[Anonymous]

#1027508

i am on a low iodine diet and have graves for three years the meds worked for at first but now i am going to have outher tretment. the list of food i can eat is very basic i cant live on ricecakes inc where can i get more info?

[Anonymous]

#1097234

I had my RAI this morning, and my endo’s assistant gave me a large packet of info regarding this disease. The cardiologist told me to avoid seafood for one week — that’s all. Haven’t seen anything on the message board about a low iodine diet. I’m completely confused about this — please help straighten out my thinking.

Thanks.

[Anonymous]

#1097235

The doctor wants your thyroid to absorb as much of the Radioactive Iodine as it can. Seafood is high in iodine. So if you eat it the iodine in the seefood will take the place of the radioactive iodine and what is not absorbed is excreted through your urine, salava and sweat glands.

It just gives the RAI a better chance to get soaked up into your thyroid.

We are only a click away.

Jake
On-line Facilitator
Co-Author “Graves’ Disease In Our Own Words”

[Anonymous]

#1097236

HI all-

Did you have to go on a low iodine diet before your ablation? Just curious the dr wants me to do this 1 wk before the ablation but did not really tell me why. I had not heard of this yet and it seems like there is alot i cannot eat. The diet says all dairy products and only 5oz of meat a day. Also it says to only eat fresh fruits and veggies which I happen to be allergic to. What would happen if I messed this up some how? Anything? Thanks all

[Anonymous]

#1097237

HI there. My endo didn’t tell me to do that except to cut out iodized salt since there is much more in that than other items. I wasn’t limited, but that is just me.
Kim

[Anonymous]

#1097238

Hi standingfirm,

I have heard of doctors recommending a low-iodine diet before RAI, and I believe the rationale goes like this: if you take in less iodine prior to the RAI, your thyroid will literally be “starved” for iodine, so it will take up even more of the RAI and you will have a better chance at success, or you can theoretically take a smaller dose. I’m unaware of any empirical data to support that, and I’ve only heard of a rather small percentage of people who’ve been advised to do low-iodine. Bottom line, it can’t hurt you to do it. I would suggest a frank discussion either with your doctor or with your doctor’s staff (a knowledgeable nurse) in order to explore “what could happen if I don’t follow every instruction?”

Wishing you luck!

~Ski
NGDF Assistant Online Facilitator

[Anonymous]

#1097239

Ok so I did some researching and found that i need to go on a low iodine diet which to me seems like I can eat nothing. Just wondering why it is necessary if we are hyper? Im thinking my thyroid loves iodine and it doesn’t matter if i starve it or not. I had a very high uptake to begin with. Just a thought.

[Anonymous]

#1097240

You might try to find out from your doctor, what specific recommendations you were given. If you cannot connect, the main thing you would need to do (at a minimum) is to avoid foods that are extremely high in iodine content (typically seafood, shellfish, seaweed, etc.) It might be that your doctor gave you different guidelines, but those were the ones given to me. The goal is to keep
space open inside the thyroid for the radioactive iodine to enter. If you have been eating a lot of high-iodine content foods, your thyroid might be jammed with THAT iodine leaving little to no room for the treatment iodine to get in and work.

As for “hiding” from the kids — you do not necessarily need to do that. Prior to your RAI, tell the nuclear medical doctor the ages of your children, and ask what precautions they recommend. It might be perfectly fine for you to be in the same room with them.

Good luck with the RAI.

Bobbi — NGDF Online Facilitator

[Anonymous]

#1097241

Thanks Bobbie

For some reason I am the type of person that needs to know WHY I am being told to do something, and now that you have explained it to me I am very happy to do the diet. So thanks alot.

Renee

[Author]

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