- Potassium iodide Side Effects from Drugs.com
-
- Note the differences between Potassium Iodide (KI) and
Potassium Iodate (KI03).
-
- Potassium iodide protects the thyroid gland against internal
uptake of radioiodines that may be released in the unlikely event of a
nuclear reactor accident.
-
- Potassium Iodide (KI) vs Potassium Iodate (KI03): Potassium
Iodide is safer and has less side effects. KI is superior from "effectiveness"
standpoint. Iodide breaks down and is absorbed by the body much faster
and more thoroughly compared to iodate.
-
- The blocking effectiveness of potassium iodide is "almost
complete". Iodide is better because of the degree of blocking
achieved; the rapidity of onset of the blocking effect; the duration
of the blocking effect; the safety of the blocking agent; ingestion
is less likely to give stomach ache.
- There are long lists of pretty severe reactions
- includes Hyper and Hypo thyroidism in some people, and goiter.
- http://www.drugs.com/sfx/potassium-iodide-side-effects.html
-
- EXCERPT from CDC page below -
-
- "Adults: 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.
-
- "How often should I take KI?
-
- "A single dose of KI protects the thyroid gland
for 24 hours. A one-time dose at the levels recommended in this fact sheet
is usually all that is needed to protect the thyroid gland. In some cases,
radioactive iodine might be in the environment for more than 24 hours.
If that happens, local emergency management or public health officials
may tell you to take one dose of KI every 24 hours for a few days. You
should do this only on the advice of emergency management officials, public
health officials, or your doctor. Avoid repeat dosing with KI for pregnant
and breastfeeding women and newborn infants. Those individuals may need
to be evacuated until levels of radioactive iodine in the environment fall.
"
-
- CDC Radiation Emergencies | Potassium Iodide (KI)
-
- Potassium Iodide (KI)
-
- What is Potassium Iodide (KI)?
-
- Potassium iodide (also called KI) is a salt of stable
(not radioactive) iodine. Stable iodine is an important chemical needed
by the body to make thyroid hormones. Most of the stable iodine in our
bodies comes from the food we eat. KI is stable iodine in a medicine form.
This fact sheet from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
gives you some basic information about KI. It explains what you should
think about before you or a family member takes KI.
-
- What does KI do?
-
- Following a radiological or nuclear event, radioactive
iodine may be released into the air and then be breathed into the lungs.
Radioactive iodine may also contaminate the local food supply and get into
the body through food or through drink. When radioactive materials get
into the body through breathing, eating, or drinking, we say that "</radiation/contamination.asp>internal
contamination" has occurred. In the case of internal contamination
with radioactive iodine, the thyroid gland quickly absorbs this chemical.
Radioactive iodine absorbed by the thyroid can then injure the gland. Because
non-radioactive KI acts to block radioactive iodine from being taken into
the thyroid gland, it can help protect this gland from injury.
-
- What KI cannot do
-
- Knowing what KI cannot do is also important. KI cannot
prevent radioactive iodine from entering the body. KI canprotect only the
thyroid from radioactive iodine, not other parts of the body. KI cannot
reverse the health effects caused by radioactive iodine once damage to
the thyroid has occurred. KI cannotprotect the body from radioactive elements
other than radioactive iodine-if radioactive iodine is not present, taking
KI is not protective.
-
- How does KI work?
-
- The thyroid gland cannot tell the difference between
stable and radioactive iodine and will absorb both. KI works by blocking
radioactive iodine from entering the thyroid. When a person takes KI, the
stable iodine in the medicine gets absorbed by the thyroid. Because KI
contains so much stable iodine, the thyroid gland becomes "full"
and cannot absorb any more iodine-either stable or radioactive-for the
next 24 hours.
-
- Iodized table salt also contains iodine; iodized table
salt contains enough iodine to keep most people healthy under normal conditions.
However, table salt does not contain enough iodine to block radioactive
iodine from getting into your thyroid gland. You should not use table salt
as a substitute for KI.
-
- How well does KI work?
-
- Knowing that KI may not give a person 100% protection
against radioactive iodine is important. How well KI blocks radioactive
iodine depends on
-
- how much time passes between contamination with radioactive
iodine and the taking of KI (the sooner a person takes KI, the better),
- how fast KI is absorbed into the blood, and
- the total amount of radioactive iodine to which a person
is exposed.
-
- Who should take KI?
-
- The thyroid glands of a fetus and of an infant are most
at risk of injury from radioactive iodine. Young children and people with
low stores of iodine in their thyroid are also at risk of thyroid injury.
-
- Infants (including breast-fed infants): Infants need
to be given the recommended dosage of KI for babies (<#howmuchki>see
How much KI should I take?). The amount of KI that gets into breast milk
is not enough to protect breast-fed 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.
-
- Children: The United States Food and Drug Administration
(FDA) recommends that all children internally contaminated with (or likely
to be internally contaminated with) radioactive iodine 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.
-
- Young Adults: The FDA recommends that 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.
