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TECHNOLOGICAL IMPULSE
POTASSIUM IODIDE PRO KI TABLETS
Radiation Protection
Certain forms of iodine help your thyroid gland work properly. Most people get the iodine they need from foods like iodized salt or fish. The thyroid can "store" or hold only a certain amount of iodine. In a radiation emergency, radioactive iodine may be released in the air. This material may be breathed or swallowed or ingested with food and drinks. It may enter the thyroid gland and damage it. The damage would probably not show itself for years. Children are most likely to have thyroid damage. If you take Potassium Iodide, it will fill up your thyroid gland and block the uptake of dangerous radioactive iodine. This greatly reduces the chance that harmful radioactive iodine will enter the thyroid gland.
In the aftermath of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant disaster, many children most likely developed thyroid cancer or thyroid abnormalities because they did not receive the protection afforded by radiation blocking pills, prior to exposure to even small amounts of nuclear fallout. The World Health Organization said this of the Chernobyl disaster:
"The result, less than fifteen years after the accident, is more than 1000 cases of thyroid cancer, most probably solely attributable to this single release of radioactivity to the environment In the most affected area in Belarus, the yearly incidence (of thyroid cancer in children) has risen more than 100-fold compared to the situation before the accident. This increase in incidence has been documented up to 500 km from the accident site". If the countries that surround the Chernobyl nuclear power plant had not given out millions of doses of KI pills (like PRo KI ), thousands of more cases of cancer may have developed. [Note: As of the year 2000, while recommended by the U.S. government and many research groups, the U.S. still does not widely stockpile KI pills as in done in many other countries. Please see our article on Nuclear Power Plant Hazard Issues for reasons why this is a major problem in the U.S. today. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommends taking Potassium Iodide only when public health officials tell you to do so during a radiation emergency (such as a major nuclear power plant disaster or with an explosion either involving nuclear materials or an actual nuclear fission or fusion bomb detonation). In a radiation emergency, radioactive iodine could be released into the air and cause potential health risks for up to hundreds or even thousands of miles (in the case of large nuclear weapons explosions). Potassium Iodide (KI), a form of Iodine that is quite different than that used to purify water, used to formulate Rad Block tablets, can help protect you by preventing the uptake of radioactive iodine into your thyroid. note: the thyroid, as opposed to the rest of the human body, is extremely vulnerable to even low levels of radioactive iodine.
Directions for Use / Daily Dose:
Pregnant and nursing women may take this product (although be sure to refer to the WARNING section that follows) but should consult a physician prior to continuing daily dosages after the second day. Adults and older children should take this tablet preferably with milk or food to limit any potential adverse gastrointestinal response. If only a limited number of pills are available, these should be given to infants, children and young adults first as its effectiveness (and also the risk of thyroid cancer) drops off with adults over 40 years of age. Adults 40 and over should not take KI beyond 1 day unless directed to do so by a physician (or unless the adult is continuing to be exposed to high levels of radioactive iodine that threaten thyroid function).
Potassium Iodide (KI) should be taken as soon as possible after public health officials tell you and if at all possible, prior to or shortly after radiation exposure. Dangerous radioactive iodine can be blocked by nearly 100% if taken prior to radiation exposure and can still block 50% even hours after exposure. You should take one dose daily (per the preceding paragraph's guidelines). More will not help you because the thyroid can "hold" only limited amounts of iodine. Larger doses will increase the risk of side effects. You will probably be told by health authorities not to take the drug for more than 10 days after the end of exposure to nuclear radiation (but note the Daily Dosage section above and the Warning section below for pregnant and nursing women and for neonates and for those 40 years of age and older). In the case of a nuclear power incident, this may be less than two weeks total dosage time. In the case of a major nuclear war (even if overseas) or with nuclear materials terrorism incident, authorities may recommend taking KI for 100 or more days for children and young adults.
