Guest guest Posted July 30, 2005 Report Share Posted July 30, 2005 Ann-Marie, Here is what I was able to find. *Sulfur* (or *Sulphur*; see spelling http://www.nationmaster.com/encyclopedia/sulfer#Spelling> below) is the chemical element http://www.nationmaster.com/encyclopedia/Chemical-element> in the periodic table http://www.nationmaster.com/encyclopedia/Periodic-table> that has the symbol *S* and atomic number http://www.nationmaster.com/encyclopedia/Atomic-number> 16. An abundant tasteless odorless multivalent non-metal http://www.nationmaster.com/encyclopedia/Non_metal>, sulfur is best known as yellow crystals and occurs as sulfide http://www.nationmaster.com/encyclopedia/Sulfide> and sulfate http://www.nationmaster.com/encyclopedia/Sulfate> minerals and even in its native form (especially in volcanic http://www.nationmaster.com/encyclopedia/Volcano> regions). It is an essential element in all living organisms and is needed in several amino acids http://www.nationmaster.com/encyclopedia/Amino-acid> and hence in many proteins http://www.nationmaster.com/encyclopedia/Protein>. It is primarily used in fertilizers http://www.nationmaster.com/encyclopedia/Fertilizer> but is also widely used in gunpowder http://www.nationmaster.com/encyclopedia/Gunpowder>, laxatives http://www.nationmaster.com/encyclopedia/Laxative>, matches http://www.nationmaster.com/encyclopedia/Match>, insecticides http://www.nationmaster.com/encyclopedia/Insecticide> and fungicides http://www.nationmaster.com/encyclopedia/Fungicide>. Ann-Marie Mc wrote: >I am allergic to Sulfa drugs. My question is: Are Sulfa, Sulfer, and >Sulfates all in the same class of drugs? > >I am now on TPN and they have Sulfates in it. If I am allergic to Sulfa >drugs will I be allergic to the Sulfates in my TPN?? I am having the same >side effects now that i have when I take Sulfa drugs. > >If they are in the same class this will really upset me since I have told >everyone that is associated with my TPN that I am allergic to Sulfa drugs, >including the hospital, the Pharmacist where the TPN is made and so forth. > >Hugs, >Ann-Marie > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 30, 2005 Report Share Posted July 30, 2005 Short answer: all three are entirely different, for purposes of allergies. I was pretty sure of this, but thought I'd get confirmation from a reliable health site, namely http://www.mayoclinic.com " Sulfa isn't the same as sulfate. Sulfa is short for sulfamethoxazole. Some people are allergic to sulfa antibiotics such as sulfamethoxazole, which is found in the combination antibiotics Bactrim and Septra. Sulfate, also spelled sulphate, is a chemical term that identifies specific salts containing sulfur. Sulfur is a mineral that's found naturally in animal protein (including meat, poultry, fish and eggs), dried beans and other vegetables. Sulfa antibiotics don't contain sulfates. For these reasons, people who are allergic to sulfa antibiotics wouldn't be allergic to dietary supplements containing sulfates. The most common allergic reaction to sulfa drugs is a skin rash. There's no reliable test for allergy to sulfa antibiotics. A doctor may make a diagnosis of sulfa allergy based on the signs and symptoms. " I would add, that salts are what you get when you chemically combine an acid and a " base " (aka alkali, typically in the form of hyrdoxide or oxide of a metal). In practice, simple salts are typically a metal name followed by a variant of the acid name. For instance, sodium chloride (common table salt) CAN be made from sodium hydroxide (common lye) combined with hydrochloric acid. Along this line, " sulphates " are formed from a metal (usually) and sulphuric acid, e.g. magnesium sulphate. I would also clarify that sulfa drugs DO contain sulphur, the element, but the sulphur is very tightly bound in the sulfa compound and therefore sulfa has none of the properties of sulphur. Elemental sulphur is a yellow powder that happens to be one of the three main ingredients of gunpowder. Also, slightly confusingly, sulphur itself IS needed in the normal human diet, but is only usable as such when it's " bio " available, as in meat, eggs, etc. as stated above. MSM (methylsulfonylmethane) is a bio-available form of sulphur sold as a supplement and also has been studied for it's