Category

• Antihyperthyroid agent
• Nutritional supplement, mineral

Description

Sodium iodide (SOE-dee-um EYE-oh-dide) is used to prevent or treat iodine deficiency.

The body needs iodine for normal growth and health. For patients who are unable to get enough iodine in their regular diet or who have a need for more iodine, sodium iodide may be necessary. Iodine is needed so that your thyroid gland can function properly.

Iodine deficiency in the United States is rare because iodine is added to table salt. Most people get enough salt from the foods they eat, without adding salt to their meals. Iodine deficiency is a problem in other areas of the world.

Lack of iodine may lead to thyroid problems, mental problems, hearing loss, and goiter.

Injectable sodium iodide is administered only by or under the supervision of a health care professional. Some multivitamin/mineral preparations that contain sodium iodide are available without your health care professional's prescription.

Sodium iodide is available in the following dosage forms:

Oral
• Sodium iodide is available orally as part of a multivitamin/mineral combination.

Parenteral
• Injection (U.S.)

Importance of Diet

Iodine is found in various foods, including seafood, small amounts of iodized salt, and vegetables grown in iodine-rich soils. Iodine-containing mist from the ocean is another important source of iodine, since iodine is absorbed by the skin. Iodized salt provides 76 micrograms (mcg) of iodine per gram of salt.

The daily amount of iodine needed is defined in several different ways.

For U.S.—
• Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs) are the amount of vitamins and minerals needed to provide for adequate nutrition in most healthy persons. RDAs for a given nutrient may vary depending on a person's age, sex, and physical condition (e.g., pregnancy).
• Daily Values (DVs) are used on food and dietary supplement labels to indicate the percent of the recommended daily amount of each nutrient that a serving provides. DV replaces the previous designation of United States Recommended Daily Allowances (USRDAs).

For Canada—
• Recommended Nutrient Intakes (RNIs) are used to determine the amounts of vitamins, minerals, and protein needed to provide adequate nutrition and lessen the risk of chronic disease.

Normal daily recommended intakes in mcg for iodine are generally defined as follows:

Persons	U.S. (mcg)	Canada (mcg)
Infants and children Birth to 3 years of age	40-70	30-65
4 to 6 years of age	90	85
7 to 10 years of age	120	95-125
Adolescent and adult males	150	125-160
Adolescent and adult females	150	110-160
Pregnant females	175	135-185
Breast-feeding females	200	160-210

Brand Names

Some commonly used brand names are:

In the U.S.—

• Iodopen

Generic name product may be available in the U.S.

† Not commercially available in Canada.