An association between radioactive iodine (RAI) therapy for GD and the development or worsening of Graves' orbitopathy (GO) is widely quoted. (also known as Graves’ disease, thyrotoxicosis and overactive thyroid) develops when your thyroid gland produces too much thyroxine, making your body clock run too fast. Additionally, another randomized study of 308 patients showed no difference in general QoL measures, as assessed by SF-36, after ATD or RAI treatment at 4-year follow-up (6). A similar pattern was found in general quality of life measures as assessed with the SF-36 questionnaire, with worse scores in radioactive iodine therapy group compared to the antithyroid drug or surgery groups. The half-life of I131, used in radio-iodine treatment, is 8 days. Because Graves' disease increases your metabolism, your doctor will check your pulse and blood pressure and look for signs of tremor. Severe radiation thyroiditis after radioactive iodine for treatment of Graves’ disease. It's simple enough: 1. Age, sex, and presence of other medical conditions that may affect quality of life were also assessed. There are three main conventional treatment pathways for Graves disease: anti-thyroid drugs (ATDs), surgical removal of the thyroid (Thyroidectomy), and the destruction of the thyroid via radioactive iodine treatment … Thyroid-Related Patient-Reported Outcome questionnaire (ThyPRO): Change In Thyroid Nodule Volume Calculator, Find an Endocrinology – Thyroid Specialist, https://www.thyroid.org/radioactive-iodine/, Personalized Approach to Thyroid Disorders, Clinical Thyroidology for the Public (CTFP). HYPERTHYROIDISM Radioactive iodine So what she really want any of the other 5 massage can increase your immune system. Quality of life was assessed using two different questionnaires at an average of 8 years after the diagnosis of Graves’ disease. I was diagnosed with graves' disease a few months ago and stupidly enough I went through the Radioactive iodne (10 meq) process instead of the antithyroid meds. So after 8 days half of the radiation contained in the original dose will have decayed away (been released), and after another 8 days the residual will be half again. Graves disease, the most common form of hyperthyroidism, occurs most often in women, is treated with radioactive iodine, given as a pill. With thyroid cells getting destroyed by radioactive iodine, one expects relief from hyperthyroidism symptoms. A woman should avoid conceiving for six months, after radioactive iodine treatment.A woman who had radioactive iodine to treat Graves' disease in the past should tell her doctor since your baby will need careful watch for thyroid-related problems which may occur in the later stages of pregnancy. Those with recurrent Graves’ disease were excluded. Among the three treatment groups, patients who received radioactive iodine treatment had worse thyroid-specific quality of life scores than patients treated with antithyroid drugs or surgery. ? THE FULL ARTICLE TITLE: We report a case of GD with the longest time-to-relapse so far published, i.e. Radioactive iodine therapy and antithyroid medications produce similar health-related quality-of-life outcomes in patients with Graves disease. Participants were divided in three groups: (i) patients treated with ATDs only, (ii) patients treated with RAI (with or without previous treatment with ATD), but not surgery, and (iii) patients treated with subtotal or total thyroidectomy (with or without previous treatment with ATD or RAI). A woman should avoid conceiving for six months, after radioactive iodine treatment.A woman who had radioactive iodine to treat Graves' disease in the past should tell her doctor since your baby will need careful watch for thyroid-related problems which may occur in the later stages of pregnancy. Impaired quality of life after radioiodine therapy compared with antithyroid drugs or surgical treatment for Graves’ hyperthyroidism: a long-term follow-up with the Thyroid-Related Patient- Reported Outcome Questionnaire and 36-Item Short Form Health Status Survey. Relapse of Graves' disease 23 years after treatment with radioactive iodine (131I) The use of radioactive iodine (131I) in the treatment of Graves' disease results frequently in hypothyroidism requiring thyroid hormone supplementation. still hyper but picked up 20+kg without changing diet. The authors concluded that, for every 1,000 patients treated with RAI at the age of 50, an estimated lifetime excess of 18 to 31 solid cancer deaths would occur (including 4 to 6 breast cancers), most occurring more than 20 years after