how to clean up after radioactive iodine treatment

How to Clean After Radioactive Iodine Treatment.

• 1. Your bodily fluids will shed radioactive material. When you use a tissue, put it in the toilet to flush. Similarly, when you brush your teeth, spit ...
• 2. Flushing the toilet twice ensures the radioiodine goes down the drain. Put the lid down to flush.
• 3. Wipe any urine off the toilet seat after you go to the bathroom. [3] I. If you spill urine or vomit, clean up the area with toilet paper and a ...
• 4. Scrub for at least 20 seconds before rinsing. After you go to the bathroom, soap up and scrub your hands thoroughly, as you'll be passing the most ...

Full Answer

How do you get rid of excess radioactive iodine in urine?

Drinking fluids and sucking candy: • Most of the extra radioactive iodine is eliminated in your urine. It is important to drink fluids after your treatment and for the next 2 days. This lowers the amount of radiation exposure to your bladder.

What can I expect to live after radioactive iodine treatment?

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. For most people, this means that you can expect to live at 80-90% of your 'normal'.

Is radioactive iodine treatment an inpatient or outpatient procedure?

Ana Maria Kausel, MD, is a double board-certified endocrinologist affiliated with Mount Sinai St. Luke's/Mount Sinai West in New York City. If radioactive iodine treatment (RAI) is recommended as part of your treatment for Graves’ disease, hyperthyroidism, or thyroid cancer, you will most likely be given it as an outpatient.

Why does radioactive iodine not destroy other cells in the body?

Because your thyroid gland concentrates and stores iodine in your body. So when you take radioactive iodine your body will automatically take it up and store it in the thyroid gland. This keeps the radioactivity from destroying other cells in your body and only allows for the destruction of your thyroid gland.

How do you clean your house after radioactive iodine?

The iodine-131 will wash out in the laundry. Vacuuming will pick up hair that is shed, which will have small amounts of radioactivity in it since our heads also sweat. The conservative approach would be to cover the chair with a sheet.

How long does radioactive iodine last on surfaces?

With respect to your question on how does the radioactivity ever go away, all of the radioiodine (no matter where it is or how often it gets moved around) continuously decays at a rate such that half of it goes away every eight days.

How do you wash clothes after radioactive iodine treatment?

Personal clothing, sheets, bedding, washcloths, and towels should be collected and washed separately for the first 48 hours. After washing, run the washing machine through an extra wash cycle to clear out any residual radioiodine before using it for others.

How long do you have to be isolated after radioactive iodine?

You are also required to self isolate for 7 days after your radioiodine treatment in order to minimise the risk of contracting COVID-19 whilst there is still a large amount of radioactivity in your body. A small proportion of people with COVID-19 may become very unwell and require admission to hospital.

Does washing clothes get rid of radiation?

You can shed 85-95 percent of the radiation on your body just through the removal of outer clothing and a decontamination shower.

Can you wash radiation off clothes?

Any radioactive material that gets into surface water or ground water sources will be diluted to very low levels by the water and will be safe to use for washing skin, hair, and clothing.

What happens if you are exposed to someone with radioactive iodine?

If too much radioactive iodine enters your body, the radioactive iodine will destroy your thyroid gland so that the gland will stop making hormones. Too much radioactive iodine in your body can also cause thyroid nodules or cancer.

Does bleach clean radiation?

A common mistake of many patients is to use regular toilet cleaners and/or bleach and think that they are cleaning the radioactive iodine. Unfortunately, this is not the case. Bleach and other harsh household cleaners can cause the radioactive iodine to become gaseous and spread over a larger area.

Can I be around my child after radioactive iodine treatment?

RAI therapy does use a radioactive drug, but if the patient follows instructions provided by the doctor, RAI is considered safe for the family of the patient and ultimately for members of the public.

Is it safe to be around someone after radioactive iodine treatment?

Keep Your Distance Here are some ways to minimize radiation risks to other people (and pets) after you have had RAI treatment: Stay at least six feet away from other people, including members of the public, family members, and co-workers, for three to 11 days.

Can I be around someone who had radiation?

The radiation travels a very short distance, so the effects are mostly to the tumor. However, you may have to limit contact with other people for up to one week after treatment. It is especially important to avoid close contact with children and women who are pregnant.

