Potassium Iodide Runs Low as Americans Seek It Out

[riverwalker]

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703363904576201013720213564.html

Potassium Iodide Runs Low as Americans Seek It Out

By JONATHAN D. ROCKOFF

Supplies of potassium iodide, a preventive against radiation poisoning of the thyroid gland, are running low at some manufacturers, as Americans seek protection amid fears that radiation from Japan could head to the U.S., according to the companies.

One leading supplier, Anbex Inc., quickly sold out of its supply of more than 10,000 14-tablet packages on Saturday, said Alan Morris, president of the Williamsburg, Va., company.

He said the closely held firm was getting about three orders a minute for $10 packages of its Iosat pills, up from as few as three a week normally.

"Those who don't get it are crying. They're terrified," said Mr. Morris. The company tells callers that the likelihood of dangerous levels of radiation reaching the U.S. is low, but some callers, particularly on the West Coast, remain afraid, Mr. Morris said. <more>

http://www.cnn.com/2011/HEALTH/03/14/med.iodide.developers/

U.S. radiation drug manufacturers swamped with calls from Japan

"The federal government has never purchased enough to meet that standard. There is currently only enough of the medication available for populations living within 10 miles of nuclear reactors in the United States, according to U.S. officials."

[RagAss]

1. Where's Tom Ridge when we need him.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

2. Same folks who stocked up on duct tape and plastic sheeting after 9/11?

Same people who ran out and bought generators before 01/01/00?

Somebody is always going to panic, I guess, no matter what happens.

[Johonny]

5. they got a basement full of ammo, duct tape and KI salt

I call it stimulating the economy :)

[warrior1]

3. You only

need this if the milk you drink has been contaminated with this isotope.

[panader0]

4. Since thyroid cancer is but one of the many cancers

you can get from radiation, what's the point?
Are there pills for lung, prostate, kidney, etc cancers?

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

7. Nope. This stuff is good only for thyroid cancer.

Won't keep you from getting it anywhere else.

[notesdev]

6. morons

fine, save your thyroid from radioactive iodine... now what you going to do about the radioactive cesium and strontium that comes with it?

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

9. I'm guessing they think this will prevent all kinds of cancer

produced by radiation -- just like some people thought duct tape and plastic sheeting would protect them from al Qaeda. There are lots of uninformed, frightened people out there, unfortunately.

[notesdev]

10. what's going to happen

is people are going to mistake topical iodine for potassium iodate and start ending up in poison control centers or worse

global levels of stupid are highly elevated and are going to make a bad situation far worse than it needs to be.

[Union Scribe]

16. and lots of people ready to make a buck off 'em.

[snagglepuss]

21. Children are particularly suspectible to thyroid cancer stemming from

radiation exposure.

[Teaser]

8. goddamn people are stupid herd animals sometimes.

.

[BillyJack]

12. Sometimes? How about "all the time". That's how we humans 'roll'. *sigh* eom

[groundloop]

11. Rachel had a radiology expert on tonight - KI pills aren't necessary

He explained that the ONLY way for radioactive iodine to affect humans is for it to fall into fields on which milk cows graze, and then for humans to drink milk from those cows. There, I learned something.

[kestrel91316]

13. That sounds like BS. If they ingest it, period, they are getting it.

If it's in dust/fallout and you get it in your mouth by breathing and then swallow your contaminated saliva, you have ingested it.

Milk is a great concentrator of radioactive strontium, IIRC from what I learned of this stuff in vet school.

[GoCubsGo]

20. Strontium and calcium are analogs

Since they very similar atomic structures, strontium easily replaces calcium in minerals, as well as in biological tissues containing calcium, most obviously, bone. It's not surprising it concentrates in milk, too.

[Paradoxical]

19. Ingestion is possible in many forms. Not just drinking milk.

Think people.

[LynneSin]

30. have you seen what surrounds most of the Nuclear Power plants in the mid-atlantic region

nuff said

[roamer65]

14. Just take a daily multivitamin with KI and don't worry America.

You're going to go someway, somehow. Death is certainty.

I am simply going to keep on living life, going outside and having fun looking at the stars.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

15. All that's needed is an Internet rumor

that some substance, even something ridiculous (Licorice jelly beans? Library paste?) is a sure cure/prevention for some dire, scary affliction, and some significant number of morons will buy it all up -- especially if they think it is or will become scarce.

[Lone_Star_Dem]

17. Public service moment America: Send your Potassium Iodide to Japan where they really need it

Please. Really, you don't need it.

[Paradoxical]

18. They are essentially stealing it from the Japanese who actually need it.

Gotta love Americans. Dumb and greedy.

[snagglepuss]

22. I think its effing incompetent that Homeland Security doesn't have this

stockpiled. What about all the alerts and imminent terra attacks by AQ????

[Paradoxical]

23. They probably do have it stock piled.

But we don't need it. So why would they start handing it out?

[jtuck004]

24. Michigan Dept of Community Health seems to think it's worth having...

MICHIGAN DEPT OF COMMUNITY HEALTH (POTASSIUM IODINE PILLS)


THE MICHIGAN DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY HEALTH has determined that it is prudent to make potassium iodide (KI) pills available to residents in the Emergency Planning Zones (EPZ'S) near Michigan Nuclear Power Plants to provide protection in the unlikely event of a release of radioactive material from a nuclear plant.

As a courtesy to our valued stakeholders (within 10-miles radius of a state's nuclear power plant), we would like to extend an invitation to you to hear an update on the State of Michigan Department of Community Health's plans to make Potassium Iodide pills available on a voluntary basis to people living, working or visiting within this radius.

here...

All it protects is your thyroid against radioactive iodione, but since those are a byproduct of a reactor release, it can be important.

But you should ask your doctor and not just self-prescribe it, because there are people who shouldn't take it.

[JoeyT]

29. It's worth having if you live near a nuclear plant that could break down.

They aren't recommending it for people six to eight thousand miles away.
If it's bad enough people that far away are in danger, thyroid cancer is going to be the least of our worries.

[Dappleganger]

25. Well at least mine is gone, won't have to worry

[MyrnaLoy]

26. Drink beer

then pee. Or pay a bunch of money for crap that makes you pee.

[JoeyT]

27. The same people that went screaming to their doctors demanding prescriptions for Cipro

when the anthrax scare was happening.

Look, you're not going to get exposed to radiation. If you live in the continental US and you are exposed to radiation, all the KI in the world isn't going to help you because we're all fucked. People need to calm down.

All stockpiling does is ensure that if there's a shortage in the areas where it's really needed there won't be any more to send there.

[Xithras]

28. Wow, I just checked United Nuclear

Price for a two week supply has jumped from $8 a bottle to $49 a bottle in the past three days. Talk about gouging!