Why is iodine solution ineffective? Because it contains the same potassium iodide?
Other types of iodine solutions (alcoholic iodine solution, Lugol’s solution, povidone iodine) are not absorbed or accumulated in the thyroid gland and will not protect against radioactive iodine. It is a matter of both ingestion and application of iodine nets.
Taking these drugs will at best have no effect, at worst – will harm, as the patient will get chemical burns of the oral cavity, esophagus, etc. Therefore, the only drug for effective iodine prophylaxis remains potassium iodide.
Why is potassium iodide not recommended for people 40+?
After age 40, the thyroid gland barely stores radioactive iodine, so taking potassium iodide may do more harm than good. Keep in mind that potassium iodide only protects the thyroid gland and cannot protect other organs.
Can preparations containing lesser amounts of the same active ingredient be used for iodine prophylaxis?
Such preparations or food additives contain hundreds of times less potassium iodide than is necessary to prevent radiation exposure in the event of nuclear strikes. Taking hundreds of tablets of such preparations cannot be considered as a real preventive measure, since a person is simply physically unable to consume such a quantity of tablets.
How to calculate the appropriate dose of potassium iodide for children?
You should be very careful about the dosage of the drug. Your doctor will help you calculate the required dose. It is extremely important not to confuse milligrams (mg) and micrograms (mcg). In particular, the preparation available for iodine prophylaxis in Ukraine contains 125 mg of the active substance in 1 tablet.
If a woman over 40 is pregnant or breastfeeding, does she need to take iodine?
Yes. In this case, taking potassium iodine is necessary. During pregnancy and lactation, a woman’s thyroid gland is more active than in non-pregnant women and the amount of radioactive iodine absorbed increases.
Do people who have had their thyroid gland removed need to take potassium iodide? What if one lobe has been removed?
If you have had your thyroid gland completely removed, you do not need to take potassium iodide. If the removal was partial and one lobe remains, you should consult your doctor.
When to take potassium iodide?
The drug must not be used for prophylaxis. It is taken once only after notification from the official authorities.
It is optimal to take potassium iodide 6 hours before exposure to radioactive iodine. Due to the low probability of predicting such a situation, the acceptable time for taking the drug is from 24 hours before radioactive iodine ingestion and up to 8 hours after exposure.
Более поздний прием препарата вреден для организма. В любом случае нужно дождаться официального оглашения местных органов власти о начале йодной профилактики.