treatment with radioactive iodine. It's the rare Graves bird that goes into remission without going hypo. I received the news that I have Graves' disease (besides a long time diabetic diagnosis) at my appointment last week. Studies have shown that having Graves’ disease may have negative impact on patient’s quality of life. Quality of life is worse at 6-10 years after radioactive iodine therapy of Graves’ disease compared with treatment with antithyroid drugs or surgery. Among the three treatment groups, patients who received RAI had worse thyroid-specific QoL scores than patients treated with ATD or surgery, as measured by ThyPRO (score of 27 in RAI group, compared to 21 in the ATD group and 22 in the surgery group). Radioactive Iodine treatment for Graves’ disease – what you should know. Further studies to ascertain this observation would be needed, given the potentially important impact of choosing treatment options for patients with Graves’ disease in routine clinical practice. However, findings of a worse long-term QoL in those treated with RAI, as compared with those treated with ATD or surgery, is in contrast to previous studies. Radioactive Iodine (RAI), I 131 is one of the treatments for Graves’ disease and thyroid cancer. Radioactive iodine treatments and antithyroid drugs are usually effective in slowing down thyroid hormone output, but in some cases surgery is the best approach for Graves' disease. Patients were treated according to usual clinical practice. Ozaki O(1), Ito K, Mimura T, Sugino K, Kitamura Y, Iwabuchi H, Kawano M. Author information: (1)Surgery Branch, … This study had a larger number of participants and a longer duration of follow up than previous studies. You can expect to live a fairly normal life after radioactive iodine treatment but your life will probably not be exactly as it was before your procedure. Relapse of Graves' disease months after … For most people, this means that you can expect to live at 80-90% of your 'normal'. 3. Patients who choose radioactive iodine therapy to treat hyperthyroidism and Graves disease are not at increased risk for developing cancer, say experts. We immediately moved forward to discussing treatment options, and the doctor was quite pushy in his recommendation of radioactive iodine. Overall, patients with treated Graves’ disease had worse thyroid-related quality of life scores than the general population. i have graves disease. 32 years after therapy with RAI. Quality of Life Is Worse at 6-10 Years after Radioactive Iodine Treatment of Graves’ Disease as Compared with Antithyroid Drugs or Surgery Sun Y. Lee Sun Y. Lee Section of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Nutrition; Department of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.A. SUMMARY OF THE STUDY treatment was started They found a nodule and had it biopsied. Age, sex, and presence of comorbidities (presence of diabetes type 1 or 2, vitamin B12 deficiency, rheumatic disease, celiac disease, Addison's disease, vitiligo, psoriasis, sarcoidosis, and other chronic disease) were assessed to adjust for potential confounders. In a change from current practice, the new guidelines of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) recommends that radioiodine should now be first line therapy for Graves’ disease. The RAI group also had worse scores for goiter symptoms, hyperthyroid symptoms, tiredness, anxiety, depression, emotional susceptibility, impaired social life, impaired daily life, and impaired sex life than the ATD and surgery groups. Radioactive iodine: this plays a valuable role in diagnosing and treating thyroid problems since it is taken up only by the thyroid gland. Radioactive iodine is very effective, is safe and rarely causes side-effects. Among the three treatment groups, patients who received radioactive iodine therapy had worse thyroid-specific quality of life scores than patients treated with antithyroid drugs or surgery, as measured by ThyPRO. Patients were assessed at a mean (±SD) of 8±0.9 years after the diagnosis of Graves’ disease. Graves’ disease is typically treated with anti-thyroid medication, radioactive iodine therapy, or surgery. These patients may have had a more prolonged or complicated disease course, which could have contributed to worse QoL measures. It is a very effective treatment for thyroid cancer but what about Graves’ disease. In 2000, I underwent radioactive iodine ablation (RAI) for Grave’s disease. Here are some ways to minimize radiation risks to other people (and pets) after you have had RAI treatment: 1. Radioactive Iodine (RAI), I 131 is one of