potassium iodine info that was passed to me

[Guest guest]

Here is the text of an article my iodine supplier sent. You may or may not find

it interesting:

DO NOT SUPPLEMENT POTASSIUM IODIDE OR FREE IODINE UNLESS DIRECTED TO DO SO BY

EMERGENCY AUTHORITIES OR MEDICAL PERSONNEL. USE YOUR BEST JUDGMENT IF YOU ARE IN

A RADIATION DISPERSAL AREA AND HAVE NO CONTACT WITH THE ABOVE. YOU ASSUME ALL

RESPONSIBILITY FOR YOUR DECISIONS TO USE OR NOT USE IODINE SUPPLEMENTATION

PRODUCTS IN A RADIATION EMERGENCY!

Iodine is a chemical element that is essential to your health and welfare. It is

needed for your thyroid gland to make required hormones, plays a role in

fertility, resistance to several types of cancer as well as diabetes heart

disease and stroke.

Fortunately, most commercially processed salt is now 'iodized' and supplies all

you need if you have normal thyroid gland function AND are not currently being

exposed to significant radiation. Iodized table salt does NOT have enough Iodine

to protect you from radioactive Iodine.

Potassium, being a free element, normally is found combined with something, most

commonly Potassium, to produce Potassium Iodide or similar stable compounds,

often abbreviated 'KI.' The standard dose of 'emergency' Potassium Iodide for an

adult is 130 mg of Potassium Iodide, about 100 mg of free Iodine. Dosing

discussed in detail below. The Iodine is the thing, the Potassium is irrelevant,

you won't take in enough to produce 'hyperkalemia.' An older form is/was

Potassium Iodate (KIO3) and was a lot harder on the stomach. I doubt you will

ever see any unless it is in an old stash. Dose just like KI.

The problem with radiation is your thyroid gland will take a load of iodine the

easiest and fastest way possible. In a radiation emergency you may be both

inhaling and eating radioactive Iodine... and when your thyroid absorbs the

radioactive Iodine the radioactivity goes with it, increasing the risk for

damage to the thyroid gland (possibly leading to either too little or too much

thyroid hormone production) as well as thyroid cancer. By giving you extra

Iodine, we fill up your thyroid gland so it doesn't take up the radioactive

Iodine. It's not 100% protection, but will help a great deal.

The younger you are the higher the risk, the unborn, infants and small children

being the biggest losers. The closer to the ground you are, the higher the risk,

as radioactive particles settle to the ground. The more you breathe, eat, and

drink in contaminated areas the greater the risk. If you have pre-existing

thyroid disease, the higher the risk.

Potassium Iodide or Iodine will NOT protect you from other effects of the

radiation on your body. It only protects your thyroid gland.

Thus, .gov has stockpiled iodine, in the form of Potassium Iodide, to hand out

if we have a major radiation dispersal event. And you can buy expensive over the

counter pills, IoSat the same as .gov has stored, over the counter. But you

don't need to buy that. Knowledge here:

1. The current Chernobyl-sized event (and possible first ever China-syndrome

event if the floor of the containment vessel breaches) in Japan is not putting

enough radioactive material into the atmosphere to worry about in North America.

You get far more radiation exposure daily if you live downwind from a coal fired

power plant.

2. You have plenty of iodine on board for daily use if you use iodized salt and

have a normal thyroid gland.

3. If you want to have a supply of iodine available in case of a radiation

dispersal event in your area, or if you do not store iodized salt in your food

storage program (why wouldn't you?), you can buy the expensive tablets or use

one of several perfectly fine alternatives:

a. Pure iodine crystals in bulk (a few ounces of dry crystals per bottle): you

can't buy this any more in any significant quantity due to its ability to make

dangerous things, at least not without a license.

b. Polar Pure Iodine Crystals for water disinfection: a very small bottle of dry

crystals that makes a super saturated elemental Iodide solution (SSI).

