When is radioactive iodine administered

You are here Home » Radioactive Iodine for Hyperthyroidism. Top of the page. Radioactive Iodine for Hyperthyroidism. Treatment Overview Radioactive iodine is a medicine that you take one time. Radioactive iodine treatment has been safely used on millions of people for more than 60 years. But a few people may have nausea. Some general recommendations include: footnote 1 Keep your distance from other people, especially children and pregnant women. Do not sit next to someone in a motor vehicle for more than 1 hour.

Avoid close contact, kissing, or sexual intercourse. Sleep alone in a separate room. Use separate towels, washcloths, and sheets. Wash these and your personal clothing separately for 1 week.

Flush the toilet twice after each use. Rinse the bathroom sink and tub thoroughly after you use them. Why It Is Done Radioactive iodine has the best chance of permanently curing hyperthyroidism. How Well It Works For most people, one dose of radioactive iodine treatment will cure hyperthyroidism. Risks Some side effects from radioactive iodine treatment include: Metallic taste in your mouth. Dry mouth. Sore throat. Neck pain. Radioactive iodine treatment can make your neck swell up or hurt.

Nausea or vomiting, which is usually mild. Constipation or diarrhea. Unusually low hypothyroidism or unusually high hyperthyroidism thyroid levels. What To Think About Most people—depending on their ages, how much thyroid hormone their bodies make, and other health conditions they have—are treated first with radioactive iodine.

Radioactive iodine is not used if: You are pregnant or you want to become pregnant within 6 months of treatment. Failure to follow this guidance may result in permanent damage to the thyroid gland of the nursing infant or child.

Radioiodine treatment should not be given during pregnancy. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or could be pregnant. If you are planning to become pregnant, you should wait at least 6 months after treatment to ensure your thyroid hormone level is normal and that you do not need additional treatment. Consult your doctor. Small amounts of radiation from your body may trigger radiation monitors at airports, border crossings, government buildings, hospitals, and waste disposal sites for up to 3 months after treatment.

Ask your doctor for advice if you will be in these areas. Your doctor can provide you with a letter describing your medical treatment if you cannot avoid these areas. Discarded items that are heavily stained with urine, saliva, nasal secretions, sweat or blood may trigger alarms at waste disposal sites. Ask your doctor for advice on how to safely dispose of these items.

This information may be used to meet the requirements of the U. Nuclear Regulatory Commission for giving written instructions to patients following treatment with radioiodine.

More specific instructions may be required in certain circumstances. How long does the radioiodine stay in your body? How can you reduce radiation exposure to others?

First 8 hours: Drink one glass of water each hour and use the bathroom as soon as possible when you need to empty your bladder. Radioactive iodine therapy helps people live longer if they have papillary or follicular thyroid cancer differentiated thyroid cancer that has spread to the neck or other body parts, and it is now standard practice in such cases. But the benefits of RAI therapy are less clear for people with small cancers of the thyroid gland that do not seem to have spread, which can often be removed completely with surgery.

Discuss your risks and benefits of RAI therapy with your doctor. Radioactive iodine therapy cannot be used to treat anaplastic undifferentiated and medullary thyroid carcinomas because these types of cancer do not take up iodine.

For RAI therapy to be most effective, you must have a high level of thyroid-stimulating hormone TSH or thyrotropin in the blood. This hormone is what makes thyroid tissue and cancer cells take up radioactive iodine.

Most doctors also recommend that you follow a low iodine diet for 1 or 2 weeks before treatment. This means avoiding foods that contain iodized salt and red dye 3, as well as dairy products, eggs, seafood, and soy. Your body will give off radiation for some time after you get RAI therapy.