He may be the one with that piece of paper that says he can prescribe and administer that damned pill, but I have a gut feeling hes too cavalier about it all. To help prevent thyroid problems that may cause hair problems, it's important to get sufficient dietary . After Your Radioactive Iodine Treatment Getting home. 4. Here are some ways to minimize radiation risks to other people (and pets) after you have had RAI treatment: Your healthcare provider will give you specific guidelines regarding how long various restrictions should remain in place in order to protect those around you. Ultrasound can also be performed if . I had my RAI 3weeks ago and they did not gave me a pros and con what to expect after. My doctor has changed my meds 5 times I was doing better if my medication was a little on the high sideI had started to lose wait, had more energy & the best ever NO SWEATS, but she said no, WHY! Are you thinking about getting radioactive iodine treatment? So, I have to laugh at your 80 to 90% back to a normal life. #4. Hey! Personally I doubt that what you describe is RAI-related because it is ongoing and (in my experience) reversible and because iodine does not have an obvious connection with hair follicles, whereas thyroid axis hormones . So, I need to have an exercise program, vitamin and minerals that may help, food intake regulated to progress to increasing bone mass and weight loss. Your hair should be colored before a BK treatment. I dont feel like I have gone back hyper after being off my meds for 4 weeks. Just have my RAI 2days ago. 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. Its been a week after who gave me 150 of Synthyroid. I will know more in a few days when he has all the pathology reports back etc. If you are unable to avoid direct or indirect contact with infants and young children, ask your healthcare provider about the possibility of hospitalization. is this a side effect of this proceedure. Im 60 years old, so its not like Ive got a full life ahead of me, not a big deal. Instead of working to actively reduce thyroid function in your body (which is what the treatment for hyperthyroidism is), you may want to start focusing on how to optimize what little thyroid function you have left. Thank You. Iodine is essential for proper function of the thyroid gland, which uses it to make the thyroid hormones. This content is strictly the opinion of Dr. Westin Childs and is for educational and information purposes only. 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. Thank you, I had RAI treatment 21 April 2017 dose was 400 MBq ( United Kingdom) I was diagnosed Graves disease 2008 my thyroid levels wasnt massively high I refused rai treatment 2011 contunie Antithyroid medication treatment almost 8 years ! However, all of these symptoms are also part of the menopause for which I now take HRT. Life has been very difficult as I basically go very few places now and live a life with little social contact. A thyroid scan is a type of nuclear medicine imaging. You're given a drink or capsule that contains iodine and a low dose of radiation, which is . This comes in the form of a simple hormone medication that you can take each and every day to help normalize your thyroid hormone levels. Iodine is found naturally in some foods and is also added to salt that is labeled as "iodized". As I said earlier not everyone will necessarily need thyroid medication after they ablate their thyroid. Pretty much any of the diets listed there will be at least somewhat beneficial. Or longer I had RAI treatment done 10 years ago. By Mary Shomon IM HAVING A HARD ENOUGH TIME WITH WHAT I TAKE NOW! I had RAI in 2010 and was eventually started on a regime of 150 Levothryroxine daily, about 8 weeks post treatment. If you dont have thyroid hormone at all then you risk the chance of coma and death. People may take RAI . Hair follicles, which can influence hair shaft structure, length, and color, are known to respond to hormones including TSH. Family Medicine 59 years experience. can i color my hair after radioactive iodine. Thank you People who do have hyperthyroidism tend to have a fast metabolism, but the treatment for hyperthyroidism (the medication you are taking) slows down the metabolism dramatically which leads to weight gain. 8PM HS snack and VS and glucose readings. Instead, you are now hypothyroid (7) (meaning you dont produce enough thyroid hormone on your own). Will it . I dont have another drs appointment till after the holidays. You wouldnt want to use a steroid on it unless you know what it is. In the mean time, Im feeling worse about myself than with this original post. 08 July, 2011. Yup, the pain and numbness Dx CTS, that was put on the back burner for a while, as it wasnt all that troublesome at the moment. I had never been to endocrinology prior and had no idea about thyroid function. of iodine, and only one is not radioactive (Iodine-127). However, I havent been placed on any med after treatment what is your professional opinion. You get it in liquid or pill form. Here are 4 ways you can get more help right now: #1. I am a former Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (no longer practicing) that now