SIDE EFFECTS RADIOACTIVE IODINE

[CASNCAL]

I WAS TREATED TWICE WITH RADIOACTIVE IODINE, I NOW HAVE TWO SIDE EFFECTS, MY SALOVARY GLANDS WERE RUINED AND MY TEAR DUCKS BLOCKED. I WAS TREATED WITH SALAGIN AND EVOCSACK, WITH NO SUCCESS, I HAD RECONSTRUCTIVE SURGERY ON BOTH TEAR DUCKS , ONE WORKED THE OTHE DID NOT. IS THERE ANY NEW MEDICATIONS AVAILABLE FOR THE DRY MOUTH. THANKYOU

[candthecity]

A related discussion, RAI and Sjogren's Disease was started.

[gmav]

It is a defendant side effect.  My Husband had RAI 2 months ago and was strongly advised to drink alot of liquid and eat a slice of lemon every hour to prevent this from happening.

[Mark Lupo, M.D.]

These side effects are seen with I-131 especially in patients treated for thyroid cancer.  I do not know of any new meds for dry mouth -- you may want to do a search on sjogren's (not what you have but a common cause of dry mouth) and see if any creative ideas or treatments come up.

[ancientmariner]

Wow, I had RAI 3+ years ago, and was never told of ANY side effects, nor was I told to drink liquid and eat lemon!
CASNCAL, what you're saying is you had raditaion treatments for Hodgkins, and that caused your thryoid cancer? And they treated the thyroid cancer with more radiation, in the form of RAI? Will that cause cancer somewhere else?

[CASNCAL]

IT WAS A SIDE EFFECT OF RAI, I HAD THYROID CANCER, AS A RESULT OF RADITION TREATMENTS IN 1976 FOR HOTCHKINS.

[mshypo]

wow - is this a side effect of RAI?  or do you have sjorgren's syndrome?