Wash your clothes and dishes separately from your family's so you don't contaminate their belongings. I know this post is older but I am considering radiation! What should I do after this treatment to restore my metabolic functioning and gut biome? My blood work prior was Then too, my annual eye exam with dilation is due now, that appointment is upcoming, as well as further dental with my regular dentist now that I have the one impacted and rotted tooth extracted. The recommended timeframes are based on the size of the dosage you are receiving, so discuss the specifics with your healthcare provider prior to treatment. If you are unable to avoid direct or indirect contact with infants and young children, ask your healthcare provider about the possibility of hospitalization. A high uptake of radioactive iodine suggests Graves' disease. Your best bet to AVOID weight gain after RAI is to go into your procedure with a normal weight and to maintain a healthy lifestyle both before and after. If you fit into this category then you may not need to use thyroid medication afterward. At that time my numbers were so low I was experiencing eye problems. This particular visit, my HA1C was up to 6 point something, and caused alarm as I am strict with my diet, admit though at that time I allowed myself a free day to eat as much and all the treats I wanted or craved. Free T3. More important than how the procedure works is how it will affect you afterward. Some people may have a feeling of tightness or swelling in their neck for a few days after treatment. You may gain weight after you undergo radioactive iodine treatment. All my life my hair was thin and fine. I go to great lengths to help my users better understand their health; however, the content you see here is not a substitute for medical advice. This may or may not be important to you based on your age, your gender, and whether or not fertility is something you are interested in but, again, its worth knowing about. This was published id a study by dr brunelli fro. This isnt always true, but it is true for MOST people. The iodine is taken into the thyroid gland and incorporated into thyroxine. Are those levels indicative of something going wrong? Fact sheet: guidelines for patients receiving radioiodine I-131 treatment. Once your thyroid is destroyed, it will no longer work exactly as it used to. My endocrinologist said he never heard someone like that after RAI, but i asked my cousin who is a family doctor back home that you will expect that will happened to you. RAI is a form of radioactive nuclear medication that permanently destroys thyroid tissue. I dont have another drs appointment till after the holidays. Reply. The following recommendations will give you an idea of precautions to take to avoid exposing other people (as well as pets) to iodine 131, which may be present in bodily fluids or occur as a result of close contact. What are you concerned about? You wouldnt want to use a steroid on it unless you know what it is. No one said it could be from my low thyroid, but I found clinical trials that mentioned it was rare but could affect eyes and should be treated aggressively. Ive certainly seen some patients reduce their total dose of thyroid medication by undergoing some natural therapies to help restore thyroid function after RAI (but the number of patients Ive seen in this category is somewhat limited). . As I am not a doctor, my specific question is why does the level of levothyroxine I require change if my thyroid was destroyed? I had RAI treatment 4 weeks ago 29.9 mci due to hyperthyroid hot noduals. If your head and scalp are exposed to radiation (usually after a brain tumor surgery), it can affect the hair follicles and cause hair loss while the rest of the body may be unaffected. If weight loss is your primary goal then I would take a look at my weight loss program here: https://www.restartmed.com/hormone-mastery/. So, do your research, make sure RAI treatment is right for you. Or longer Im so confused my gp has no explanation my hair is falling out I dont eat anything only 3oranges a day and pure fruit juice now I have moderate atrophy on my pancreas and I cant get into a specialist for 1-2 years ., can h explain whats really going on, Please see this article for more information on managing hair loss with thyroid problems: https://www.restartmed.com/thyroid-hair-loss/. To lighten hair dyed that is too dark with vitamin c powder, mix together 1 tablespoon of vitamin c powder with 1/2 cup of water. I feel more like a ping pong ball being bounced back and forth! Im hoping I still have some thyroid function based on the fact that he kept lowering my dose of levothyroxine and I can just take your supplements and see some weight loss and feel a bit better. This is an extension of what weve already discussed but its worth spending some time on this specific point. While you