Temperature affects the saturation -- the warmer the more Iodine in SSI -- so we

will say that at 70F there is 'about' 25 mg of Iodine in 1 drop (defined as 1/3

ml) of SSI. Dosing discussed below. One bottle of Polar Pure will make about 3

ounces or 90 ml of SSI, so you will get about 70 standard adult dose days. Ideal

for storage if kept from heat and light, and cheap - $15 for a 3 ounce bottle

that provides 70 doses or the ability to treat 500 gallons of water! My choice

for prepping. Pack away and forget till needed, will not deteriorate in your (or

anyone else's) lifetime if stored properly. Buy a quality dropper that delivers

1/3 ml per drop don't guess.

c. Lugol's Solution: over the counter, get the 5% not the 2 %. This is 85%

water, 10% Potassium Iodide, 5 % iodine that when mixed actually ends up as 15%

Potassium Tri-iodide Solution, just fine for thyroid blocking. There is 'about'

6.3 mg of Iodine in 1 drop of Lugol's Solution. Dosing given below. Comes with a

dropper usually. Good for storage if kept from heat and light. Should not

deteriorate to any significant extent.

d. IoSat tablets: the standard Potassium Iodide KI 130 mg tablet for treatment.

Handy. Expensive. Good for travel kits Individually sealed tabs, these are what

you want for an Uh-Oh supply in the travel kit. Dosing below.

e. Povidone/Iodine (PI) 10% Solution: Available in pads, sticks, and bottles.

Don't use the 'scrub' unless you like diarrhea, it has a soap product in it.

Ignore the povidone it's a surfactant that isn't digested. PI solution contains

'about' a 10% Iodine solution, in other words it's about 1/3 weaker than

Lugols's Solution. There is 'about' 4.2 mg of Iodine in 1 drop of

Povidone/Iodine 10% solution. Dosing below.

f. Standard water purification tablets: The old military style has 'about' 8 mg

of Potassium Iodide KI per tablet... swallowing 12.5 tablets daily is not

recommended, you will get some awesome nausea. Better to crush the tabs in the

bottle to make an SSKI as above. NOTE: many surplus bottles have air leaked or

been heat damaged. If they are already crumbling or stuck together or have been

open > 3 months they are shot. NOTE: many current water purification tabs are

NOT iodine based but chlorine or silver based -- won't help you! Dosing below.

g. Tincture of Iodine 2% - 7%, depending on what you can find. Tinctures (2%)

have 'about' 4.5 mg iodine per 100 ml -- too dilute to be of much use. 2% Free

Iodine Solution has 1 mg per drop... still looking at 130 drops for an adult

dose. Not very convenient.

h. Various Iodine supplements: They come in a LOT of different strengths.

Iodorol is Lugols mix in a tablet, 12.5 mg/tab and 50 mg/tab & SLIGHTLY cheaper

than IoSat. Iogen is ridiculously overpriced and too dilute for radiation

protection. Ditto Iosol. There are no doubt many others. Remember, many

'natural' products have crappy quality control and are very variable on actual

quantity of active ingredient. Iodorol is the way to go if you want bulk

tablets.

i. Kelp: salt water grown kelp has a strong iodine content. It can be boiled to

produce an indeterminate concentration solution. You can soak a piece of paper

in the boiled solution, dry, and then expose to sunlight. The faster it turns

brown, the stronger the solution. If the solution tastes like metallic ****, you

are on the right track. Kelp tablets are available, read the label, typical

iodine content is 100-150 MICRO grams per tab so you will be eating a lot of

them, not a realistic choice unless you have no other option.

j. 'Detoxified'/Nacent/Magnanacent/'Cayce' Iodine: Ignore.

