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| | RAD BLOCK™,
Potassium Iodide (KI) Tablets
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Key
Benefits
- Potassium
Iodide (KI), as used in RAD BLOCK™, is recommended by the World
Health Organization (WHO) over products with Potassium Iodate (KIO3)
since KIO3 can cause intestinal irritation.
- RAD
BLOCK™ uses a formulation that is child friendly. Children 3 years
and above can take 1 tablet (65 mg), rather than the half tablet
used by some other brands, which can have a bitter taste.
- RAD
BLOCK™ provides key WHO 2000 dosages and warnings for children
under 3, neonates (both for under and over 1 week old), for pregnant
and nursing moms, and for adults 40 and over.
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RAD
BLOCK™ uses better packaging, to include desiccant, two safety
seals, childproof cap, and the most complete and up-to-date dosage
and warning data right on the bottle. As well as in a two-page
information insert.
- RAD BLOCK™ is produced in an FDA approved
facility with approved labeling, such as including an NDC# (used by
Poison Control centers, etc.), lot #, and expiration date.
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How RAD BLOCK™ Works:
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Certain forms of iodine help your thyroid gland work
properly. Most people get the iodine they need from foods like iodized
salt or fish. The thyroid can “store” or hold only a certain amount
of iodine. In a radiation emergency, radioactive iodine may be released
in the air. This material may be breathed or swallowed or ingested with
food and drinks. It may enter the thyroid gland and damage it. The
damage would probably not show itself for years. Children are most
likely to have thyroid damage. If you take Potassium Iodide, it will
fill up your thyroid gland and block the uptake of dangerous radioactive
iodine. This greatly reduces the chance that harmful radioactive iodine
will enter the thyroid gland.
RAD BLOCK™ Tablets are packaged in bottles of 200 tablets. Each
yellow/white, round, scored tablet contains 65 MG potassium iodide (that
yields 50 MG of ingestible iodine). The slightly yellow surface is
caused by a “clear” coating to prevent any bitter taste.
In the aftermath of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant disaster, many
children most likely developed thyroid cancer or thyroid abnormalities
because they did not receive the protection afforded by radiation
blocking pills, such as RAD BLOCK ™, prior to exposure to even small
amounts of nuclear fallout. The World Health Organization said this of
the Chernobyl disaster: |
"The result, less than fifteen years after the accident, is more
than 1000 cases of thyroid cancer, most probably solely attributable
to this single release of radioactivity to the environment … In the
most affected area in Belarus, the yearly incidence (of thyroid cancer
in children) has risen … more than 100-fold compared to the
situation before the accident. … This increase in incidence has been
documented up to 500 km from the accident site".
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| If the countries that surround the Chernobyl nuclear power
plant had not given out millions of doses of KI pills (like RAD BLOCK
™), thousands of more cases of cancer may have developed. [Note: As of
the year 2000, while recommended by the U.S. government and many
research groups, the U.S. still does not widely stockpile KI pills as in
done in many other countries.]
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommends taking Potassium
Iodide only when public health officials tell you to do so during a
radiation emergency (such as a major nuclear power plant disaster or
with an explosion either involving nuclear materials or an actual
nuclear fission or fusion bomb detonation). In a radiation emergency,
radioactive iodine could be released into the air and cause potential
health risks for up to hundreds or even thousands of miles (in the case
of large nuclear weapons explosions).
Potassium Iodide (KI), a form of Iodine that is quite different than
that used to purify water, used to formulate Rad Block tablets, can help
protect you by preventing the uptake of radioactive iodine into your
thyroid. note: the thyroid, as opposed to the rest of the
human body, is extremely vulnerable to even low levels of radioactive
iodine. |
Directions for Use / Daily
Dose:
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Use as directed by a physician and as directed by
public health authorities.
- Adults - 2 tablets taken once per day
- Children 3 to 12 years of age - 1 tablet taken once per
day
If a child cannot swallow this pill, the pill should
be crushed and administered in milk, juice, jam, soda, etc. – to
eliminate the bitter taste – taken once per day.
- Children 1 month to 3 years of age - One-half (½)
tablet crushed and stirred into solution with juice, milk, jam, or
formula . taken once per day
- Neonates (birth to 1 month of age) - Only a single
administration of one-quarter (¼) tablet crushed and stirred into
formula, breast-milk, milk, or water should be given to neonates who
are in their first week of life outside of the womb, even for
premature babies, unless otherwise specified by a physician. If
approved by a physician, subsequent doses of one-quarter (¼) tablet
crushed and stirred into formula, breast-milk, milk, or water may be
given to neonates after their first week of life if there is a
continuing hazard.
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| Pregnant and nursing women may take this product (although
be sure to refer to the WARNING section that follows) but should consult
a physician prior to continuing daily dosages after the second day.
