know, probably overdetailed, But any comments, suggestions, advice, or any other scientific wizardry regarding any of this would be greatly appreciated.

Hypothyroid symptoms (like cold hands/feet) with normal thyroid tests could be estrogen dominance...that correlates with liver problems (since estrogen is detoxified by the liver) and gut issues (since gut bacteria affect estrogen excretion)...and with hair loss, since high estrogen means low progesterone (natural 5-ar inhibitor). But for a 20 years old is kind of unlikely to have high estrogens.

Anyway, some info:

Estrogen Dominance & Thyroid Function

Estrogen causes food calories to be stored as fat. Thyroid Hormone causes fat calories to be turned into usable energy. Thyroid Hormone and Estrogen therefore have opposing actions.

Estrogen dominance inhibits Thyroid action and lowers the rate of metabolism of the Body. Natural Progesterone inhibits Estrogen action.

The symptoms of Hypothyroidism may also occur because of Estrogen Dominance (deficiency of Progesterone). Hypothyroidism, which results in weight gain and a host of other symptoms, can be corrected by the presence of Natural Progesterone in the body. Natural Progesterone levels can be enhanced in the body by supplementation of the diet with Herbal Dietary Supplement Wild Yam during the perimenopausal years and once corrected can be easily maintained by increasing the intake of Protein rich Food in the Diet - 2 bowls of Mung Sprouts per day is adequate in most cases to continue maintaining your Body in a Hormonally Balanced state. To increase Progesterone levels during the Menopausal years, topical application of Progest Gel containing Bioidentical Progesterone Hormone is recommended..

Many other presumed Thyroid dysfunctions (like falling hair, water retention, loss of memory, dry skin) and Autoimmune Disorders are actually caused by Estrogen Dominance.

The crucial nutrient for Thyroid Hormone synthesis in the body is Iodine. Herbal Dietary Supplements like Kelp are a rich source of natural Iodine. Natural Iodine along with Tyrosine an amino acid can help the Thyroid manufacture normal levels of Hormone T3 and T4. In the presence of adequate levels of Natural Progesterone, Estrogen Dominance will disappear and the Thyroid Gland / Body will begin functioning normally i.e. the symptoms of weight gain will disappear.
Source: http://www.space-age.com/hypothyroidism.html

There's some evidence that high iron intake promotes bacterial overgrowth. Iron levels can easily be checked via bloodwork. Small intestine bacterial overgrowth isn't as easy to diagnose, but the breath test isn't difficult. Iron overload is associated with hair loss.