Does radiation treatment affect family members?

Any radiation therapy that is transient, including external beam radiation or brachytherapy that is removed, poses no risk to family members. For these types of therapy, patients are exposed to radiation only during active treatment, and radiation is not carried on the patient's body.

Does radiation live on surfaces?

Radioactive contamination occurs when radioactive material is deposited on or in an object or a person. Radioactive materials released into the environment can cause air, water, surfaces, soil, plants, buildings, people, or animals to become contaminated.

Is it safe to be around someone after radioactive iodine treatment?

Keep Your Distance Here are some ways to minimize radiation risks to other people (and pets) after you have had RAI treatment: Stay at least six feet away from other people, including members of the public, family members, and co-workers, for three to 11 days.

What happens if you are exposed to someone with radioactive iodine?

If too much radioactive iodine enters your body, the radioactive iodine will destroy your thyroid gland so that the gland will stop making hormones. Too much radioactive iodine in your body can also cause thyroid nodules or cancer.

Can I be around my dog after radioactive iodine treatment?

There is no need for concern about effects on your family, pets, etc., but it is still prudent to avoid close, prolonged contact for the first week. The advice to patients who are going home depends on whether they were treated for hyperthyroidism or thyroid cancer and on how much radioactive iodine was administered.

How to clean a rai?

RAI is water soluble, so you just need to clean well with water and probably some soap. There is a product called Scrubbing Bubbles, which has been recommended here by a radiation nurse, but you must be sure that it does not contain bleach. Buy the plain kind. Clean the tub/shower, including the walls and shower curtain. Rinse well. Same for the toilet (no bleach), rim and under the seat, the bathroom countertops, sink and floor. Rinse very well and dispose properly of your toothbrush after 5-6 days. I used a large sponge for most of this and threw it out with the toothbrush after rinsing very thoroughly. Launder your sheets, mattress pad and pillow cases, along with your towels and wash cloths, on a full cycle and then run them through an extra rinse cycle. I hope your treatment was very successful.

How does RAI leave your body?

Report. Keep in mind that the RAI leaves your body through sweat, urine, etc. if you've had a barrier between your body and the couch, , like sheets and a blanket, or a sleeping bag, you only need to wash the sheets and blanket.

Can you recontaminate yourself?

You can't recontaminate yourself. Other radioactive waste, like your toothbrush and cleanup items like wipes, sponges, etc., also need to be held in a safe place (attic, shed, etc.) before disposal. This discussion is closed to comments. To start a new discussion in this community, please click here.

How to avoid radiation?

Here are some ways to minimize radiation risks to other people (and pets) after you have had RAI treatment: 1 Stay at least six feet away from other people, including members of the public, family members, and co-workers, for three to 11 days. This means avoiding public transportation, hotels, carpools, and in some cases, your workplace. 2 Sleep apart from adults by at least six feet (a separate bedroom is recommended) and avoid sexual activity. 3 Avoid sleeping in the same bed with a pregnant woman, infant, or child for a period of six to 23 days. According to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, infants and children should ideally stay outside the home for the recommended period. 1  4 To protect family pets, do not sleep with them for up to 21 days.

How to minimize radiation risks?

Keep Your Distance. Here are some ways to minimize radiation risks to other people (and pets) after you have had RAI treatment: Stay at least six feet away from other people, including members of the public, family members, and co-workers, for three to 11 days. This means avoiding public transportation, hotels, carpools, and in some cases, ...

What to do before RAI treatment?

Before you or any family members have RAI treatment, it is strongly recommended that you read up on post-RAI guidelines and speak with your healthcare providers about how they should be applied to you .

Is iodine used for Graves disease?

If radioactive iodine treatment (RAI) is recommended as part of your treatment for Graves’ disease, hyperthy roidism, or thyroid cancer, you will most likely be given it as an outpatient. Because the radioactive iodine used (known as iodine 131) may expose those around you to the effects of radiation (and theoretically negatively affect their thyroid glands), you will be given guidelines on how to prevent such exposure.

Can you take iodine 131 with pets?