focuses on producing the information you see here while also formulating some of the best supplements on the market (in my HUMBLE opinion) :). The study followed people for 26 years after two or more treatments. In regards to diets that can help, please see this article: https://www.restartmed.com/hypothyroidism-diet/. Use disposable dishes and place them in a specially marked plastic bag for disposal. Thank you for any advice! According to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, infants and children should ideally stay outside the home for the recommended period. Get my free thyroid downloads, resources, and PDFs here. Neck tenderness and swelling. The good news is that you can fairly easily identify these symptoms and you can order tests to determine how well your thyroid is functioning. Reds that lean more violet or pink than red are also your best bet. Doctors use nuclear medicine to diagnose, evaluate, and treat . They said it was Because of this, people may experience symptoms that may lead them to want to restore whatever thyroid function they can. 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. So I have graves disease but was only diagnosed because I was actually gaining weight. If this occurs, it is usually goes away as the body heals. The combination you would want to try if you are post RAI is as follows: Thyroid Daily Essentials 1 packet each day https://www.restartmed.com/product/thyroid-daily-essentials-thyroid-multivitamin/ I know this post is older but I am considering radiation! SHBG :43 (16-55) I welcome Barbara Lougheed, author of the book Tired Thyroid: From Hyper to Hypo to Healing - Breaking the TSH Rule. You usually take radioactive iodine as a capsule that you swallow. 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 know, I know, I shouldnt be so vain. But what if you only destroy 30 to 40% of your gland function? I know I shouldnt be so vain, but honestly I am on this. Lowered heart rate. What can I be looking at regarding weight gain. The relationship between your thyroid to your hair growth aside, iodine . There isnt a specialist in the area of hormone balancing but you can use the resource above to help you find someone who can help you. You probably will not feel sick during this time, but these precautions are in place to prevent you from accidentally harming another person! The amount What medications (if any) will you need to be on? I used to be bubbly, and interactive with people. Graves' disease is an autoimmune disease that leads to overactivity of the thyroid gland (hyperthyroidism). My TSH is very low but my free T3 indicates my body isnt using T3. You can find some tips and tricks on how to find the right type of doctor here: https://www.restartmed.com/thyroid-doctor/. As a result, it isnt uncommon for some patients to suffer from persistent symptoms of hypothyroidism (meaning that they dont have enough thyroid hormone). Because your thyroid has been ablated, you will most likely need thyroid medication for life. Should you expect to live a normal life afterward? A large study found an increase in some cancer types in people who had radioactive iodine treatment for hyperthyroidism compared with the general population. I have expressed my symptoms to the dr and she did a panel revealing my TSH to be 3.687. what is the normal amount of time a person needs to be off thyroid supplemental medication before the radioactive iodine treatment is done? 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 work hard at it. Findings from a study of patients who received radioactive iodine (RAI) treatment for hyperthyroidism show an association between the dose of treatment . I keep telling them that I dont feel so good flaking nails, dry skin, fatigue, weight-loss resistant with brain fog. They do this by either stopping your oral thyroid medication or giving you thyrogen. My question is even though my thyroid is dead, should the T3 and T4 level be tested as well? I had RAI treatment nearly 2 years ago, and deeply regret it. Not to mention the radiation! I saw 2 eye professionals. Thank you! Prior to radioactive iodine treatment, doctors create a hypothyroid state in your body. It is worth pointing out, however, that some other tissues can take up the radioactive iodine such as the beta cells in your pancreas (2) though it isnt clear how much damage exists (if any) in these other cells. If you drive home after your appointment and there's another . If you fit into this category then you may not need to use thyroid medication afterward. I had RAI about 15 years ago and yes I have gained weight, less energy & I sweat a lot(buckets) doing nothing Thanks. I was tested in 6 weeks and my thyroid numbers were still high so I was not tested again until Feb. 2019. More important than how the procedure works is how it will affect you afterward. My weight seems to be of no concern to him as long as my blood work looks okay. These symptoms are not caused by the procedure itself but rather a consequence of the damage of the thyroid gland and the inability of your body to produce thyroid hormone. Can You Eat Soy If You Have a Thyroid Condition? My symptoms include very dry skin, heart