-
- Pregnant Women: 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 of KI following internal contamination
with (or likely internal contamination with) radioactive iodine.
-
- Breastfeeding Women: Women who are breastfeeding should
take only one dose 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.
-
- Adults: 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.
-
- When should I take KI?
-
- After a radiologic or nuclear event, local public health
or emergency management officials will tell the public if KI or other protective
actions are needed. For example, public health officials may advise you
to remain in your home, school, or place of work (this is known as "shelter-in-place")
or to evacuate. You may also be told not to eat some foods and not to drink
some beverages until a safe supply can be brought in from outside the affected
area. Following the instructions given to you by these authorities can
lower the amount of radioactive iodine that enters your body and lower
the risk of serious injury to your thyroid gland.
-
- How much KI should I take?
-
- The FDA has approved two different forms of KI-tablets
and liquid-that people can take by mouth after a nuclear radiation emergency.
Tablets come in two strengths, 130 milligram (mg) and 65 mg. The tablets
are scored so they may be cut into smaller pieces for lower doses. Each
milliliter (mL) of the oral liquid solution contains 65 mg of KI.
- According to the FDA, the following doses are appropriate
to take after internal contamination with (or likely internal contamination
with) radioactive iodine:
-
- Adults should take 130 mg (one 130 mg tablet OR two 65
mg tablets OR two mL of solution).
- Women who are breastfeeding should take the adult dose
of 130 mg.
- Children between 3 and 18 years of age should take 65
mg (one 65 mg tablet OR 1 mL of solution). Children who are adult size
(greater than or equal to 150 pounds) should take the full adult dose,
regardless of their age.
- Infants and children between 1 month and 3 years of age
should take 32 mg ( of a 65 mg tablet OR mL of solution). This dose is
for both nursing and non-nursing infants and children.
- Newborns from birth to 1 month of age should be given
16 mg ( of a 65 mg tablet or mL of solution). This dose is for both nursing
and non-nursing newborn infants.
-
- How often should I take KI?
-
- A single dose of KI protects the thyroid gland for 24
hours. A one-time dose at the levels recommended in this fact sheet is
usually all that is needed to protect the thyroid gland. In some cases,
radioactive iodine might be in the environment for more than 24 hours.
If that happens, local emergency management or public health officials
may tell you to take one dose of KI every 24 hours for a few days. You
should do this only on the advice of emergency management officials, public
health officials, or your doctor. Avoid repeat dosing with KI for pregnant
and breastfeeding women and newborn infants. Those individuals may need
to be evacuated until levels of radioactive iodine in the environment fall.
-
- Taking a higher dose of KI, or taking KI more often than
recommended, does not offer more protection and can cause severe illness
or death.
-
- Medical conditions that may make it harmful to take KI
-
- Taking KI may be harmful for some people because of the
high levels of iodine in this medicine. You should not take KI if
- · you know you are allergic to iodine (If you
are unsure about this, consult your doctor. A seafood or shellfish allergy
does not necessarily mean that you are allergic to iodine.) or
- · you have certain skin disorders (such as dermatitis
herpetiformis or urticaria vasculitis).
-
- People with thyroid disease (for example, multinodular
goiter, Graves' disease, or autoimmune thyroiditis) may be treated with
KI. This should happen under careful supervision of a doctor, especially
if dosing lasts for more than a few days.
-
- In all cases, talk to your doctor if you are not sure
whether to take KI.
-
- What are the possible risks and side effects of KI?
-
- When public health or emergency management officials
tell the public to take KI following a radiologic or nuclear event, the
benefits of taking this drug outweigh the risks. This is true for all age
groups. Some general side effects caused by KI may include intestinal upset,
allergic reactions (possibly severe), rashes, and inflammation of the salivary
glands.
-
- When taken as recommended, KI causes only rare adverse
health effects that specifically involve the thyroid gland. In general,
you are more likely to have an adverse health effect involving the thyroid
gland if you
-
- take a higher than recommended dose of KI,
- take the drug for several days, or
- have pre-existing thyroid disease.
-
- Newborn infants (less than 1 month old) who receive more
than one dose of KI are at particular risk for developing a condition known
as hypothyroidism (thyroid hormone levels that are too low). If not treated,
hypothyroidism can cause brain damage. Infants who receive KI should have
their thyroid hormone levels checked and monitored by a doctor. Avoid repeat
dosing of KI to newborns.
-
- Where can I get KI?
-
- KI is available without a prescription. You should talk
to your pharmacist to get KI and for directions about how to take it correctly.
Your pharmacist can sell you KI brands that have been approved by the FDA.
-
- Other Sources of Information
-
- <http://www.fda.gov/Drugs/EmergencyPreparedness/BioterrorismandDrugPreparedness/ucm072265.htm>The
FDA recommendations on KI can be reviewed on the Internet at Frequently
Asked Questions on Potassium Iodide (KI) .
-
- </radiation/index.asp>The Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention's Emergency Response Site is available at CDC Radiation
Emergencies.
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