Hi Justine, your surgeon is doing the right thing, and practicing good medicine. The purpose of the use of Lugols’ Solution given several days before a thyroidectomy, are:
-to reduce the vascularity, which means decrease the over-blood supply of the thyroid
-it firms the thyroid tissues, makes it less boggy
-it shrinks the size of individual cells
-and some other things that advantageous to the surgery.
All of the listed things above result in having a thyroid that is in optimal condition before the thyroidectomy for the surgeon. Basically, it decreases blood loss.
So that is what Lugol’s solution does.
It should be used in the dose and for the time prescribed only. I don’t know anyone who has experienced side effects from taking these drops as prescribed. It is definitely not a drug to mess with, or for a person to decide to take on their own. It is by prescription only. If you would like more information about the drug, go to a drug store and ask to speak to a pharmacist about it.
Since I have had a thyroidectomy, I can tell you that it was a great experience. I was eating the day after the surgery. If you aren’t very hungry, don’t eat much until you are. I did make some soups ahead of time, and they were very welcome. Foods that require a ton of chewing just required the muscles to work more than i wanted them to work1 My throat was sore and tender, mostly the muscles, and that went away in a week or so. My incision is not detectable. When I show it to people, I have to point it out to them, or they don’t see it. It was a great experience.
Keep writing and tell us of your progress and concerns
Shirley
If you go to the search engine above, and type "surgery" or "thyroidectomy" you will hear some more experiences of others on the board.
