Posted: 4/13/2012 5:48:31 AM EDT
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CTD has 20 tablets on sale for $11.97. Is this something that's taken once, once a month, etc.? Opinions on having in the SHTF plan?
CTD KI If the answer is yes, please don't buy them out before I get some. 
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I just spoke with my wife who is a nurse about these, she said these should only be taken in an extreme nuclear disaster situation. I saw some on amazon for $8, and bought a pack. I like to cover all my bases, but these would only be used in an extreme situation, but like most everything else, good to have. .
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I may have answered my own question. The CDC put out the following:
KI treatment from CDC Since both my wife and I are 60, it doesn't seem to make sense for us. |
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basically, as i understand it in laymans terms, the thyroid 'likes" iodine. When there is a radioactive event, the thyroid sucks up iodine, some of which can be radioactive. The presence of the radioactive iodine in the tyhroid cause thyroid cancers.
The KI tablets are taken immediately after the fadioacitve event, and are used to 'flood' the tyroid. If the throid is effectively "full" of plain old iodine, there is little opportunity for the radioactive variants to settle down and take up residence in your thyroid. I know this is grossly oversimplified, but that is how I understand the theory. Its a reactive, post event, 'take a shit pile of KI" for a short term kind of reaction/therapy. |
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I bought some quite a while back from www.nukepills.com
When the Fukoshima scare was happening, these disappeared from the shelves. Have some on hand for the "Cloud" but know that it is not a cure-all for radiation, mainly a cancer preventative vs. exposure to radiation. |
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Why not buy it from the manufacturer?
http://www.anbex.com/ http://www.anbex.com/images/iosatred.jpg |
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Why not buy it from the manufacturer? http://www.anbex.com/ http://www.anbex.com/images/iosatred.jpg Thanks for the link. Even though they probably wouldn't be necessary for us old fogeys, We'll have some peace of mind and maybe something to trade. There's a sale going on now. Get one free package when you but 10. |
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Govt is buying a million doses... Possible shortage or event ? http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=SLvyTXMPug0 |
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Why not buy it from the manufacturer? http://www.anbex.com/ http://www.anbex.com/images/iosatred.jpg Cheaper on Amazon http://www.amazon.com/iOSAT-Potassium-Iodide-Tablets-130/dp/B00006NT3A/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1334360822&sr=8-1 |
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My thoughts, back in the archives
Readers Digest –– good to stock so you aren't in line for a handout, NEVER take unless your AO is told to by reliable authorities. There can be side effects KI was distributed, but NEVER directed to be taken (IIRC) by the general public after Fukushima. But that is mostly due to the favorable wind direction. |
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Govt is buying a million doses... Possible shortage or event ? http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=SLvyTXMPug0 Replacing gov't stocks? Expired tabs? Maybe we sent some over to the Japanese? Who knows. 1M doses is a drop in the bucket. It's a cheap inorganic salt. |
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DO NOT TAKE THESE UNLESS THEY ARE NEEDED. (yes, I'm shouting) I got that part loud and clear from the CDC doc as well. I'm not even sure why I think I need these other than: "It's better to have and not need than to need and not have." I live just downwind from three mile island and not far from limerick. You can bet your ass I have some in stock. Did you notice when fukushima happened how slow the authorities were to admit something really serious was wrong? They won't tell you until it's far, far too late. |
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It's noted above, but bears reinforcing, the ONLY cancer this will help prevent is thyroid cancer. The reason it's not really needed for people over a certain age is that it takes so long for thyroid cancer to develop. They won't live long enough to develop it. Children and youth, on the other hand, are the primary ones that would need it.
