Potasium Iodide

OK, so I finally got around to making a real emergency plan. Did the research and put together a plan, packing supplies etc. Well part of the plan is to have potassium iodide in case of a "nuclear" problem. Now.. I live in Charlotte NC, and we have 3 nuke facilities here within an hours drive. Forget that we are a target for other reasons. I have tried to locate Potassium Iodide at every pharmacy in my area. Now, I know that I can buy it online. But the more times I asked for it the more determined that I became to want to find it locally. Well not only is it not available, I was interested to see the reactions to the request. What do you want that for type reactions. Puzzled looks, like they don't know what to do. Once I was told I needed a prescription. I had to inform the pharmacist that it was a mineral and it did not require a prescription. Not only did all of these places have it, but they could not order it. So what is up with that?

You can buy potassium iodide over the counter, under the brand name Iosat.

A quick internet search says that CVS pharmacies stock this @ $9.99/14 tablets, so perhaps you can try asking for it, or looking under the vitamins and supplements.

[be carefull of ordering a large amount of it over the net it might get redflagged by homeland secruity. they might think you are buying it because you are working illegally with radioactive materials

I was going to mention CVS also. My daughter picked some up locally on a closeout table. They can order it in for you also.

In response to the OP, a lot of state health depts have tried to minimize the utility of potassium iodide. They point out that it's efficacy is theoretical; that it only protects from the ingestion of just one radioactive element, and that terrorists in the US are "unlikely" to have a stolen nuke either based on, or creating, large amounts of radioactive iodine.

Part of this is due to the pervasive American belief in assured destruction, that all people exposed to any amount of nuke radiation are instant goners, who are completey without hope. They ignore the fact that many of the people at Hiroshima are still alive 62 years later, including the present head of the Jesuits.

Just look at the thread I started on surviving a fallout cloud. Basically, I gave up on that thread in part because a better one existed, but also because several posters kept chanting that countermeasures were futile, and they hoped they died instantly . . . They didn't want to hear that I was making plans, because it meant that they should, too.

That's why you're not supsposed to want P.O. tablets. You're not supposed to hope, much less prepare.

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reply to post by kdeery


A few years ago I faced that same problem. Since that time I have noticed more of a participation at local pharmacies in regards to "emergency preparedness". I think that not only pharmacies, but, the neighborhood grocery stores need to be brought up to speed and should be aware of "Potassium Iodate" as well as "activated charcoal". In fact, I think both should be selling emergency kits and first aid kits. They could make a section for it together with pamphlets, books, etc. Some people are not going to search the internet for the items necessary, and some people do not even know that you can purchase the items from the internet. If they make it easier to purchase more people will be ready and if they are not they have no excuse.




[edit on 14-11-2007 by Siren]

reply to post by kdeery



I wanted to address this separately...

Forget that we are a target for other reasons.

What are the other reasons?

table salt sells for about .33 cents and will work just as well. has other uses besides seasoning.

there's also some indication that a dose of radiation may actually be good for you. it's called the hormetic response. simply stated: things that are toxic in large doses are beneficial in small doses. example: veneral disease used to be cured with arsenic. parasites used to be expelled by ingesting a teaspoon of gasoline. crude treatments but they worked and the survivalist may need to know them.

the survivors of hiroshima are living proof that if you don't die in the large dose blast of radiation (or from the blast itself), you may thrive from the radiation.

are ther any studies supporting the "benefits" of small doses of radiation?

Originally posted by whitewave
table salt sells for about .33 cents and will work just as well. has other uses besides seasoning.

You're trying to take many thousands of times the daily dose of iodine, rather than the daily dose in a half a teaspoon of table salt.

Do you picture yourself eating 250 teaspoonfuls of salt in 12 hours?


Iodized (table) salt does contain trace ammounts of iodine---all the iodine your body needs, as do fish products. But the goal of taking potassium iodide tablets when immersed in radioactive fallout, however, is to give your body MORE than it needs, BEFORE it recieves any radioactive iodine via the environment.

The bottle of iodide tablets says they must be taken BEFORE exposure to radioactive iodine. Radioactive iodine, even in small doses (like iodine streak tests for x-rays in cancer patients) can permanently destroy the thyroid gland and leave you chemically dependent on thyroxin pills for the rest of your life (my sister's experience fighting cancer).



The whole idea of taking iodide tablets is to saturate your body, even to the point of temporary thyroiditis, in order to save your thyroid gland. Eating a debilitating amount of table salt will not achieve this effect, in my opinion. It'll just make you thirsty and open to radioactive iodide, which your body will mistake for a nutrient, thus shortening your life and lowering its quality.

You mention crude medice. Even iodide tablets are a "crude" attempt to avoid thyroid cancer. There's a sizable chance you could destroy the thyroid gland in the process. But again, thyroxin is a fairly cheap drug, and beat the heck out of dying from throat cancer.

Wow. Sorry I posted a long time ago. I didn't know how to check for replies. Thanks to all. I actually bought it online. Definitely could NOT buy locally. Had to buy 250 of them. I don't think I got flagged by DHS cause I flew to Vegas after words. B-) Actually did OK in Vegas by the way. Cheap/Fun vacation.
Anyway, someone asked what other reasons Charlotte was a target. Well here they are.
1. Three nuke plants.
2. Banking center
3. 1 Million People.
4. Major crossroads.
5. Watershead that covers a large section of SE.
I could go on. We are a pretty big target.

Halogens

The purpose of potassium iodide is not simply to avoid contamination with radioactive iodide but also of other radioactive halogen groupings. One the molecular fit is established, other halogens do not to bind on your thyroid. Many people are literally starving for iodine, and do not know it. For example bread is made with bromide rather than iodide. Our health was better in earlier days, but bromide is cheaper. I have a feeling that iodide is important for more reasons than only radiation.

[edit on 3-3-2008 by SkipShipman]