rai side effects

[peron]

hello

i was wondering if the rai (radioactive iodine?) has any side effects. is it a pill or an injection? for how long-- i read that you must be in total isolation from others, is this true. what has been your experiences with it? my mothers appointment is on dec 18 with dr to discuss the options etcc we just want to know more questions to ask.





thanks

[utahmomma]

I had my RAI on 15 November.  Like mbfish72, I also had a 100mCi dose.  My dose was in a liquid form that I had to drink through a straw.  My full body scan was done one week later.



The side effects I had (and am still having) were from going off the Synthroid and sending my TSH level extremely high.  I didn't feel the radiation or see any other effects from it other than my skin peeling slightly (hands, feet, around mouth and nose).  The lethargy, body aches, exhaustion, coldness, terrible depression, and deep muscle cramps all hit long before I received the radiation and are still with me although getting better.



I was isolated at home for 5 days following the treatment.  I was able to restart my thyroid medication (double dose) and regular food 24 hours following the large dose of radiation.



Here are some good sites that may help you and your mother prepare for the RAI:  (realize that the protocols at Columbia are very different than the protocols my hospital uses)

http://www.cumc.columbia.edu/dept/thyroid/raiprep.html

http://www.thyca.org/rai.htm#diet



There are a few tricks that I learned throughout the process.  

-Have your mother drinks LOTS of water for 5 days following the dose - she will need to flush the radiation out as quickly as possible to prevent damage to her bladder and water is essential.

- When driving her home from the hospital, have her be as far away from others in the car as possible - preferably in the back seat on the passenger side as far away from the driver as possible and no one else in the vehicle.

- Have some sour candies or lozenges at the house.  A common side effect is the radiation getting "caught" in the salivary glands causing swelling.  Sucking on sour candy helps flush your salivary glands

- RAI can make some people constipated.  It is critical that her intestines flush the radiation out of her system.  You may need to have some laxatives around the house in case this becomes a problem.

- Of course follow the safety protocols - flush the toilet 2-3 times after urinating for the first 3-5 days; wash clothing and bedding separately; use disposable utensils; no lengthy contact with others (more than a few minutes) for the first 3-5 days.



Her doctor (or the hospital) should give her all the protocols necessary and a diet to follow.  If her doctor doesn't, please check out the web sites above for some great information.  Here is also a great cookbook for the low-iodine diet (most patients will have to be on this diet for 3-6 weeks before RAI):  http://www.thyca.org/Cookbook.pdf



Hang in there - RAI seemed really intimidating and frightening to me last month but it's really not that terrible.  I've had friends who have gone through all sorts of cancer treatments (radiation, chemo) for other forms of cancer and I'll take RAI any day of the week over what they have had to deal with!



Keep us posted.

[GravesLady]

I had my RAI 10 years ago for uncontrollable weight loss due to hyperthyroidism.  I had no side effects.



Radioactive iodine treatment has few side effects, and these occur infrequently.

A sore throat may occur a few days after the treatment, which can be treated with acetaminophen.

Rarely, the salivary glands may swell, which is caused by the iodine and not the radioactivity. Some physicians believe that sucking hard candies (sour lemon drops) for a few days can prevent this.

Mild nausea may develop for a few hours after the iodine is taken, so it is best not to eat two hours before and two hours after the iodine administration.

the only effects of the radioiodine (131I) are on your thyroid gland and serious side effects are uncommon.  However if hyperthyroid you migh experience a thyroid storm which is more  exaggerated symptoms of hyper Hyerthroidism. If this happen just let your doctor know.



You will be measurably radioactive after your treatment even when you are allowed to go home. However, the radiation dose rate from you will be very low so exposure of others will be very low. Further, it falls off rapidly with distance; those farther from you receive less radiation exposure. The dose rate also falls off rapidly with time because 131I doesn't remain in the body very long. The total radiation dose to anyone else, even with close, continuous contact, will not cause harmful effects. There is no need for concern about effects on your family, pets, etc., but it is prudent to avoid close, prolonged contact for the first week.



