Radioactive Iodine Scan And Treatment Preparation
The thyroid gland is the only gland or organ that absorbs iodine. This makes it safe to use radioactive iodine (RAI) in treating thyroid diseases, such as Graves' and thyroid cancer. RAI is an effective method to test the thyroid gland's function and to see if there are any thyroid cells remaining in the body that may cause a recurrence of thyroid cancer.
To make the procedure of the treatment effective there is a protocol that has to be followed to insure accuracy. By following the regime maximum uptake will occur in any remaining normal thyroid tissue or metastatic thyroid cancer. The protocol also includes what precautions you have to adhere to for public safety.
The day you are to have a RAI scan you will be given a radioactive iodine pill, allowing the remaining tissues to absorb the substance. If you are pregnant or breast feeding, tell your doctor.
If you are receiving the RAI to destroy cancerous thyroid tissue you will receive a larger dose and will require to be in isolation. This could be in a special hospital room or in some cases when criteria is met you may be allowed to follow an isolation protocol at home.
Preparation for Radioactive iodine treatment
Six weeks before your scan or treatment you will have to discontinue your thyroid hormone replacement medication. You will be prescribed Cytomel as a replacement. Cytomel is a short-acting thyroid hormone that will help decrease the amount of time that you must be hypothyroid. Your body must go into a hypothyroid state in order to trick you brain into producing more of its thyroid stimulating hormone in an attempt to increase the thyroid hormone levels in the bloodstream. Because iodine is required to make thyroid hormones this increase causes a most efficient concentration of iodine by the thyroid tissue.
Two weeks before the scan or treatment you will have to discontinue the Cytomel. This period of time is required to eliminate this short acting form of thyroid hormone. By stopping this medication you will go into a full "hypothyroid" state and will result in some unpleasant symptoms.
One week before the scan or treatment you will have to begin a low iodine diet and continue this diet until the treatment is complete. This protocol has to be followed so our bodies do not receive the iodine it requires from the foods we ingest making it starving for iodine and absorb the RAI more efficiently. Make sure you read all labels on food products because in the modern world if it contains salt it will contain iodine. You do not have to restrict salt if it is a NON-iodized salt. Two of the common high iodine sources are seafood and vitamins.
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