Radioactive iodine I-131 or iodine-131 therapy is an effective method of treating an overactive thyroid gland, commonly known as hyperthyroidism. The main causative effect of hyperthyroidism is Graves disease, which causes the entire thyroid gland to become overactive, increasing in size and causing an excess amount of thyroid hormones.
The principle of iodine therapy 131
The Medical Imaging Division, nuclear medicine uses a small number of substances that are radioactive in nature to diagnose or determine the intensity of countless diseases, such as heart disease, gastrointestinal, neurological or endocrine disorders, cancers and other diseases in order to eliminate their plan. treatment. Since nuclear medicine methods determine the molecular activity occurring within the system, they have sufficient potential to predict the disease and monitor patient progress in accordance with therapeutic interventions.
I-131 or radioactive iodine is an isotope of iodine that emits detectable radiation. When ingested in small doses of I-131, it passes through the bloodstream to the gastrointestinal tract and concentrates in the cells of the thyroid gland, where it begins to act to destroy the overactive thyroid cells.
Who performs therapy?
In addition to a qualified thyroid surgeon and endocrinologist, a radiologist trained in radiology or nuclear medicine, and possibly a radiation safety specialist, is involved in the treatment procedure. While the surgeon and endocrinologist perform the actual procedure and care for the patient’s well-being, the radiation service staff tracks the entire course of treatment at a distance to ensure maximum safety when using radioactive materials such as iodine-131. This therapy does not entitle you to complex equipment or lengthy procedures, as the patient should simply consume the prepared dose of iodine-131 while maintaining complete safety.
Preparation for therapy
Patients are advised not to eat or drink after midnight on the day of therapy. In addition, any anti-thyroid medication should be stopped at least five days before therapy. Several times, to ensure overall efficacy and minimal side effects from therapy, thyroid or medication injections are stopped up to ten days before therapy.
Detailed information about the procedure
Treatment of hyperthyroidism, such as iodine therapy 131, is always carried out on an outpatient basis, since the required dose is rather low and there is no need for sterile conditions or additional equipment. Iodine 131 is consumed in a small single dose, either in a liquid or in the form of a capsule, which passes through the bloodstream in order to be quickly absorbed into the gastrointestinal tract. The treatment begins to produce effects in about three months, with significant benefits occurring up to six months later. A single dose works well enough to cure hyperthyroidism and rarely happens - it is the second or third treatment.
Precautionary measures
Following radioactive iodine therapy, patients are advised to follow several precautions, the most important of which is to completely avoid contact between other people in the family, with particular emphasis on pregnant women and young children. Others are listed below:
· It is recommended to use private toilets, and the patient should rinse it twice after use.
· Disposal of dishes, clothing and other items should be removed in place, separate from others.
· You must sleep alone and avoid intimate contact with people until the first four days of treatment.
· Female patients should avoid pregnancy within the next year after therapy, and nursing mothers should stop breastfeeding several days before therapy completely stops producing milk.
· Pregnant women should refrain from choosing this therapy.
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After taking radioactive iodine, patients experience feelings of pain in the throat area, where the thyroid gland is located. Pain after therapy is similar to that felt in a state of a diseased state and can be relieved without a prescription reliever. Some people undergoing this procedure do not experience any pain, and even if the pain does occur, it disappears within a day or two. In general, the procedure without problems and does not cause damage to patients. They can quickly restore and restore normal actions after therapy.
Side effects
Iodine 131 therapy is very effective in the sense that it does not introduce any permanent or serious side effects to the patient. As long as the rules are followed carefully, this therapy is more likely to lead to positive changes, restoring the normal activity of the thyroid gland. Since radioactive iodine acts by destroying the thyroid gland, the body may be depleted due to the substantial post-therapy of the thyroid hormone. Therefore, patients should resort to the consumption of thyroid tablets to compensate for the decrease in thyroid hormones. However, this is not a permanent phenomenon, and thyroid tablets are cheap.