cant control this side effect 100%, you can do your best to mitigate (or reduce) any weight gain by going into your procedure at a normal and healthy weight. SHBG :43 (16-55) This is possibly TMI but any guidance and suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Potassium iodide (KI) is a type of iodine that is not radioactive and can be used to help block one type of radioactive material, radioactive iodine (I-131), from being absorbed by the thyroid. I have expressed my symptoms to the dr and she did a panel revealing my TSH to be 3.687. You can read more about my own personal health journey and why I am so passionate about what I do. Iodine is a mineral that your thyroid uses to create thyroid hormone. I know some people contribute this Muscle pain or weakness. Thyroid hormone regulates the metabolic rate of an animal. Nevertheless, hair loss can be associated with changing levels of thyroid hormone, and may be experienced by some patients with hypo or hyperthyroidism. If you have heard of this before is there a natural vitamin or something that will help me control the heat in my body? Calculating the half life of radiation, it will be a couple months before I can be around nursing home residents and pregnant women, and each and every nursing home has several pregnant women on each unit and each shift. No. Radioactive iodine treatment is a type of radiotherapy is used to destroy the cells in the thyroid gland, reducing the amount of hormones it can produce. I am in the military, stationed in Fl. Thank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up. After you get the dose, the scanner checks your entire body for signs of radioactivity. They have already said I would need to take the radiation iodine treatment. Radioactive iodine can also show whether cancer has spread beyond the thyroid. Hi doc! For more details, see our Privacy Policy. If I take a snack is determined on what my glucose reading was. I think that she was supposed to maint. Sleep apart from adults by at least six feet (a separate bedroom is recommended) and avoid sexual activity. Also I drink 100 ounces of water plus other hydrating fluids and food per day. It may sound counterintuitive, but youll understand why you might want to after your procedure. Not everyone gains weight after RAI, if thats what you mean by treatment but if you are going to, it will start within 4-6 weeks of the procedure and may continue for several months. Before you or any family members have RAI treatment, it is strongly recommended that you read up on post-RAI guidelines and speak with your healthcare providers about how they should be applied to you. Hello Dr .Child The best course of action is to contact the doctor that was responsible for your procedure and let them know about your symptoms. The amount 3 days after that I started to become sick after I ate an unable to sleep. Pls.can u explain about this. Not only can doctors NOT find a thyroid replacement that works for me due to side affects, Ive lost 70% of my hair and have to wear wig, Ive gained more weight than ever before in my life, Im constantly fatigued, in pain, moody, still have a very fast heart rate between 110-130, anxiety (like Im still hyperthyroid, but Im not.) I must admit I feel like a lab rat at times with all the tests and trials. If you have questions regarding your health you should seek qualified information from a medical professional or your doctor. They ran many tests including an cerebral angiogram to check for a brain tumor which I doubted. Hi , I just had ROI treatment done a little over a week ago . Um, Im a night shift nurse on a dementia unit in a nursing home, would you want me taking care of your loved one and have the brain fog, the jitteriness, the irritableness, and depression? Radioactive Iodine. And if the color is hash on the . cooked green vegetables. He is now smelling smoke, all the time. There is nowhere else to go tricare insurance is awful. You probably will not feel sick during this time, but these precautions are in place to prevent you from accidentally harming another person! Now they are suggesting a second treatment at a higher dose. Swelling and tenderness of the salivary glands. The connection between your weight gain and hyperthyroidism is explained here: https://www.restartmed.com/methimazole-weight-gain/. Hi! A thyroid scan is a type of nuclear medicine imaging. I had never been to endocrinology prior and had no idea about thyroid function. I had a miscarriage about a year after the RAI treatment. They also found that nearly 1 third of all patients (31.2%) moved into the overweight or obese category from a lower weight category (based on BMI charts by the CDC). 