The advice to patients who are going home depends on whether they were treated for hyperthyroidism or thyroid cancer and on how much radioactive iodine was administered. These variables determine how much the patient needs to avoid close contact and for how long. Concerns are heightened if very young children will be present because (1) taking care of a toddler requires longer and closer proximity than for older children, (2) one tends to kiss toddlers and saliva contains radioactive iodine, and (3) toddlers get their hands on everything and their hands go right to their mouths, so internal contamination can be an issue.



General guidelines given to patients who are going home may include the following items:



Arrange to have sole use of a bathroom for two days following treatment.

Avoid public transportation for the first day following treatment.

Limit personal automobile travel with others to only a few hours per day for the first two days following treatment. Keep as much distance as possible between you and other passengers.

Sleep in a separate room for the first two nights following treatment.

Arrange for any pregnant individuals or children less than two years old currently living at your residence to stay at a separate residence for three days following treatment.

Avoid close contact with others by maintaining a distance of 1 meter (approximately three feet) for up to three days following treatment.

Avoid going shopping, to the movies, to restaurants, etc., for the first two days following treatment.

Some precautions are necessary because of the small amount of radiation that emanates from the neck where the RAI is stored for a few days after treatment. While this radiation is beneficial for the person being treated, precautions are needed to reduce the radiation families and friends are exposed to.



Avoid prolonged contact with others, especially children and pregnant women.

In general, a distance of one arm's length should be maintained between the person treated and others who spend more than two hours next to the patient in any 24 hour period. This applies especially to children and pregnant women. While brief contact with a person after treatment is acceptable, sleeping together, watching television, going to movies, long care or plane trips should be avoided for approximately 11 days after the treatment.



Sharing food and utensils, including glasses, bottles, cans of soda, water, beer, etc., should also be avoided. For example, when the treated person is eating an ice cream cone, it should not be licked by anyone else. Dishes and eating utensils should be rinsed before being put with those of the rest of the family. Paper plates and plastic utensils should only be used if they are immediately disposed of outside the home. Cooking is fine, as long as the utensil used to taste the food while cooking is not re-used before rinsing.



Drink lots of liquids, void often, and flush twice.



The treated person should drinks lots of liquids, especially water, to help remove the RAI from the system, flush the toilet twice after using it, and be sure to thoroughly clean up any spilled urine. Laundry need not be washed separately unless the treated person has sweated heavily, such as after exercise.





Surgery generally does not remove all the thyroid tissue, so radioactive iodine (131I) is usually given to destroy any remnant tissue. Because the vast majority of the thyroid was removed, the patient will excrete most of the radioactive iodine in the first day or two after it is administered.



Iodine (131I) used in thyroid treatment might be given in pill form or as a liquid. The choice is an institutional decision based on many factors, part of which is the amount to be given to a patient. Most other radiopharmaceuticals are either injected or inhaled.



Good luck!

[mbfish72]

Hi- I just had RAI done on Nov. 17 and I am still suffering from side effects. I had to have 100millicuries in a capsule because when I had thryoid sugery in June, they found thryoid cancer. I had to be in isolation for 10 days, meaning that I couldn't have any visitors until after the 10 days were up. What many doctors don't tell you is about the side effects of RAI. I have had a headache for 3 weeks now, that just won't go away. For the first 8 days after the treatment all I did was sleep and eat. I mean, I slept 12 hours a night, woke up, had coffee and breakfast, was back in bed within a 1/2 hour and asleep again for a couple of hours. This occurred for about 8 days later. I also had a major complication with the RAI treatment that I wasn't told about prior to my treatment. My throat swelled up to the point that it brought me to the Emergency Room because I couldn't breath. I was put on steroids and then sent home. The swelling went down with in 6 hours and I was fine with my breathing but these are things that the doctors should tell you prior to your treatment. My neck is still sore on the left side, because that is where the rest of the thryoid tissue is located. I also learned this week that the gland that is still in there, will take about 3 months to die off completely. I have had a reaction to my Synthroid, which I was taken off of for 5 days because it gave me rapid heart beats and hard ones. I don't believe that medication was the problem because I still have the heart problems, which are new since the RAI treatment. I will be talking with my doctor tomorrow to find out the results of the full RAI body scan to see the leftover RAI and where its located. I wish your mother the best of luck.

[paula813]

I had radiation for thyroid