You’ll take potassium iodide before or right after you’re exposed to radioactive iodine. You could also take it 3 to 4 hours after, but it won’t be as effective. If you live close to a nuclear facility, iodine tablets are very important to have on hand. Many of those facilities distribute iodine tablets to nearby residents and those that live downwind according to nuclear fallout projections assuming prevailing winds. They are less important for everyone else, especially if you live in a rural area- but with such a low cost and very little to be used as a substitute- we still recommend pretty much everyone getting at least one dose in your survival kit.

Medicines containing the active ingredient potassium iodide

Only take potassium iodide if state or local health authorities suggest you do so. During an emergency, health officials will send out an announcement. Your health department will then tell you when it’s OK to take potassium iodide. They’ll also tell you when you can stop the medication.Guidance for Public Health Departments and Clinicians Caring for Individuals Who May Have Been Recently Exposed to Polonium-210 A newborn (a baby less than 1 month old) could develop hypothyroidism if they take more than the suggested amount of potassium iodide. Hypothyroidism is a condition where your thyroid hormone levels are too low. If doctors don’t treat this, it can cause brain damage. To keep your infant safe: Young adults. This group is less sensitive to the potential damage from radioactive iodine. But it’s still important for them to take the medication. The potential benefit of iodine prophylaxis is greatest in the young. The thyroid of the foetus, neonate and young infant has a higher yearly thyroid cancer risk per unit dose of radioactive iodine than the thyroid of an adult.

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In children of 3 to 12 years 50% of the adult dose should be given and in children of 1 month to 3 years the dose should be 25% of the adult dose. You also don’t need a massive amount of these in bulk. At the very most, you will be taking 14 doses and you’ll know when you need them. Radiation-preventative iodine doses are not meant to be taken speculatively, and can even cause more harm than good if you take too many high-dose iodine tablets. When you take potassium iodide, your thyroid becomes saturated with nonradioactive iodine. This causes your thyroid to “fill up.”Iodine tablets have been around for a while and now come in several varieties. They are very effective at protecting your thyroid if you take them prior to radiation exposure. That is just your thyroid though, so you’ll need more to protect the rest of your body. The amount of money you can spend on iodine tablets shouldn’t blow out your budget. There are plenty of expensive radiation-specific tools and equipment, but iodine tablets are not one of them. Because they are affordable, it makes grabbing some for even the remotest chance that you will need them make sense.

Potassium Iodide for Nuclear Radiation What to Know About Potassium Iodide for Nuclear Radiation

Patients with thyrotoxicosis treated medically, or patients with a past history of thyrotoxicosis treated medically who are now off treatment and apparently in remission, may be at risk. You should take a different amount of potassium iodide based on your age and weight. There’s a liquid form, a 65-milligram pill, and a 130-milligram pill. For kids and babies that can’t take pills, you can crush or cut pills to create smaller doses. Or you can give them a liquid form of potassium iodide.For children the medicine may be crushed and mixed with milk, water or juice before administration.

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KI is only recommended for people under 40 and pregnant or breastfeeding people. People with certain medical conditions , including known iodine sensitivity, should not take KI or should talk to a healthcare provider about whether they can safely take KI. A single daily dose should be administered. This will protect against exposure lasting up to 24 hours (see section 4.4).

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It can be hard to cut pills. In an emergency, experts say that it’s safe for children at school or day care centers to take a whole pill of potassium iodide. If possible, it’s better that kids under 12 take the 65-milligram pill. But it’s still safe to have them take the 130-milligram pill if it’s the only one available. Are There Any Side Effects From Potassium Iodide? Hyperthyroidism, iodine induced autoimmunity (Grave's and Hashimoto type), toxic nodular goitre and iodine-induced hypothyroidism have been reported as side effects of iodine therapy. Potassium salts should be given cautiously to patients with renal or adrenal insufficiency, acute dehydration or heat cramp. Adults over 40 years old have a much lower risk of developing thyroid cancer and are more likely to have health conditions, like problems with their thyroids, that increase their risks for harmful health effects from KI. However, officials or healthcare providers may instruct adults over 40 to consume KI if the predicted exposure is high enough to cause hypothyroidism. Healthline has strict sourcing guidelines and relies on peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical associations. We avoid using tertiary references. You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our editorial policy.