jd1 |
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Plan B if caught without KI tablets:
http://www.ki4u.com/plan_b.htm According to research by Health Physicist Ken Miller, Hershey Medical Center, using 24 healthy adult male subjects, an adult could get a blocking dose of stable iodine by painting 8 ml of a 2 percent tincture of Iodine on the abdomen or forearm approximately 2 hours prior to I-131 contamination Read 2% tincture of iodine as: Betadine, available cheaply at any pharmacy or wal-mart (which is actually 10%, requiring 1.6 ml or basically a 2" square painted on the body once a day, do NOT ingest it, it's poison) |
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I'm poised to buy some too and had some nagging questions running around in my small mind
Any thoughts on Potassium Iodide vs. Potassium Iodate? I was going to order KIO3 from here: http://www.kio3.com/index.htm but figured I better ask the hive first.... I know that I-131 has a short half-life (about 8 days), but would dried up cooling ponds and/or improperly contained reactors possibly produce/release it over lengthier periods? If the grid were down for a protracted period of time and multiple sites were releasing I-131 (insert whatever crazy scenario here), then how long would it actually be safe to take either Potassium Iodide or Potassium Iodate? I'd hate to give my kids KI or KIO3 for a couple of weeks while I-131 was being actively released for months instead. I'd also hate to give it to them for months if it had some bad side effect from long term ingestion.... |
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Plan B if caught without KI tablets: http://www.ki4u.com/plan_b.htm According to research by Health Physicist Ken Miller, Hershey Medical Center, using 24 healthy adult male subjects, an adult could get a blocking dose of stable iodine by painting 8 ml of a 2 percent tincture of Iodine on the abdomen or forearm approximately 2 hours prior to I-131 contamination Read 2% tincture of iodine as: Betadine, available cheaply at any pharmacy or wal-mart (which is actually 10%, requiring 1.6 ml or basically a 2" square painted on the body once a day, do NOT ingest it, it's poison) Unfortunately, it doesn't work that way. There's a lot more available iodine in a 2% tincture of iodine than in 10% PI solution. The iodine in PI is poorly absorbed through intact skin, though dangerous amounts of iodine can be absorbed from PI through extensive burns or wounds. |
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Quoted: Why not buy it from the manufacturer? http://www.anbex.com/ http://www.anbex.com/images/iosatred.jpg CVS has it too: http://www.cvs.com/CVSApp/catalog/shop_product_detail.jsp?skuId=190658&productId=190658 |
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I'm poised to buy some too and had some nagging questions running around in my small mind Any thoughts on Potassium Iodide vs. Potassium Iodate? I was going to order KIO3 from here: http://www.kio3.com/index.htm but figured I better ask the hive first.... I know that I-131 has a short half-life (about 8 days), but would dried up cooling ponds and/or improperly contained reactors possibly produce/release it over lengthier periods? If the grid were down for a protracted period of time and multiple sites were releasing I-131 (insert whatever crazy scenario here), then how long would it actually be safe to take either Potassium Iodide or Potassium Iodate? I'd hate to give my kids KI or KIO3 for a couple of weeks while I-131 was being actively released for months instead. I'd also hate to give it to them for months if it had some bad side effect from long term ingestion.... I-131 is a uranium fission product. Once the reactor is shutdown production of radioiodine estentially stops (the actual decay chain that produces the I-131 escapes me at the moment). After 5 half lives, the I-131 is gone as a practicle matter, in the core, in the coolant, diposited over the landscape, etc. If there isn't an ongoing fission reaction somewhere, the quantity of I-131 is decreasing. |
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I'm poised to buy some too and had some nagging questions running around in my small mind Any thoughts on Potassium Iodide vs. Potassium Iodate? I was going to order KIO3 from here: http://www.kio3.com/index.htm but figured I better ask the hive first.... I know that I-131 has a short half-life (about 8 days), but would dried up cooling ponds and/or improperly contained reactors possibly produce/release it over lengthier periods? If the grid were down for a protracted period of time and multiple sites were releasing I-131 (insert whatever crazy scenario here), then how long would it actually be safe to take either Potassium Iodide or Potassium Iodate? I'd hate to give my kids KI or KIO3 for a couple of weeks while I-131 was being actively released for months instead. I'd also hate to give it to them for months if it had some bad side effect from long term ingestion.... I-131 is a uranium fission product. Once the reactor is shutdown production of radioiodine estentially stops (the actual decay chain that produces the I-131 escapes me at the moment). After 5 half lives, the I-131 is gone as a practicle matter, in the core, in the