4. United States FDA/CDC Recommendations for Specific Groups:

a. Iodine in Pregnancy: Because all forms of iodine cross the placenta, pregnant

women should take KI to protect the growing fetus. However, pregnant women

should take only one dose total of KI following internal contamination with (or

likely internal contamination with) radioactive iodine.

b. Women who are breastfeeding: should take only one dose total of KI if they

have been internally contaminated with (or are likely to be internally

contaminated with) radioactive iodine. Because radioactive iodine quickly gets

into breast milk, CDC recommends that women internally contaminated with (or are

likely to be internally contaminated with) radioactive iodine stop breastfeeding

and feed their child baby formula or other food if it is available. If breast

milk is the only food available for an infant, nursing should continue.

c. Infants: Infants need to be given only one dose total the recommended dosage

of KI, see dosing below. The amount of KI that gets into breast milk is not

enough to protect breastfed infants from exposure to radioactive iodine. The

proper dose of KI given to a nursing infant will help protect it from

radioactive iodine that it breathes in or drinks in breast milk.

d. Children: Children internally contaminated with (or likely to be internally

contaminated with) radioactive iodine should take KI, unless they have known

allergies to iodine. Children from newborn to 18 years of age are the most

sensitive to the potentially harmful effects of radioactive iodine.

e. Teens & Adults To Age 40: Young adults (between the ages of 18 and 40 years)

internally contaminated with (or likely to be internally contaminated with)

radioactive iodine take the recommended dose of KI. Young adults are less

sensitive to the effects of radioactive iodine than are children.

f. Adults older than 40 years: should not take KI unless public health or

emergency management officials say that contamination with a very large dose of

radioactive iodine is expected. Adults older than 40 years have the lowest

chance of developing thyroid cancer or thyroid injury after contamination with

radioactive iodine. They also have a greater chance of having allergic reactions

to KI.

5. Iodine Supplementation Side Effects, Complications, Emergencies:

a. Normal side effects include;

i. Nausea, vomiting, stomach ache, diarrhea, metallic taste in the mouth, fever,

headache, runny nose, sneezing, or acne may occur

b. Complications include:

i. Burning mouth/throat, sore teeth/gums, swelling inside the mouth, increased

saliva, eye irritation/swollen eyelids, severe headache, swelling of the front

of the neck/throat (goiter), signs of decreased thyroid gland function (e.g.,

weight gain, cold intolerance, slow/irregular heartbeat, constipation, unusual

tiredness), confusion, tingling in hands/feet.

c. Emergencies include:

i. Chest pain, black stools, vomit that looks like coffee grounds, bloody

diarrhea, swelling (especially of the face/tongue/throat), severe dizziness,

trouble breathing, fever with joint pain, unconsciousness, death.

6. Standard Dosing Guidelines:

a. NOTE: These were recently reduced; make sure you are not using the old ones!

These daily doses represent what is currently believed to be the minimum

effective doses for Potassium Iodide for thyroid blocking in a radiation

dispersal event.

b. Duration? Till .gov says you can stop, or you exit the contamination zone AND

are decontaminated, or you experience serious side effects, or you run out.

c. REMEMBER: You MUST know if you are using Potassium Iodide (KI, SSKI, IoSat =

130 mg Potassium Iodide adult daily dose); or Free Iodine (I, SSI, Polar Pure,

Povidone/Iodine, Iodine water tabs, Kelp, supplements = 100 mg Iodine adult

daily dose) as these each have DIFFERENT mounts of Iodine in them!

d. Dose Potassium Iodide (KI)/Free Iodine (I):

i. Pregnant: 130 mg KI/100 mg I; One Dose Only unless directed otherwise

ii. Breastfeeding: 130 mg KI/100 mg I; One Dose Only unless directed otherwise

iii. Infants birth -- 1 month: 16 mg KI/12 mg I; One Dose Only unless directed

otherwise

iv. Children 1 month -- 3 years: 32 mg KI/25 mg I daily

v. Kids 3 years -- 18 years: 65 mg KI/50 mg I daily

vi. Adults/anyone above 150 lbs: 130 mg KI/100 mg daily

[Guest guest]

