To successfully conceive, one must have a healthy body. For women with hyperthyroidism who are preparing for pregnancy, it is necessary to treat hyperthyroidism first, otherwise it will affect pregnancy. The current common method for treating hyperthyroidism is iodine-131 treatment. So, how long after iodine-131 treatment can pregnancy occur?
After treatment with iodine-131, it takes about six months to conceive. This is because iodine-131 is a radioactive isotope, and after 6 months, this radioactive substance has reached its half-life. At this time, the patient's thyroid function is relatively stable, so it is more suitable to conceive at this time.
Iodine-131 treatment can effectively adjust thyroid function. Many female friends are afraid that iodine-131 treatment will affect fertility. In fact, there is no medical evidence to prove that this treatment method will cause infertility or increase the incidence of neonatal defects. Therefore, iodine-131 treatment is safe and helpful for fertility because it can adjust thyroid function.
After pregnancy, iodine-131 treatment cannot be carried out anymore because iodine-131 can accumulate in the mother's bladder and irradiate the fetus in the abdomen, causing hypothyroidism in the fetus or newborn. In addition, iodine-131 treatment should not be performed during lactation as it can enter the baby's body through breast milk and have adverse effects.