coolant, diposited over the landscape, etc. If there isn't an ongoing fission reaction somewhere, the quantity of I-131 is decreasing. Very cool to know. Just to make sure I understand correctly: If a cooling pond goes dry and the rods heat up and burn off their cladding, etc. they won't generate I-131? What about Chernobyl? Did it release I-131 over a lengthy period of time? The reason I ask is if the grid for whatever wild reason went down and people went all TEOTWAWKI I would expect an actual (however small) possibility of +Fukushima+ scenarios. I remember reading about the hazards of cooling ponds and other stuff on Survivalblog before Fukushima ever happened. I had no idea if the guy was correct or not, and basicly hoped he was totally wrong. Fukushima happened and I now see the guy was basically spot on about ponds going bad, etc. I'm not running around all "oh teh noes" and stuff, but I can now somewhat see the actual possibility of a fleet of active radiation releasers if things ever go hard sideways. |
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I'm poised to buy some too and had some nagging questions running around in my small mind Any thoughts on Potassium Iodide vs. Potassium Iodate? I was going to order KIO3 from here: http://www.kio3.com/index.htm but figured I better ask the hive first.... I know that I-131 has a short half-life (about 8 days), but would dried up cooling ponds and/or improperly contained reactors possibly produce/release it over lengthier periods? If the grid were down for a protracted period of time and multiple sites were releasing I-131 (insert whatever crazy scenario here), then how long would it actually be safe to take either Potassium Iodide or Potassium Iodate? I'd hate to give my kids KI or KIO3 for a couple of weeks while I-131 was being actively released for months instead. I'd also hate to give it to them for months if it had some bad side effect from long term ingestion.... I-131 is a uranium fission product. Once the reactor is shutdown production of radioiodine estentially stops (the actual decay chain that produces the I-131 escapes me at the moment). After 5 half lives, the I-131 is gone as a practicle matter, in the core, in the coolant, diposited over the landscape, etc. If there isn't an ongoing fission reaction somewhere, the quantity of I-131 is decreasing. Very cool to know. Just to make sure I understand correctly: If a cooling pond goes dry and the rods heat up and burn off their cladding, etc. they won't generate I-131? What about Chernobyl? Did it release I-131 over a lengthy period of time? The reason I ask is if the grid for whatever wild reason went down and people went all TEOTWAWKI I would expect an actual (however small) possibility of +Fukushima+ scenarios. I remember reading about the hazards of cooling ponds and other stuff on Survivalblog before Fukushima ever happened. I had no idea if the guy was correct or not, and basicly hoped he was totally wrong. Fukushima happened and I now see the guy was basically spot on about ponds going bad, etc. I'm not running around all "oh teh noes" and stuff, but I can now somewhat see the actual possibility of a fleet of active radiation releasers if things ever go hard sideways. Sorry, I read your first post of "cooling pond" as the lakes that are the heat sink, not the spent fuel storage. Can't speak to Chernobol, but that one burned (was on fire) for a while, and I'm not sure how a graphite moderated reactor works (or doesn't work in that case). The question you are asking confuses radioiodine (which KI helps with) with all the radioactivity in the fuel (core or spent fuel). Radioiodine is short lived, and if there isn't a lot of fisions going on (like in a critical reactor) there is nothing starting new decay chains to replace it as it decays away. The concept you want is "Fission Yield" (try wiki Radioidine decays to something else radioactive radioactive which decays to something else. IIRC radioiodine is about 3% of the fission products present when the reactor is shutdown. All those long lived ones are also radioactive, and provide a dose which can be fatal if high enough (both from ingestion and from dose from proximety to the material). And KI doesn't do anything about that. The radiation from all those other radioactive isotopes is the problem if they are scattered over the countryside. But those aren't radioiodine. And those are the reason for the radiation levels around Fukushima that have caused the evacuation zone that is still in effect TTBOMK. Chernobyl too. But the radioiodine has all decayed away now a year later. And KI does nothing for straight dose from contamination on the ground. But it takes a really high dose to be acutely fatal. And the radioiodine in the spent fuel pool is already all gone (Decayed away). If the radioactivity in the pool is released in an acident, KI isn't going to do anything. Big problem, but not KI related. Did that help at all? |