Here is the text of an article my iodine supplier sent. You may or may not find

it interesting:

DO NOT SUPPLEMENT POTASSIUM IODIDE OR FREE IODINE UNLESS DIRECTED TO DO SO BY

EMERGENCY AUTHORITIES OR MEDICAL PERSONNEL. USE YOUR BEST JUDGMENT IF YOU ARE IN

A RADIATION DISPERSAL AREA AND HAVE NO CONTACT WITH THE ABOVE. YOU ASSUME ALL

RESPONSIBILITY FOR YOUR DECISIONS TO USE OR NOT USE IODINE SUPPLEMENTATION

PRODUCTS IN A RADIATION EMERGENCY!

Iodine is a chemical element that is essential to your health and welfare. It is

needed for your thyroid gland to make required hormones, plays a role in

fertility, resistance to several types of cancer as well as diabetes heart

disease and stroke.

Fortunately, most commercially processed salt is now 'iodized' and supplies all

you need if you have normal thyroid gland function AND are not currently being

exposed to significant radiation. Iodized table salt does NOT have enough Iodine

to protect you from radioactive Iodine.

Potassium, being a free element, normally is found combined with something, most

commonly Potassium, to produce Potassium Iodide or similar stable compounds,

often abbreviated 'KI.' The standard dose of 'emergency' Potassium Iodide for an

adult is 130 mg of Potassium Iodide, about 100 mg of free Iodine. Dosing

discussed in detail below. The Iodine is the thing, the Potassium is irrelevant,

you won't take in enough to produce 'hyperkalemia.' An older form is/was

Potassium Iodate (KIO3) and was a lot harder on the stomach. I doubt you will

ever see any unless it is in an old stash. Dose just like KI.

The problem with radiation is your thyroid gland will take a load of iodine the

easiest and fastest way possible. In a radiation emergency you may be both

inhaling and eating radioactive Iodine... and when your thyroid absorbs the

radioactive Iodine the radioactivity goes with it, increasing the risk for

damage to the thyroid gland (possibly leading to either too little or too much

thyroid hormone production) as well as thyroid cancer. By giving you extra

Iodine, we fill up your thyroid gland so it doesn't take up the radioactive

Iodine. It's not 100% protection, but will help a great deal.

The younger you are the higher the risk, the unborn, infants and small children

being the biggest losers. The closer to the ground you are, the higher the risk,

as radioactive particles settle to the ground. The more you breathe, eat, and

drink in contaminated areas the greater the risk. If you have pre-existing

thyroid disease, the higher the risk.

Potassium Iodide or Iodine will NOT protect you from other effects of the

radiation on your body. It only protects your thyroid gland.

Thus, .gov has stockpiled iodine, in the form of Potassium Iodide, to hand out

if we have a major radiation dispersal event. And you can buy expensive over the

counter pills, IoSat the same as .gov has stored, over the counter. But you

don't need to buy that. Knowledge here:

1. The current Chernobyl-sized event (and possible first ever China-syndrome

event if the floor of the containment vessel breaches) in Japan is not putting

enough radioactive material into the atmosphere to worry about in North America.

You get far more radiation exposure daily if you live downwind from a coal fired

power plant.

2. You have plenty of iodine on board for daily use if you use iodized salt and

have a normal thyroid gland.

3. If you want to have a supply of iodine available in case of a radiation

dispersal event in your area, or if you do not store iodized salt in your food

storage program (why wouldn't you?), you can buy the expensive tablets or use

one of several perfectly fine alternatives:

a. Pure iodine crystals in bulk (a few ounces of dry crystals per bottle): you

can't buy this any more in any significant quantity due to its ability to make

dangerous things, at least not without a license.

b. Polar Pure Iodine Crystals for water disinfection: a very small bottle of dry

crystals that makes a super saturated elemental Iodide solution (SSI).

