Connect
Pluvicto safety for others and geiger counter
Hi,
Worried about being around my husband after Pluvicto.
What kind of Geiger counter do I need to see where I am safe?
We sleep in separate bedrooms, but my head is only 1 foot away in the other bedroom from the end of his feet. Too hard to move the beds and too difficult for either of us to sleep on the couch...
Thought I would get a Geiger counter but not sure what kind to buy?
Any advice?
Like
Helpful
HugInterested in more discussions like this? Go to the Prostate Cancer Support Group.
Connect
You don’t need a Geiger counter. These are the instructions Mayo gives to their patients, A lot less rigorous than you are thinking.
Someone posted these instructions they received at Mayo Rochester from the team that gave my husband Pluvicto. Here they are:
For three days: drink at least eight glasses or water or other non-alcoholic liquid each day.
For one day: use separate bathrooms when possible.
Males should sit while using the toilet to prevent splashing of urine.
Clean up spilled urine yourself. Wipe with damp toilet tissue and flush down the toilet. Flush twice, and close lid if applicable.
Contact with children under 10: For one day,
Do not be closer than arms' length for an extended period of time.
Contact with pregnant women:
For two days, sleep in separate bed from your partner if they are pregnant.
It is safe to share a bed with a person who is not pregnant or under 10 years old
You may travel home by car or plane immediately after treatment.
You may stay in a hotel the night of treatment.
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
1 Reaction@jeffmarc
Thanks Jeff..
But...you do need to sleep at least 6 feet apart, and I didn't know this stuff can pass through walls!
@cal77
Hi Cal77, I understand your concern. Radiation can go through anything (except lead sheeting) BUT your husband is not X-ray machine so his emission is not that strong and is mostly contained in fluids (urine, saliva , blood). If you had concrete wall between the 2 of you there would be no concern for sleeping arrangements but in the USA most walls are basically cardboard.
Is it possible to move your bed from that wall temporarily or can you sleep on a sofa in living room for time being ? If not, than orient yourself in a way that your feet are near the wall and not your head.
@cal77 Please do not make this harder on yourselves by listening to instructions which are overkill. You do NOT need a Geiger counter, nor do you need to worry about the radiation passing through walls, or sleep 6 feet apart unless you are pregnant, or isolate your husband during treatment. My husband had Pluvicto throughout 2024 at Mayo Rochester and got the instructions posted above by Jeff. We followed them and have had no effects from the radiation.
@cal77
I’ve heard some centers are saying that. Close contact 1 m for three days and sleeping in a separate bedroom is recommended.
With a king size bed that is 76 inches wide staying 36” apart would not be difficult.
Then I’ve heard European doctors being less restrictive and the Mayo information that somebody posted that they were told. I sure wish somebody from Mayo would comment on that.
It is generally considered safe to sleep in an adjacent room with a shared wall for the majority of people (adults) after a Pluvicto (lutetium Lu 177) treatment. While the patient is radioactive and emits radiation that can penetrate thin walls, standard home construction (drywall, studs, insulation) combined with distance provides sufficient shielding.