you need KI to get a high enough dose. take a gram of KI and the mucus will start to clear. lugols would have to be reduced. i used sodium ascorbate last time i had someone taking it for lung problems.
changing the elemental iodine to a salt is necessary for high doses, say over 300mg or so. this would be true for any I2 to keep the I2 intake under 120mg or so.