2 Capsules of Thyroid Adrenal Reset Complex daily https://www.restartmed.com/product/thyroid-adrenal-reset-complex/ I wish I had found it weeks ago, but I didnt so I have to move on. I eat three meals with three snack times. Your thyroid gland absorbs nearly all of the iodine in your body. Be particularly careful around infants and children, who are especially at risk for exposure complications. For most people, this means that you can expect to live at 80-90% of your normal. What do you recommend? Dairy products (such as milk, yogurt, and cheese . Over the next 5 years I gained another 10 lbs. Men should sit down when urinating. NOT GOING TO TAKE MORE PILLS! Some on the list I cant take to begin with, iron is one, when I take it, no matter how strict I am about taking it so many hours before or after other meds and meals, I still puke it up about fifteen to twenty minutes after taking it. And I cry at the drop of a hat now too. 3 weeks after I was taken off of PTU. But Im not a pretty woman, rather plane, and frumpy. Now that you are considered to be hypothyroid there is a world of potential therapies, supplements, regimens, and protocols that are available to you. You can get by this side effect by simply banking some of your sperm prior to your procedure and then using that sperm at a later date with procedures such as intrauterine insemination. I ordered the dutch test so have those results but I cannot read it and I am not sure what it all means. I dont want radiation therapy especially as she hasnt even told me what caused this. You can opt-out at any time. Can I dye my hair? I'm Westin Childs D.O. The cold also affects me if its too cold I really get cold but thinking back I pretty much think I was always like that with cold. I eat all organic. Thank You. https://www.restartmed.com/product/t3-conversion-booster/ It does have effect : Radioactive dyes containing iodine of the iodide type can cause permanent thyroid damage and cancer. Certain 'hair supplements' should be avoided as they may contain iodine or interfere with levothyroxine . Youll still need to get those but the supplements can be used in addition to them. depression, brain fog and other symptoms for years now. As so many of you, I too was very unaware of the many causes of having your thyroid removed can have on a person, or the underlying affects that can be caused by the I-131 RAI "therapeutic" radioactive iodine treatment. You can eat the following foods because they contain very low levels of iodine: fruits and vegetables including potatoes. According to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, infants and children should ideally stay outside the home for the recommended period. I would say many of your symptoms are unusual but this article highlights some of the routine side effects that may be experienced. Currently they have me on a combination of 100mcg Synthroid with 1 Grain of Armour (60mg. I had radiation treatment for my thyroid 5 days ago to shut down my thyroid. With all I forgot I had posted prior. Is there anything I can do to protect myself as I am driving her. Most thyroid patients who receive RAI treatment eventually end up hypothyroid and will need to take thyroid hormone replacement drugs indefinitely. So, now my doctor told me a list of things to expect over the next while. With that in mind, lets jump into what you should expect after your procedure. I have my EMG the end of the month and take things from there. Thanks. Graves' disease is an autoimmune disease that leads to overactivity of the thyroid gland (hyperthyroidism). It is a good idea to increase your fluid intake after an imaging exam involving an iodine-based contrast material to help remove the contrast material from your body. I have been asked to transport a friend who is having Radioactive Iodine treatment both the day of and a couple days later for her followup scan. who gave me 150 of Synthyroid. The doctor started me on .50 of Synthroid, and taking the first dose my eyes cleared the next day. I was recently on Naturethroid for some years and it seemed to be a better choice for me, it was quite the battle to get the Drs to prescribe it. I read your list of vitamins all NINE of them, and the only thing I could think of is NO! And to key to getting there is to understand what happens to your body after this procedure and how it influences your thyroid function. I was experiencing heart palpations, diffuclty breathing while lying down, weight gain. Anna Thomas. I am on NP with an additional Synthroid to balance me out. Alpha Lipoic Acid (ALA) and Thyroid Health: Is it Safe to Use? Foods to Avoid if you Have Thyroid Problems: Ive found that these 10 foods cause the most problems for thyroid patients. How will I know if I am producing my own thyroxine? And Ive become Flat with my emotions now. Difficulty breathing. Yes, absolutely. By looking at markers such as your TSH, free t3, and free t4 you can get an idea as to what is actually going on. Be wary of home-use products, and use recommended professional products for dye, highlights and conditioning.