Warning: At the WHO dosages recommended above, an adverse reaction rate of less than 1 in 10 million children and less than 1 in 1 million adults is expected. However, Potassium Iodide should not be used by people allergic to iodide. According to the WHO, contraindications for use of potassium iodide are:
Storage and Shelf-Life:
What to do if side effects occur:
Thyroid Association Endorses Potassium Iodide for Radiation Emergencies
The American Thyroid Association endorses the federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission's December 2000 action requiring states and the Federal Emergency Management Agency to look into having potassium iodide (KI) stockpiled and available for populations at risk for exposure to radioactive iodine from a nuclear emergency. The logistics of effective stockpiling, distribution, and use are still to be worked out. The American Thyroid Association also endorses two bills now in the House of Representatives (HR 783, sponsored by Representative Phil English, R, Pennsylvania, and HR 3279, sponsored by Representative Edward J. Markey, D, Massachusetts) that would require stockpiling of KI for people within a 50-mile (English) or 200-mile (Markey) radius of a nuclear power plant. The Association favors the broader radius.
The Association's position is that only city and state health authorities can recommend when to take KI and how much to take. Not every radioactive release includes the radioactive iodine that can cause thyroid cancer, and KI cannot protect against absorption of any materials besides radioactive iodine. Only the authorities can determine which isotopes are released during a nuclear event, and, if radioactive iodine is released, what is the safe and effective dose of KI to take.
In sum, the ATA believes that KI should be available and that it should be used only under regulatory guidance. On December 10, 2001, the Food and Drug Administration issued a new Guidance: Potassium Iodide as a Thyroid Blocking Agent in Radiation Emergencies. The document guides other federal agencies as well as state and local governments on safe, effective KI doses, to be used in combination with evacuation, sheltering, and avoiding contaminated food and milk. THE OFFICIAL FDA RECOMMENDATION CHART
Threshold Thyroid Radioactive Exposures and Recommended Doses of KI for Different Risk Groups Predicted Thyroid exposure(cGy) KI dose (mg) # of 130 mg tablets # of 65 mg tablets Adults over 40 yrs >500 130 1 2 Adults over 18-40 yrs >10 Pregnant or lactating women > 5 Adolesc. over 12-18 yrs* 65 1/2 1 Children over 3-12 yrs over 1 month-3 years 32 1/4 1/2 birth-1 month 16 1/8 1/4
(65 mg each, about 50 mg Iodine)
(2 tablets is an adult daily dose.)
Use as directed by a physician and as directed by public health authorities.
Neonates (birth to 1 month of age) - Only a single administration of one-quarter (1/4) tablet crushed and stirred into formula, breast-milk, milk, or water should be given to neonates who are in their first week of life outside of the womb, even for premature babies, unless otherwise specified by a physician. If approved by a physician, subsequent doses of one-quarter (1/4) tablet crushed and stirred into formula, breast-milk, milk, or water may be given to neonates after their first week of life if there is a continuing hazard.
Store at controlled room temperature between 15 and 30 C (59 to 86 F) and avoid excessive humidity. Keep bottle tightly closed. Although these Potassium Iodide Tablets are labeled for a 5-year shelf-life at this time with Pro KI, should be effective for decades if stored properly.
Usually, side effects of KI happen when people take higher doses for a long time. You should be careful not to take more than the recommended dose or take it for longer than you are told. Side effects are unlikely because of the low dose. Possible side effects include skin rashes, swelling of the salivary glands, and "iodism" (metallic taste, burning mouth and throat, sore teeth and gums, symptoms of a head cold, and sometimes stomach upset and diarrhea). A few people have an allergic reaction with more serious symptoms (see WARNING section above). These could be fever and joint pains, or swelling of parts of the face and body and at times severe shortness of breath requiring immediate medical attention. Taking iodide may rarely cause overactivity of the thyroid gland, underactivity of the thyroid gland, or enlargement of the thyroid gland (goiter). Babies in the womb and breast-feeding babies may develop skin rashes and other thyroid related problems through receiving KI passed through the placenta or from breast milk (see Daily Dosage and Warning section above).
If the side effects are severe or if you have an allergic reaction, stop taking Potassium Iodide. Then, if possible, call a doctor or public health authority for instructions.
November 30, 2001
