Poles buy Lugol’s fluid. The endocrinologist writes about the risks of eating

Immediately after the attack on Ukraine on February 24, the s took control of the Chernobyl power plant. The National Atomic Energy Agency then issued a message that there is no threat to life and health in Poland, but many people went to pharmacies to buy Lugol’s liquid. On Friday, March 4, Ukrainian media reported that forces had taken control of the Zaporizhia Nuclear Power Plant. Is buying Lugol’s fluid necessary? – Unnecessarily! – doctor Szymon Suwała alerts on Facebook and emphasizes that uncontrolled consumption of this drug can cause serious problems with the thyroid gland.

1. Lugol’s solution is an aqueous solution of iodine and potassium iodide. It is used to disinfect undamaged skin surfaces or minor abrasions and scratches.
2. Lugol’s liquid available in Polish pharmacies without a prescription is not suitable for consumption.
3. Last week, sales of this agent in Polish pharmacies increased significantly
4. Should we take it prophylactically? I’m calming down, definitely not – writes doctor Szymon Suwała, an endocrinologist on Facebook
5. Unjustified consumption of Lugol’s solution may cause or worsen the course of hypothyroidism, cause the development of hyperthyroidism, and cause or intensify the progression of Hashimoto’s disease – the doctor notes
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Poles storm pharmacies for Lugol’s liquid

Information about the capture of Chernobyl by the army made Poles massively buy Lugol’s liquid in pharmacies. Even though the National Atomic Energy Agency issued another announcement – after the occupation of the Zaporozhye power plant – saying that there is no cause for concern as there has been no increase in radiation levels, interest in Lugol’s fluid has not waned.

This solution was administered in our country after the Chernobyl nuclear power plant explosion in 1986 in order to protect against the absorption of the radioactive iodine isotope. Years later, specialists questioned the legitimacy of such a move, and moreover, they drew attention to the possible negative effect of such therapy.

However, the belief in the protective power of this fluid is still strong in our society, as evidenced by the increased traffic in pharmacies. Szymon Suwała, a specialist in endocrinology, commented on this on Facebook.

1. Read also: The situation in Chernobyl. The increase in radiation is the result of the movement of heavy equipment

«Poles storm pharmacies to buy Lugol’s liquid – do they need it? NOT. Should we take it prophylactically in fear of possible plans to blow up the power plant and the subsequent increase in radiation? I calm down – definitely not»- says the doctor.

“After the Chernobyl reactor accident in 1986, an action of supplying Lugol’s fluid was carried out in Poland – it was supposed to” block “the thyroid gland so that it would not be able to accept radioactive iodine. The assumption was correct, especially among children – but in retrospect we know that it was most likely not necessary »- he continues.

What is the risk of consuming Lugol’s?

The doctor emphasizes that the International Atomic Energy Agency said that there was no damage to the industrial area, and prof. Marek Jeżabek, director of the Institute of Nuclear Physics, explained that the Polish contamination detection system is very sensitive, so “we would know if something was happening”.

The endocrinologist lists what risks may arise from the unjustified use of Lugol’s solution and other iodine preparations.

«This may, as part of the Wolff-Chaikoff effect, cause or worsen the course of hypothyroidism, and, as part of the Iod-Basedow effect, it may also induce (perversely) the development of hyperthyroidism. Iodine may also trigger or worsen the progression of Hashimoto’s disease. In the current situation, the balance of potential profits and losses definitely weighs in the direction of losses – so I would like to emphasize, it is not worth worrying about the stock and running to the pharmacy for Lugol’s liquid! » – warns on Facebook.

Lugol’s fluid – what was it like in 1986?

After the reactor accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in 1986, Polish citizens, including children, received a properly prepared Lugol’s fluid. The goal was to protect against radioactive iodine 131.

– It could have penetrated primarily into the milk, and from there to the thyroid glands of children – said in an interview for “Polityka” prof. Zbigniew Jaworowski, the late specialist in the field of radioactive contamination. – We had the fullness of spring then, so farmers were already releasing cows to the meadows contaminated with radioactive iodine from Chernobyl (after the catastrophe, grazing cattle was forbidden – editor’s note). Therefore, the most important message that I wanted to convey to the authorities was: the children must be given stable iodine as soon as possible to protect them from thyroid cancer – said the scientist.

1. Also check: Do we have a cancer epidemic after the Chernobyl outbreak? [WE EXPLAIN]

Years later, prof. Jaworowski admitted that it was not a good decision. As she said in an interview with Medonet, Dr. Natalia Piłat-Norkowska from the Lower Silesian Oncology Center in Wrocław, in the years after Chernobyl, the expected epidemic of radiation-related cancers was not observed. It turned out, however, that drinking Lugol’s liquid could have had other negative side effects for Poles.

– After the disaster, it was recommended to eat the so-called Lugol’s fluid to saturate the thyroid with normal iodine before it can absorb the radioactive iodine isotope that was then released into the atmosphere. There are reports that this could lead to an increase in the amount of anti-thyroid antibodies responsible for an autoimmune disease such as Hashimoto’s disease, the drug said. Natalia Piłat-Norkowska.

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