Temperature affects the saturation -- the warmer the more Iodine in SSI -- so we

will say that at 70F there is 'about' 25 mg of Iodine in 1 drop (defined as 1/3

ml) of SSI. Dosing discussed below. One bottle of Polar Pure will make about 3

ounces or 90 ml of SSI, so you will get about 70 standard adult dose days. Ideal

for storage if kept from heat and light, and cheap - $15 for a 3 ounce bottle

that provides 70 doses or the ability to treat 500 gallons of water! My choice

for prepping. Pack away and forget till needed, will not deteriorate in your (or

anyone else's) lifetime if stored properly. Buy a quality dropper that delivers

1/3 ml per drop don't guess.

c. Lugol's Solution: over the counter, get the 5% not the 2 %. This is 85%

water, 10% Potassium Iodide, 5 % iodine that when mixed actually ends up as 15%

Potassium Tri-iodide Solution, just fine for thyroid blocking. There is 'about'

6.3 mg of Iodine in 1 drop of Lugol's Solution. Dosing given below. Comes with a

dropper usually. Good for storage if kept from heat and light. Should not

deteriorate to any significant extent.

d. IoSat tablets: the standard Potassium Iodide KI 130 mg tablet for treatment.

Handy. Expensive. Good for travel kits Individually sealed tabs, these are what

you want for an Uh-Oh supply in the travel kit. Dosing below.

e. Povidone/Iodine (PI) 10% Solution: Available in pads, sticks, and bottles.

Don't use the 'scrub' unless you like diarrhea, it has a soap product in it.

Ignore the povidone it's a surfactant that isn't digested. PI solution contains

'about' a 10% Iodine solution, in other words it's about 1/3 weaker than

Lugols's Solution. There is 'about' 4.2 mg of Iodine in 1 drop of

Povidone/Iodine 10% solution. Dosing below.

f. Standard water purification tablets: The old military style has 'about' 8 mg

of Potassium Iodide KI per tablet... swallowing 12.5 tablets daily is not

recommended, you will get some awesome nausea. Better to crush the tabs in the

bottle to make an SSKI as above. NOTE: many surplus bottles have air leaked or

been heat damaged. If they are already crumbling or stuck together or have been

open > 3 months they are shot. NOTE: many current water purification tabs are

NOT iodine based but chlorine or silver based -- won't help you! Dosing below.

g. Tincture of Iodine 2% - 7%, depending on what you can find. Tinctures (2%)

have 'about' 4.5 mg iodine per 100 ml -- too dilute to be of much use. 2% Free

Iodine Solution has 1 mg per drop... still looking at 130 drops for an adult

dose. Not very convenient.

h. Various Iodine supplements: They come in a LOT of different strengths.

Iodorol is Lugols mix in a tablet, 12.5 mg/tab and 50 mg/tab & SLIGHTLY cheaper

than IoSat. Iogen is ridiculously overpriced and too dilute for radiation

protection. Ditto Iosol. There are no doubt many others. Remember, many

'natural' products have crappy quality control and are very variable on actual

quantity of active ingredient. Iodorol is the way to go if you want bulk

tablets.

i. Kelp: salt water grown kelp has a strong iodine content. It can be boiled to

produce an indeterminate concentration solution. You can soak a piece of paper

in the boiled solution, dry, and then expose to sunlight. The faster it turns

brown, the stronger the solution. If the solution tastes like metallic ****, you

are on the right track. Kelp tablets are available, read the label, typical

iodine content is 100-150 MICRO grams per tab so you will be eating a lot of

them, not a realistic choice unless you have no other option.

j. 'Detoxified'/Nacent/Magnanacent/'Cayce' Iodine: Ignore.

