After Radioactive iodine treatment, what do I put on travel insurance docs?

[D99333309]

Hi, Can anyone tell me ...

3 years ago I was diagnosed with Grave's Disease, treated with Carbimazole and then in March 2023 I had radioactive iodine treatment. Over the course of 2023 I had repeated blood tests, and now I take daily levothyroxine.

So I assume I am no longer classed as having Grave's.

What do I actually declare on my forms for Travel health insurance?

[RedApple Administrator]

Good question. Maybe make it simple: Hypothyroidism following RAI? But I'm just guessing so hopefully someone more knowledgeable can help.

[pennyannie]

Hello D99333309 and welcome to the forumm :

I have Graves Disease and had RAI thyroid ablation back in 2005 and never thought about medical insurance considering I only travelled to Europe and we had some sort of reciprocal medical insurance in place and considered myself without any health issues though of course taking T4 - levothyroxine.

Graves is an Auto Immune disease that can wax and wane throughout one's life - the only difference now is once hypothyroid and without a thyroid ' to fire up ' you can't become hyperthyroid in the medical sense - though can become wrongly medicated.

Essential that you are dosed and monitored on your Free T3 and Free T4 readings and not a TSH reading :

All things Graves Disease - elaine-moore.com

[Zephyrbear]

Quite honestly, if you are now hypothyroid and being medicated with thyroxine, I wouldn’t put anything about how I got there, especially if it involved anything to do with radioactivity…

[D99333309 in reply to Zephyrbear]

No, I wasn't planning to give any detail, anyway when getting quotes online, you just get drop-down lists of options to choose from. And that was the issue, which of the standard options do I choose, given that clearly I don't have Grave's anymore.

[pennyannie in reply to D99333309]

Graves is an Auto Immune disease and as such there is no cure.

Flipping the patient from hyper to hypo by definitive treatment is somewhat simplistic but that's the system we have in place in this country.

[cbraffe]

Hi,I am in a similar situation, had a thyroidectomy due to graves. I put hypothyroidism as I am on levothyroxine.

[Singingcyclist]

Hi D, I contacted my travel insurance recently and the main issue they are interested in is whether a condition might increase what they can charge you. Might be worth asking your Dr to tell you if you no longer have the diagnosis before talking to your travel insurance company!

[Tlflom]

Either hypothyroid or thyroidectomy. I would probably go with the 1st choice.