The following recommendations will give you an idea of precautions to take to avoid exposing other people (as well as pets) to iodine 131, which may be present in bodily fluids or occur as a result of close contact. The recommended timeframes are based on the size of the dosage you are receiving, so discuss the specifics with your healthcare provider prior to treatment.

Does iodine affect thyroid?

Because the radioactive iodine used (known as iodine 131) may expose those around you to the effects of radiation (and theoretically negatively affect their thyroid glands), you will be given guidelines on how to prevent such exposure. Laura Porter / Verywell.

Does Verywell Health use peer reviewed sources?

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Why do people get radioactive iodine?

Most people who get radioactive iodine treatment do so because they are considered to be hyperthyroid ( sometimes people get RAI for thyroid cancer (5) but most people get it for hyperthyroidism).

What is radioactive iodine used for?

Radioactive iodine is a procedure that is often used to treat hyperthyroidism.

How long does iodine affect sperm count?

Important to men is the fact that radioactive iodine can cause short-term reductions in sperm count for up to 2 years after your procedure (8).

How long can you live after iodine treatment?

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. For most people, this means that you can expect to live at 80-90% of your 'normal'.

How long does it take for a RAI to fade?

The good news is that this radioactivity does fade over a short period of time (usually 5 to 7 days) but the bad news is that you need to stay under certain precautions during this time.

What happens if your thyroid is destroyed?

Once your thyroid is destroyed, it will no longer work exactly as it used to.

What happens if you destroy your thyroid gland?

And, if you destroy your thyroid gland, it turns out that that may have consequences on your metabolism. Anectodally, you've probably already heard stories about people gaining weight after their procedure.

How to stay in isolation?

Just because you have to be in isolation, does not mean you have to stay inside 4 walls. Go for a walk. Get some sunshine. Breathe fresh air. Be cautious in staying away from people, obviously. But going outdoors can be a real boost.

Do you need to put others first during radiation?

Other than being careful not to expose others to radiation, you do not need to put others first during this time. What to do I mean?

Can you eat gummy bears on a low iodine diet?

It can be hard to indulge on the low iodine diet, but you can do it. I got a giant bag of gummy bears and ate the whole thing. I binge watched Jane Austen movies.

Is radioactive iodine treatment hard?

Radioactive iodine treatment isolation is hard. You don’t feel well, are tired, and are lonely. The low iodine diet makes eating challenging. The world is still reeling from your surgery and cancer diagnosis in the first place. The treatment itself can have unpleasant side effects.

How long after iodine is taken to go away?

After the first two days post-administration, 98% of the iodine will be gone and you can begin to ease up on these instructions. However, many providers will recommend that you try to keep it up for the first week post-administration, just to be overly cautious.

How long does it take for iodine to be excreted?

Excretion is so rapid that as long as you have reasonable kidney function, 50% of the administered iodine is gone within eight hours. Another 50% of the remaining circulating iodine is excreted during the second eight hours and so on.

What percentage of iodine is fixed in thyroid?

The remaining 1.6% of the iodine at this point is primarily fixed in any residual thyroid tissues and no longer circulating. It's this residual fixed iodine that achieves the therapeutic effect of the treatment. You should first understand that you don't need to place yourself in an isolation room.

How does radioiodine work?

In short, radioiodine is administered as a salt pill or solution. Instead of being normal salt, sodium chloride (NaCl), it is sodium iodide (NaI). Once you swallow the treatment dose, iodine-131 ( 131 I) is rapidly absorbed into the circulation.

How long should you wash your clothes after a radioactive reaction?

Personal clothing, sheets, bedding, washcloths, and towels should be collected and washed separately for the first 48 hours. After washing, run the washing machine through an extra wash cycle to clear out any residual radioiodine before using it for others.

How long should you sleep with radioiodine?

You should also make separate sleeping arrangements for the first 48 hours to maintain this distance. Since the radioiodine is administered as a salt, is can pass through the skin barrier with perspiration, so you shouldn't exercise or swim in pools during the first 48 hours.

How far away should you be from family during radioiodine?

You should try to keep all family and friends during this period at least one meter (three feet) away and do not have direct physical contact, especially intimate contact, like kissing or hand holding where radioiodine could be passed onto others.