contribution to healthy joints and bones. Steve D. Date: Fri, 29 Jul 2005 22:39:45 -0400 Subject: Sulfa drugs? I am allergic to Sulfa drugs. My question is: Are Sulfa, Sulfer, and Sulfates all in the same class of drugs? I am now on TPN and they have Sulfates in it. If I am allergic to Sulfa drugs will I be allergic to the Sulfates in my TPN?? I am having the same side effects now that i have when I take Sulfa drugs. If they are in the same class this will really upset me since I have told everyone that is associated with my TPN that I am allergic to Sulfa drugs, including the hospital, the Pharmacist where the TPN is made and so forth. Hugs, Ann-Marie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 31, 2005 Report Share Posted July 31, 2005 They are different, but multiple allergies are common in us guys, huh? And of course a reaction to a particular drug could be a " sensitivity " and not a true allergy - with baby formulas, I had to go through a few brands and types (milk or soy or lactose-free milk) to get things my kids would tolerate (they didn't have any specific GI issues, but would throw up or get lots of gas for certain brands). No idea why one brand would work better than the other, but it turned out that way - and all three had to use different brands/formulations! Take care, RH > Short answer: all three are entirely different, for purposes of allergies. > > I was pretty sure of this, but thought I'd get confirmation from a reliable > health site, namely > http://www.mayoclinic.com > > " Sulfa isn't the same as sulfate. Sulfa is short for sulfamethoxazole. Some > people are allergic to sulfa antibiotics such as sulfamethoxazole, which is > found in the combination antibiotics Bactrim and Septra. Sulfate, also > spelled sulphate, is a chemical term that identifies specific salts > containing sulfur. Sulfur is a mineral that's found naturally in animal > protein (including meat, poultry, fish and eggs), dried beans and other > vegetables. Sulfa antibiotics don't contain sulfates. > > For these reasons, people who are allergic to sulfa antibiotics wouldn't be > allergic to dietary supplements containing sulfates. The most common > allergic reaction to sulfa drugs is a skin rash. There's no reliable test > for allergy to sulfa antibiotics. A doctor may make a diagnosis of sulfa > allergy based on the signs and symptoms. " > > I would add, that salts are what you get when you chemically combine an acid > and a " base " (aka alkali, typically in the form of hyrdoxide or oxide of a > metal). In practice, simple salts are typically a metal name followed by a > variant of the acid name. For instance, sodium chloride (common table salt) > CAN be made from sodium hydroxide (common lye) combined with hydrochloric > acid. Along this line, " sulphates " are formed from a metal (usually) and > sulphuric acid, e.g. magnesium sulphate. > > I would also clarify that sulfa drugs DO contain sulphur, the element, but > the sulphur is very tightly bound in the sulfa compound and therefore sulfa > has none of the properties of sulphur. Elemental sulphur is a yellow powder > that happens to be one of the three main ingredients of gunpowder. > > Also, slightly confusingly, sulphur itself IS needed in the normal human > diet, but is only usable as such when it's " bio " available, as in meat, > eggs, etc. as stated above. MSM (methylsulfonylmethane) is a bio- available > form of sulphur sold as a supplement and also has been studied for it's > contribution to healthy joints and bones. > > Steve D. > > Date: Fri, 29 Jul 2005 22:39:45 -0400 > From: Ann-Marie Mc > Subject: Sulfa drugs? > > > I am allergic to Sulfa drugs. My question is: Are Sulfa, Sulfer, and > Sulfates all in the same class of drugs? > > I am now on TPN and they have Sulfates in it. If I am allergic to Sulfa > drugs will I be allergic to the Sulfates in my TPN?? I am having the same > side effects now that i have when I take Sulfa drugs. > > If they are in the same class this will really upset me since I have told > everyone that is associated with my TPN that I am allergic to Sulfa drugs, > including the hospital, the Pharmacist where the TPN is made and so forth. > > Hugs, > Ann-Marie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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