Radioactive Iodine Treatment: What to Expect Afterward
Radioactive iodine treatment is a medical treatment used to destroy your thyroid gland.
It's used to treat conditions such as hyperthyroidism to help reduce the amount of thyroid hormone that your body produces.
As you can imagine, destroying your thyroid gland does come with some consequences. I want to talk about those consequences and what you should expect if you get this procedure done.
6 Things to expect after Radioactive iodine treatment:
#1. You are going to be radioactive.
- Yes! It is true. You will be radioactive for about 5-7 days after your procedure which means you shouldn't be close to other people for that time. You can't kiss others, prepare food for others, share a toilet, and so on. This fades in about 5-7 days so don't let it freak you out.
#2. You may gain weight.
- This is another big one. There is about a 30% chance that you will gain weight after your procedure. Studies have tested and looked at people who undergo RAI and they have found that those who are overweight before their procedure tend to gain more weight than those who are not. Just be aware that this may happen to you.
#3. You will need to (most likely) be on medication
- And by medication, I am referring to thyroid hormone. Thyroid hormone (such as levothyroxine or Synthroid) is required after your procedure because of the damage done to your thyroid gland. Not everyone will need to be on medication afterward, but the vast majority will.
#4. You may experience other thyroid symptoms
- You might also experience other symptoms such as fatigue, depression, hair loss, and cold body temperatures. These symptoms stem from a lack of sufficient treatment by thyroid hormone and you should watch out for them!
#5. You should consider yourself "hypothyroid"
- This is a subtle but important point. After your procedure, you will be considered hypothyroid, even if you were hyperthyroid BEFORE your procedure. When you destroy your thyroid gland your body can no longer produce thyroid hormone and your diagnosis should change as well.
#6. Men may have short-term infertility afterward
- If you are a man then you should know that you may suffer from reduced sperm counts for 2 years after your procedure. You can still bank your sperm before your procedure, though, so don't let it stop you from getting the procedure if necessary.
Recommended thyroid supplements to enhance thyroid function:
- For thyroid hormone production and conversion: https://www.restartmed.com/product/thyroid-adrenal-reset-complex/ + https://www.restartmed.com/product/t3-conversion-booster/
- For hair loss: https://www.restartmed.com/product/thyroid-hair-regrowth-complex/
- For weight management: https://www.restartmed.com/product/gut-bomb-350-billion/ + https://www.restartmed.com/product/functional-fuel-complete/
- For gut health: https://www.restartmed.com/product/ultra-biotic-x100/
- For energy and adrenal health: https://www.restartmed.com/product/thyroid-adrenal-reset-complex/ + https://www.restartmed.com/product/power-b-complex/
I'm Dr. Westin Childs and I focus on thyroid health, hormone balance, and weight loss. I write about thyroid disorders, weight loss, insulin resistance, estrogen/progesterone balance on my blog. I truly believe that hormone balance is the key to managing your weight, your mood and your quality of life which is why I'm so passionate about it.
You can find more general information on my site here:
https://www.restartmed.com/
If you enjoyed this video please subscribe on youtube or leave a comment on my podcast here: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/dr-westin-childs-podcast-thyroid-weight-loss-hormones/id1141207688?mt=2
This video is not intended to be used as medical advice. If you have questions about your health please consult your physician or primary care provider. Dr. Westin Childs goes to great lengths to produce high-quality content but this is NOT a substitute for medical care.
It's used to treat conditions such as hyperthyroidism to help reduce the amount of thyroid hormone that your body produces.
As you can imagine, destroying your thyroid gland does come with some consequences. I want to talk about those consequences and what you should expect if you get this procedure done.
6 Things to expect after Radioactive iodine treatment:
#1. You are going to be radioactive.
- Yes! It is true. You will be radioactive for about 5-7 days after your procedure which means you shouldn't be close to other people for that time. You can't kiss others, prepare food for others, share a toilet, and so on. This fades in about 5-7 days so don't let it freak you out.
#2. You may gain weight.
- This is another big one. There is about a 30% chance that you will gain weight after your procedure. Studies have tested and looked at people who undergo RAI and they have found that those who are overweight before their procedure tend to gain more weight than those who are not. Just be aware that this may happen to you.
#3. You will need to (most likely) be on medication
- And by medication, I am referring to thyroid hormone. Thyroid hormone (such as levothyroxine or Synthroid) is required after your procedure because of the damage done to your thyroid gland. Not everyone will need to be on medication afterward, but the vast majority will.
#4. You may experience other thyroid symptoms
- You might also experience other symptoms such as fatigue, depression, hair loss, and cold body temperatures. These symptoms stem from a lack of sufficient treatment by thyroid hormone and you should watch out for them!
#5. You should consider yourself "hypothyroid"
- This is a subtle but important point. After your procedure, you will be considered hypothyroid, even if you were hyperthyroid BEFORE your procedure. When you destroy your thyroid gland your body can no longer produce thyroid hormone and your diagnosis should change as well.
#6. Men may have short-term infertility afterward
- If you are a man then you should know that you may suffer from reduced sperm counts for 2 years after your procedure. You can still bank your sperm before your procedure, though, so don't let it stop you from getting the procedure if necessary.
Recommended thyroid supplements to enhance thyroid function:
- For thyroid hormone production and conversion: https://www.restartmed.com/product/thyroid-adrenal-reset-complex/ + https://www.restartmed.com/product/t3-conversion-booster/
- For hair loss: https://www.restartmed.com/product/thyroid-hair-regrowth-complex/
- For weight management: https://www.restartmed.com/product/gut-bomb-350-billion/ + https://www.restartmed.com/product/functional-fuel-complete/
- For gut health: https://www.restartmed.com/product/ultra-biotic-x100/
- For energy and adrenal health: https://www.restartmed.com/product/thyroid-adrenal-reset-complex/ + https://www.restartmed.com/product/power-b-complex/
I'm Dr. Westin Childs and I focus on thyroid health, hormone balance, and weight loss. I write about thyroid disorders, weight loss, insulin resistance, estrogen/progesterone balance on my blog. I truly believe that hormone balance is the key to managing your weight, your mood and your quality of life which is why I'm so passionate about it.
You can find more general information on my site here:
https://www.restartmed.com/
If you enjoyed this video please subscribe on youtube or leave a comment on my podcast here: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/dr-westin-childs-podcast-thyroid-weight-loss-hormones/id1141207688?mt=2
This video is not intended to be used as medical advice. If you have questions about your health please consult your physician or primary care provider. Dr. Westin Childs goes to great lengths to produce high-quality content but this is NOT a substitute for medical care.
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