Adults and older children should take this tablet preferably with milk
or food to limit any potential adverse gastrointestinal response. If
only a limited number of RAD BLOCK ™ or similar pills are available,
these should be given to infants, children and young adults first as its
effectiveness (and also the risk of thyroid cancer) drops off with
adults over 40 years of age. Adults 40 and over should not take KI
beyond 1 day unless directed to do so by a physician (or unless the
adult is continuing to be exposed to high levels of radioactive iodine
that threaten thyroid function). |
When to take RAD
BLOCK™:
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| Potassium Iodide (KI) should be taken as soon as possible
after public health officials tell you and if at all possible, prior to
or shortly after radiation exposure. Dangerous radioactive iodine can be
blocked by nearly 100% if taken prior to radiation exposure and can
still block 50% even hours after exposure. You should take one dose
daily (per the preceding paragraph’s guidelines). More will not help
you because the thyroid can “hold” only limited amounts of iodine.
Larger doses will increase the risk of side effects. You will probably
be told by health authorities not to take the drug for more than 10 days
after the end of exposure to nuclear radiation (but note the Daily
Dosage section above and the Warning section below for pregnant and
nursing women and for neonates and for those 40 years of age and older).
In the case of a nuclear power incident, this may be less than two weeks
total dosage time. In the case of a major nuclear war (even if overseas)
or with nuclear materials terrorism incident, authorities may recommend
taking KI for 100 or more days for children and young adults. |
| Warning: At the WHO
dosages recommended above, an adverse reaction rate of less than 1 in 10
million children and less than 1 in 1 million adults is expected.
However, Potassium Iodide should not be used by people allergic to
iodide. According to the WHO, contraindications for use of potassium
iodide are: (1) past or present thyroid disease (e.g., active
hyperthyroidism), (2) known iodine hypersensitivity, (3) dermatitis
herpetiformis, and (4) hypocomplementaemic vasculitis. Pregnant women
should consult a physician prior to continuing dosages for more than two
days. According to the WHO, “No negative consequences are to be
expected after one or two doses of stable iodine. However, especially in
areas with dietary iodine deficiency, prolonged dosage could lead to
maternal and/ or fetal thyroid blockage, with possible consequences for
fetal development. Pregnant women with active hyperthyroidism must not
take stable iodine because of the risk of fetal thyroid blockage.” The
WHO also states “Side effects in other parts of the body, such as
gastrointestinal effects or hypersensitivity reactions, may occur but
are generally mild and can be considered of minor importance.” One
additional recommendation we urge, now before any nuclear emergencies,
is to check with your doctor and inquire whether there is any
possibility of any adverse reactions if you, or your children, had to
begin taking KI. This is especially important if you are taking regular
medications with Spironolactone (like Aldactone), Triamterene (Dyrenium)
Amiloride (Midamor), or medicines for an overactive thyroid, or if you
are on medications with any lithium-based or potassium-sparing
diuretics. You should also check with your doctor before taking this
medication if you have myotonia or hyperkalemia congenita or
tuberculosis or kidney disease (see
www.mayohealth.org/usp/html/202472.htm for more information). It is
better to have gotten that assurance from your physician now, before any
emergencies, rather than risk hesitating taking it later (or possibly
suffering an adverse reaction) because you didn't ask first. Keep out of
the reach of children. In case of overdose or allergic reaction, contact
a physician or public health authority |
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Storage and
Shelf-Life: |
| Store at controlled room temperature between 15° and 30°
C (59° to 86° F) and avoid excessive humidity. Keep bottle tightly
closed. Potassium Iodide, although required by the FDA to be labeled
with a 3-year shelf-life at this time with RAD BLOCK ™, should be
effective for decades if stored properly. p> |
Side Effects (See Warning section
above):
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| Usually, side effects of KI happen when people take higher
doses for a long time. You should be careful not to take more than the
recommended dose or take it for longer than you are told. Side effects
are unlikely because of the low dose. Possible side effects include skin
rashes, swelling of the salivary glands, and “iodism” (metallic
taste, burning mouth and throat, sore teeth and gums, symptoms of a head
cold, and sometimes stomach upset and diarrhea). A few people have an
allergic reaction with more serious symptoms (see WARNING section
above). These could be fever and joint pains, or swelling of parts of
the face and body and at times severe shortness of breath requiring
immediate medical attention. Taking iodide may rarely cause overactivity
of the thyroid gland, underactivity of the thyroid gland, or enlargement
of the thyroid gland (goiter). Babies in the womb and breast-feeding
babies may develop skin rashes and other thyroid related problems
through receiving KI passed through the placenta or from breast milk
(see Daily Dosage and Warning section above). |
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What to do if side effects occur: |
| If the side effects are severe or if you have an allergic
reaction, stop taking Potassium Iodide. Then, if possible, call a doctor
or public health authority for instructions.
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COPYRIGHT, THE AMERICAN CIVIL DEFENSE ASSOCIATION |
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