In preparation for a scan, many patients are asked to go on a low-iodine diet. The point of a low-iodine diet is to deplete the body of its natural stores of iodine which makes the radioactive iodine treatment more effective. The premise is that when the radioactive iodine is administered, the thyroid will "suck" up the iodine because it has been so depleted.
The following is a conglomerate of diet guidelines issued by several doctors who have answered our questions regarding a low-iodine diet. Your doctor might have different guide lines. Please check with him or her first.
The Low-Iodine Diet
Thyroid cancer patients with papillary or follicular thyroid cancer often receive a dose of radioactive iodine (RAI) about two months after their surgery in an attempt to destroy (ablate) any remaining thyroid cells in their bodies.
Most thyroid cancer patients also undergo scans at periodic intervals using a “tracer” dose of RAI. If their scan is not “clean”, they then receive treatment with a larger dose of RAI in an attempt to destroy any remaining thyroid cells in their bodies.
In preparation for a RAI scan or a RAI treatment, patients are usually asked to go on a low-iodine diet. The purpose of a low-iodine diet is to deplete the body of its natural stores of iodine to help make the radioactive iodine treatment more effective. The premise is that when the radioactive iodine is administered, the thyroid cells will “suck” up the iodine because it has been so depleted.
This diet is for a short period. The usual time period is around two weeks or slightly more. The diet usually begins around two weeks before testing and continues through the testing and treatment period. However, recommendations for the time period can vary, depending partly on the individual patient’s circumstances.
The following is a combination of diet guidelines issued from a number of sources, including researchers who have led sessions at ThyCa conferences and workshops and several doctors who have answered our questions regarding low-iodine diet. Your physician may have different guidelines. Please check with your doctor first.
Remember: LOW IODINE has NOTHING TO DO WITH SODIUM. Sodium in any form is OK, as long as it is not provided as IODIZED salt. NON-IODIZED salt is OK for the diet.
During your time on the low-iodine diet, avoid foods high in iodine (over 20 mcg per serving) and limit foods moderate in iodine (5 to 20 mcg per serving). You may freely eat any foods that are low in iodine (up to 5 mcg) per serving. There are lots of foods that you can eat. We will include a list in these guidelines.
