Hi, Audrey:
If you take radioactive iodine, there will be a short period of time in which your neck (where the thyroid has collected the iodine) and your urine and sweat (by which your body excretes excess RAI) are giving off some radiation to the surrounding environment. Children (in utero ones, too) and small animals are more vulnerable to radiation than adults, so it is advised that we avoid them for a week or so. That does not mean isolating yourself utterly, but it does mean not picking them up, holding them against your chest, etc. By and large, this is a safety precaution (like wearing a lead apron to get a dental xray if you are in child-bearing years) to minimize their lifetime exposure to radiation, and not a reflection of how much harm the amount of radiation you might be giving off could do them right now. (Radiation exposure is cumulative over a lifetime.)
And you have to be patient with the PTU. It does not work instantly to control your hyperthyroidism. The thyroid has the ability to store both iodine and thyroid hormone. The PTU interferes with the thyroid’s ability to take up NEW iodine. So, until your body has used up the reserves already there, you will not see the results of taking the drug.
I hope this helps.
Bobbi — Bobbi1436@AOL.com
