Diet taboos after thyroid surgery

During the wound recovery period of 1-3 days after surgery, avoid hot, hard, and highly irritating foods.； Whether to limit iodine depends entirely on the type of pathology and subsequent treatment plan ； Patients taking Euthyrox only need to pay attention to the interval between taking medicine and eating, and the rest of the diet can basically remain the same as before surgery.

Believe it or not, I had previously dealt with a 32-year-old patient who underwent semi-resection for papillary cancer. After the operation, he immediately replaced all the salt and soy sauce at home with iodine-free products. He did not even dare to eat outside, and he never touched a bite of seafood. As a result, the urinary iodine was far lower than the normal level during a follow-up test six months later. The thyroid-stimulating hormone fluctuated high and low. Even after adjusting the medicine for almost three months, the patient did not stabilize. Later, the endocrinologist asked her to switch back to ordinary iodized salt, and occasionally eat some shrimp and shellfish. Within two months, the index stabilized.

When it comes to iodine intake, doctors from different departments do give different suggestions at present, and there is no unified standard answer: most surgeons believe that if the patient has a total thyroidectomy and does not need subsequent iodine 131 ablation treatment, the amount of iodine intake has no impact at all - after all, there is no thyroid tissue to absorb iodine, and a normal diet will be enough.； But endocrinologists will be more cautious. If you have a partial cut and have the underlying disease of Hashimoto's thyroiditis, you must avoid a long-term high-iodine diet, such as eating kelp, seaweed, pickled seafood, etc. Just maintain adequate iodine ； Of course, if you need to undergo iodine 131 treatment in the future, you must strictly reduce iodine, eat iodized salt, and avoid all high-iodine foods 1-2 months before treatment, otherwise the treatment effect will be affected. If you are really unsure, just ask your doctor directly, which is more effective than reading ten popular health sciences.

Let’s talk about the most frequently asked question about “making things”, which is really a common misunderstanding. I have met too many patients who dare not eat eggs, beef, fish and shrimp after surgery because they are afraid that the so-called "fat" will cause wound swelling and cancer recurrence. In fact, there is no concept of "fat" in the Western medicine system. As long as you are not allergic to these foods before, supplementing more high-quality protein after surgery can help the wound heal faster. There used to be an aunt in her 50s who ate plain porridge with pickles for a week after the surgery and said she dared not touch "hairy things". As a result, the wound healed a week slower than those in the same ward, and she was also found to be mildly hypoprotein. Later, the doctor forced her to eat a steamed egg every day and a piece of steamed sea bass every other day. She recovered and was discharged successfully within a few days.

I have to mention the little details in the days just after surgery. Many people eat randomly and mess around as soon as they wake up. You must not eat or drink within 6 hours after general anesthesia. Don't secretly sip water if you feel your mouth is dry, as this may cause you to choke or even suffocate. After waiting for 6 hours, don’t just ask for hot milk tea or hot coffee. My best friend had surgery before. The first thing she asked after waking up was if she could order bubble milk tea. The nurse smiled and said it back. There was a wound on the neck just after the surgery. Hot food will dilate blood vessels and increase the risk of bleeding. It will also cause a sore throat after the operation. The seeds will feel foreign body and painful to swallow. Do not touch hard things such as nuts and biscuits. Drink warm lotus root starch and rice soup first. You can eat soft steamed eggs and rotten noodles the next day. Basically, you can eat normal food after 3 days. If it is really painful, it doesn't matter if you eat soft food for two more days.

Finally, let me mention a point that many people overlook: the small details of eating Euthyrox are actually much more important than the messy taboos. You should take Euthyrox on an empty stomach, and wait at least 30 minutes before eating breakfast after eating. If you like to drink milk, soy milk, or take calcium tablets or stomach medicine in the morning, it is best to wait more than 4 hours. Otherwise, these foods and drugs will affect the absorption of Euthyrox, and the amount of medicine you take will be inaccurate. When the time comes, your thyroid function will be high and low, and you will have to adjust the medicine, which will cause trouble.

In fact, I have met dozens of patients after thyroid surgery, and most of them have fallen into the trap of "excessive food taboos". Either they dare not eat this or that, and have lost ten pounds in half a year, or they eat and drink all they want and then return to the hospital because of sore throat and bleeding wounds right after being discharged. There is really no need to be too anxious. Just remember the general direction: protect your throat and wounds in the short term, ask your doctor in advance if you want to limit iodine, take Euthyrobi and soy milk together, and eat and drink the rest. A good mood is more effective than any dietary taboos.