problems, severe pain, muscle problems, joint issues, sometimes brain fog, hair is brittle and dry, constipation, stomach issues, basically nothing is right since the treatment. Apply the mixture to your hair and leave it in for 20 minutes. The hardest time I had and have with my diet is getting hospital dietitian to understand that vegan/plant based does not mean fish and chicken are allowed. Radioactive iodine works by taking advantage of the physiology in your body (1). TSH. Please help! If you have questions regarding your health you should seek qualified information from a medical professional or your doctor. This is of particular concern because this can lead to internal uptake with the radioactive iodine then accumulating in their thyroids. I feel more like a ping pong ball being bounced back and forth! Iodine and Hair Loss. It has to do with how important your thyroid is in regulating your metabolism and your weight. Any suggestions? Certain 'hair supplements' should be avoided as they may contain iodine or interfere with levothyroxine . Claim Your Free eBook Now. I was originally on Synthroid for a while and as I got older my body changes and T3 was required for optimal levels. I have my thyroid ablated about 20 so years ago. Need better symptom control? I had a partial thyroidectomy a week ago, (Right lobectomy) With this my Dr. noticed hard bumps in the tissue, and sent to pathology and cancer was found. Here are some ways to minimize radiation risks to other people (and pets) after you have had RAI treatment: Stay at least six feet away from other people, including members of the public, family members, and co-workers, for three to 11 days. My last blood test shows TSH of 0.02 and I have been asked to go for a follow up test. Warm shades on cool undertones can make you look washed out or dull. We know that that still leaves lots of options if your heart isn't already set on a color. I have Graves Disease and lost 40 pounds. Everybody tells me that my thyroid being killed should have nothing to do with the heat affecting me like it does. Gadolinium-based Contrast Material. Yes, absolutely. Its impossible to predict how any one person will react to any given treatment or operation but the available research suggests that those who go into the procedure overweight are more likely to gain weight afterward. These are just a few of the questions that I want to answer in this article. Eat breakfast. So, I ate what I could and left the rest. Many thanks in advance for any help. I am in the military, stationed in Fl. I had RAI treatment 4 weeks ago 29.9 mci due to hyperthyroid hot noduals. My endocrinologist said RAI didnt work I need surgery or second RAI treatment my other hormone results was :FSH 5.3(1.5-12.4)LH:8.8(1.7-8.6) Iodine is also sometimes prescribed as a topical treatment for certain conditions that cause hair loss on the scalp. Some people, however, may have further trouble after their treatment and suffer from weight gain, hypothyroid symptoms, and other issues. What Is a Radioactive Iodine Uptake Test? You might need contrast when you are having an X-ray, CT, MRI, or ultrasound exam. I eat a diet free of inflammatory foods and exercise 3-5 times a week, but I cant get my weight to budge more than 5-10 pounds. I would recommend that you read this article for more info: https://www.restartmed.com/normal-thyroid-levels/. The radiation will pass out of your body through your urine within days. One study looked at 157 people and tracked them both before and after their procedure. It turns out that thyroid hormone is actually necessary to not only thrive in life but also to survive. Your doctor should monitor you for symptoms of hypothyroidism after RAI treatment. Radioactive iodine ( 131 -I) is a radioactive isotope that is administered orally, in a liquid or capsule form. For example, uranium has thirty-seven different isotopes, including uranium-235 and uranium-238. It sounds like you are not being treated adequately. Learn which foods you should avoid if you have thyroid disease of any type. I have AFib and concerned for my heart about going into the obese stage. Its drastically changed my life. You usually have radioactive iodine as a capsule or a drink. ordinary table salt and sea salt. 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. Is it healing and producing its own thyroxine now? Answer (1 of 9): I have direct experience with this question because my wife had radioactive iodine treatment for her thyroid cancer and she was supposed to stay away from me and our parrots for 3 days until the radioactive iodine dissipated from her system. Keep Your Distance. I was put on Levothyroxine 175, then when I met my endocrinologist, by that time TSH levels had dropped some so Levothyroxine down to 137. This is usually put into pill form for patients to ingest. 2 capsules of T3 Conversion Booster daily (important if you take T4 only medication!) Some people may have a feeling of tightness or swelling in their neck for a few days after treatment. 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.) This can delay subsequent use of radioactive iodine (RAI) therapy because the iodine can compete for uptake.