The I-131 capsule will only be taken up if the body is hypothyroid. Thus, patients come off the Thyroxine that they were on after their thyroid was chopped out for the cancer.
Unfortunately, apart from the residual thyroid cells, other cells take up the iodine too and this is why the patient suffers:
- salivary and lymph glands === sore mouth and throat
- bone marrow === neutropaenia
- gonads === temporary male infertility
- stomach === nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain
These effects can be minimized by drinking and urinating frequently, and chewing gum.
The iodine is excreted, like all minerals in sweat, and this is why everything that is in the room that you wear and use will be taken away by nuclear medicine staff when the treatment is finished.
It is a hard thing to go through becaue for the first 24 hours there is complete isolation. After that visitors are allowed to come but must stay 2 metres away and not for more than 10 minutes.
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