4. United States FDA/CDC Recommendations for Specific Groups:

a. Iodine in Pregnancy: Because all forms of iodine cross the placenta, pregnant

women should take KI to protect the growing fetus. However, pregnant women

should take only one dose total of KI following internal contamination with (or

likely internal contamination with) radioactive iodine.

b. Women who are breastfeeding: should take only one dose total of KI if they

have been internally contaminated with (or are likely to be internally

contaminated with) radioactive iodine. Because radioactive iodine quickly gets

into breast milk, CDC recommends that women internally contaminated with (or are

likely to be internally contaminated with) radioactive iodine stop breastfeeding

and feed their child baby formula or other food if it is available. If breast

milk is the only food available for an infant, nursing should continue.

c. Infants: Infants need to be given only one dose total the recommended dosage

of KI, see dosing below. The amount of KI that gets into breast milk is not

enough to protect breastfed infants from exposure to radioactive iodine. The

proper dose of KI given to a nursing infant will help protect it from

radioactive iodine that it breathes in or drinks in breast milk.

d. Children: Children internally contaminated with (or likely to be internally

contaminated with) radioactive iodine should take KI, unless they have known

allergies to iodine. Children from newborn to 18 years of age are the most

sensitive to the potentially harmful effects of radioactive iodine.

e. Teens & Adults To Age 40: Young adults (between the ages of 18 and 40 years)

internally contaminated with (or likely to be internally contaminated with)

radioactive iodine take the recommended dose of KI. Young adults are less

sensitive to the effects of radioactive iodine than are children.

f. Adults older than 40 years: should not take KI unless public health or

emergency management officials say that contamination with a very large dose of

radioactive iodine is expected. Adults older than 40 years have the lowest

chance of developing thyroid cancer or thyroid injury after contamination with

radioactive iodine. They also have a greater chance of having allergic reactions

to KI.

5. Iodine Supplementation Side Effects, Complications, Emergencies:

a. Normal side effects include;

i. Nausea, vomiting, stomach ache, diarrhea, metallic taste in the mouth, fever,

headache, runny nose, sneezing, or acne may occur

b. Complications include:

i. Burning mouth/throat, sore teeth/gums, swelling inside the mouth, increased

saliva, eye irritation/swollen eyelids, severe headache, swelling of the front

of the neck/throat (goiter), signs of decreased thyroid gland function (e.g.,

weight gain, cold intolerance, slow/irregular heartbeat, constipation, unusual

tiredness), confusion, tingling in hands/feet.

c. Emergencies include:

i. Chest pain, black stools, vomit that looks like coffee grounds, bloody

diarrhea, swelling (especially of the face/tongue/throat), severe dizziness,

trouble breathing, fever with joint pain, unconsciousness, death.

6. Standard Dosing Guidelines:

a. NOTE: These were recently reduced; make sure you are not using the old ones!

These daily doses represent what is currently believed to be the minimum

effective doses for Potassium Iodide for thyroid blocking in a radiation

dispersal event.

b. Duration? Till .gov says you can stop, or you exit the contamination zone AND

are decontaminated, or you experience serious side effects, or you run out.

c. REMEMBER: You MUST know if you are using Potassium Iodide (KI, SSKI, IoSat =

130 mg Potassium Iodide adult daily dose); or Free Iodine (I, SSI, Polar Pure,

Povidone/Iodine, Iodine water tabs, Kelp, supplements = 100 mg Iodine adult

daily dose) as these each have DIFFERENT mounts of Iodine in them!

d. Dose Potassium Iodide (KI)/Free Iodine (I):

i. Pregnant: 130 mg KI/100 mg I; One Dose Only unless directed otherwise

ii. Breastfeeding: 130 mg KI/100 mg I; One Dose Only unless directed otherwise

iii. Infants birth -- 1 month: 16 mg KI/12 mg I; One Dose Only unless directed

otherwise

iv. Children 1 month -- 3 years: 32 mg KI/25 mg I daily

v. Kids 3 years -- 18 years: 65 mg KI/50 mg I daily

vi. Adults/anyone above 150 lbs: 130 mg KI/100 mg daily