Sodium Iodide I 131 (Therapeutic)

Precautions After Using This Medicine

There are no special precautions when this medicine is used in very small doses to help study the function of the thyroid. However, if you are receiving sodium iodide I 131 for an overactive thyroid or cancer of the thyroid, your doctor may tell you to follow some or all of these guidelines for 48 to 96 hours after receiving the medicine, to help reduce the chance of contaminating other persons:

• Do not kiss anyone, or handle or use another person's eating or drinking utensils, toothbrush, or bathroom glass .
• Do not have sex .
• Do not sit close to others, especially pregnant women, and do not hold children in your lap for long periods of time .
• Sleep alone.
• Wash the tub and sink after each use (including after brushing teeth) .
• Wash your hands after using or cleaning the toilet .
• Use a separate towel and washcloth.
• Wash your clothes, bed linens, and eating utensils separately.
• Sodium iodide I 131 is passed in the urine. To prevent contamination of your home, flush the toilet twice after you urinate .

To increase the flow of urine and lessen the amount of radioactive iodine in your body, drink plenty of liquids and urinate often.

If you were treated with sodium iodide I 131 for an overactive thyroid, your doctor may want to check the level of thyroid hormone in your blood every 2 to 3 months during the first year, and once a year thereafter. This is to make sure that your thyroid has not become underactive.