How Long Does It Take to Feel Better After Radioiodine?
Your symptoms should begin to improve by one month after treatment and the full effect is often complete by three months. Sometimes, the treatment will need to be repeated. This happens in about 10-20% of patients. Sometimes too much radioiodine is given and a low thyroid state (hypothyroidism) can occur. This also occurs in 10-20% of patients in the first year. This is easy to safely treat. Is Radioiodine Treatment Safe? This treatment has been used for over 60 years and is a safe and effective method of treating patients with hyperthyroidism. You may have concerns about treatment with radioactivity and the chances of getting leukemia or thyroid cancer. All studies which have been done to date show no increased risk of these cancers with this treatment. A very rare effect of radioiodine or surgical therapy, called thyroid storm, may occur within the first week after treatment. This can happen if there is a sudden release of a large amount of hormone from the thyroid gland. This will p