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I-131 is a uranium fission product. Once the reactor is shutdown production of radioiodine estentially stops (the actual decay chain that produces the I-131 escapes me at the moment). After 5 half lives, the I-131 is gone as a practicle matter, in the core, in the coolant, diposited over the landscape, etc. If there isn't an ongoing fission reaction somewhere, the quantity of I-131 is decreasing. This You are only going to get iodine from a recent reactor release or atomic bomb (not dirty bomb). Half life is 8 days, so after 80 days the level is 0.1% of the inital dose. However, because of the physics and biologic properties of iodine it is responsable for a significant amount of injury. Iodine is going to be released froim any reactor that "ruptures or vents" when it has been recently operating. Chernobol generated plenty of it. Reactor fuel storage pools should not generate it in any quanity if they run dry. Not enough reaction or time for the iodine to build. A reactor makes 3 gigawats of thermal power and the iodine has still taken weeks to acumulate. |
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OK, bingo guys- that is exactly what I was wanting to know. I don't understand the whole process well enough to figure it out myself, and I was afraid that rods burning off their cladding in a pond would still generate it somehow because of their proximity to each other without the cladding. If an unattended (TEOTWAWKI) plant is venting, and the cooling ponds for spent rods go south as well, then the only I-131 release is early in the event without further generation of I-131. Then with that being the case, their really isn't any reason for KI or KIO3 past the first couple of weeks of the incident. I'm guessing regardless of how many plants were involved or pretty much even where you are at with regard to the release for that matter....
Then I only need a two or so week supply. I guess maybe a month–– if I was extra paranoid about what were to pop when and how long they would take to do so. Any other material released would be beyond the KI or KIO3's ability to help protect against anyway, and would require monitoring, air filtration, and isolation/shelter if I understand all of this correctly. Thanks guys!!! 
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OK, bingo guys- that is exactly what I was wanting to know. I don't understand the whole process well enough to figure it out myself, and I was afraid that rods burning off their cladding in a pond would still generate it somehow because of their proximity to each other without the cladding. If an unattended (TEOTWAWKI) plant is venting, and the cooling ponds for spent rods go south as well, then the only I-131 release is early in the event without further generation of I-131. Then with that being the case, their really isn't any reason for KI or KIO3 past the first couple of weeks of the incident. I'm guessing regardless of how many plants were involved or pretty much even where you are at with regard to the release for that matter.... Then I only need a two or so week supply. I guess maybe a month–– if I was extra paranoid about what were to pop when and how long they would take to do so. Any other material released would be beyond the KI or KIO3's ability to help protect against anyway, and would require monitoring, air filtration, and isolation/shelter if I understand all of this correctly. Thanks guys!!! Almost –– if the fuel in the pools has been out of the reactor more than a month, there isn't really a inventory of I-131 to worry about. As soon as that fuel shut down, the I-131 decay started and took place inside the fuel itself, it isn't trapped in there, it has decayed and is gone, maybe to something worse, but something that doesn't seek your thyroid. Same applies for any reactor that was shut down at or before an event of concern. All the radioiodine starts decaying right then when the reactor is shut down, and only a fraction of the radioiodine is there when your "venting" event occurs, assuming some time to "venting" after reactor shutdown in your scenario. The concept of half life works all the time. The radiodine is always decaying away inside the reactor, but the ongoing fissions are starting new decay chains to replenish it at the same rate so there is an equilibrium. It is simplistic, but the radioiodine inventory is like a bucket with a hole in the bottom. As long as you stand there with a hose and keep the water going into the bucket, the level stays the same, but as soon as you turn off the hose, the water level starts to drop, until it is all gone. Radioidine is the water in that analogy, and the hose connects upstream to the fission process. Stop the fisions, nothing flows through the hose, and your bucket of I-131 empties. However, the next bucket it drains into is a radioactive isotope too, probably nasty, maybe with a much smaller hole in the bottom (ie longer half life) but that one doesn't seek your thyroid –– that is fallout that KI does nothing for. |
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I got a bottle of 120 tablets, 32.5mg, for $12.23 from Vitacost (vitacost.com). Adult dose for thyroid blockade to prevent uptake of radioactive iodine is stated as 130mg/day for an adult and 65mg/day for a kid, though some papers in the literature suggest that lower doses can still effectively prevent uptake. |
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I just ordered some the other day. Make sure you understand Adults 130mg, kids 65mg. iOSAT 130mg |