the treatments for Graves’ disease and thyroid cancer. Overall, patients with treated Graves’ disease had worse scores on thyroid-related QoL measures, as assessed by ThyPRO, than the general population. No Excess Cancer Risk from Radioactive Iodine Treatment in Properly treated hypothyroidism is seen as a much less serious problem than Graves. Radioactive iodine (RAI) therapy is an important treatment option for Graves’ disease (GD), the main side effect of RAI treatment is hypothyroidism, and the factors resulting in hypothyroidism are still controversial. I am not here … 32 years after therapy with RAI. Patients were assessed at an average of 8 years after the diagnosis of Graves’ disease. SF-36 measures general health status, including physical, mental, and social function and well-being. Sleep apart from adults by at least six feet (a separate bedroom is recommended) and avoid sexual activity. In addition, the RAI group had worse scores in hypothyroid symptoms, eye symptoms, and appearance than the ATD group. If these findings are confirmed in other studies in other countries, it would suggest that radioactive iodine therapy may be less desirable in the long term as compared to antithyroid drugs or surgery, Graves’ Disease: https://www.thyroid.org/graves-disease/, Hyperthyroidism (Overactive): https://www.thyroid.org/hyperthyroidism/, Radioactive Iodine: https://www.thyroid.org/radioactive-iodine/, Thyroid Surgery: https://www.thyroid.org/thyroid-surgery/. Patients treated with RAI had worse scores on all SF-36 scales than the ATD group, especially in the areas of general health, role limitations, and social function. July 1, 2019. However, at follow-up only 51% of the 147 patients had normal serum TSH levels, with 44% with low TSH levels and 4% with high TSH levels. Regardless of treatment method, patients with Graves’ disease had worse QoL measures at 6 to 10 years after diagnosis than the general population. However, in the initial weeks of RAI treatment for Graves’ disease, blood thyroid levels actually rise, instead of declining. life after radioactive iodine yan_res Hi, I'm a 29 y/o male. Robyn’s experience with RAI, Graves and a life forever impacted. Home » Patients Portal » Clinical Thyroidology for the Public » April 2019 » Vol 12 Issue 4 p.7-8, CLINICAL THYROIDOLOGY FOR THE PUBLIC Limitations include differences in characteristics in the three groups, especially with regard to age and presence of comorbidities, and the lack of information on serum thyroid-function tests. Background: Autoimmunity against the thyrotropin receptor (TSH-R) is a key pathogenic element in Graves' disease (GD) and the autoimmune aberration may be modified by antithyroid treatment. The half-life of I131, used in radio-iodine treatment, is 8 days. More patients in radioactive iodine therapy group had other medical conditions that may affect quality of life (44%, compared to 29% in the antithyroid drug group and 33% in the surgery group). The proportion with comorbidities was also significantly different among groups; the number of participants with comorbidities were 102 (29%) in the ATD group, 173 (44%) in the RAI group, and 76 (33%) in the surgery group. Effectiveness of radioactive iodine (131I) in the treatment of Graves' disease: single center experience in Assiut University hospital. It is a very effective treatment for thyroid cancer but what about Graves’ disease. From this cohort, 1186 patients with Graves’ disease were recruited for the current study 6 to 10 years after the original diagnosis to assess QoL measures. The dose of radiation used during radioactive iodine treatment is very low, but there are some precautions you'll need to take after treatment: avoid prolonged close contact with children and pregnant women for a few days or weeks women should avoid getting pregnant for at least 6 months men should not father a child for at least 4 months You usually need to take levothyroxine for life after radioactive iodine treatment (RAI) if you have Graves’ disease but not for as long if the cause of the thyroid over-activity is a toxic multinodular goitre or a solitary toxic thyroid 2. Enter your email address below and we will send you your username, If the address matches an existing account you will receive an email with instructions to retrieve your username. BACKGROUND Thyroid-Related Patient-Reported Outcome questionnaire (ThyPRO): a validated questionnaire in determining quality of life in patients with thyroid disorders, A publication of the American Thyroid Association. 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