Sulfa drugs

[Guest guest]

Hi Everyone!!

I want to thank you all for your suggestions, websites, thoughts, and

opinions on my questions concerning Sulfa drugs, etc..

I found the website to be filled with information that is useful.

I did find 's post very interesting since she is also on TPN and has

a Sulfa drug allergy. She gave me alot to think about and I will be calling

the infusion company on Monday to question some of the additives in my TPN.

Steve, funny that you mentioned that there is no real test to do for an

allergy to sulfa drugs. When I mention my allergy to sulfa drugs to the

doctors, nurses, etc...they never questioned my allergic reaction to the

drug. I get the worse hives you can imagine, and I swell up and my whole

body gets red. It drives me nuts. And I have noticed these side-effects

while I am on my TPN but not when I am off of my TPN. I receive Amino Acids

which is Protein in my TPN and those mentioned by to be safe for

sulfa allergies are not the ones listed in my particular formula of TPN.

Anyways, thank you all for being so kind and helping me get to the bottom

of this. I hate allergies and with Mito it is so much harder to figure out.

Have a great day

Hugs,

Ann-Marie

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[Guest guest]

> Steve, funny that you mentioned that there is no real test to do

> for an allergy to sulfa drugs.

I didn't notice that in his post, or I would have spoke up. Back in

1991, I was tested by an allergist for allergies to multiple

antibiotics, and was positive for penicillin, cephalosporin, and

sulfa drug allergies. The test for sulfa drug allergies used

Gantrisin. Because of the danger of even the skin test with a 1/1000

solution of each antibiotic, the doctor did the testing himself, not

a nurse or tech.

I know that as of a few months ago, my allergist said that the

preparation used to test patients for penicillin allergies is not

available (I didn't specifically ask her about sulfa drug testing at

the time). She said hopefully it will be available in the future.

This is of concern to me because now my two-year-old got hives the

last time she had Amoxicillin, and they say if it is a true allergy

(that is, if antibodies are building up to the drug in your body), we

could die if we get exposed to penicillin again.

The allergists are at the whims of consumer demand and the

manufacturers of the antibiotic skin test formulations, so perhaps

they don't make the proper Gantrisin formulation anymore.

This is interesting - it lists drugs that *aren't* antibiotics but

*are* sulfa drugs (like Celebrex!):

http://www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/WSIHW000/7945/7991/370729.html

Take care,

RH

> When I mention my allergy to sulfa drugs to the

> doctors, nurses, etc...they never questioned my allergic reaction

to the

> drug. I get the worse hives you can imagine, and I swell up and my

whole

> body gets red. It drives me nuts. And I have noticed these side-

effects

> while I am on my TPN but not when I am off of my TPN. I receive

Amino Acids

> which is Protein in my TPN and those mentioned by to be

safe for

> sulfa allergies are not the ones listed in my particular formula of

TPN.

>

> Anyways, thank you all for being so kind and helping me get to the

bottom

> of this. I hate allergies and with Mito it is so much harder to

figure out.

>

> Have a great day

> Hugs,

> Ann-Marie

>

> ----------

>

>

>

> No virus found in this outgoing message.

> Checked by AVG Anti-Virus.

> Version: 7.0.338 / Virus Database: 267.9.7/60 - Release Date:

7/28/2005

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Just to clarify, the part of my post that contained that statement, about a

test for sulfa allergy, was inside a word-for-word quote (that I enclosed in

quotation marks) from http://www.mayoclinic.com which I reproduce again

below. It was taken from a Mayo Clinic response to a forum question. When I

first read Ann-Marie's remark that I had posted that, I didn't even believe

it myself until I re-checked how and why I had done so. Anyway, I suppose

this is either an error on the part of Mayo Clinic (or perhaps pre-dates the

test?), or else there's some technical dispute over the EXACT definition of

" allergy " or " test " or " reliable " . I myself have NO expertise on the

subject, other than the (non-quoted) part of my original post about the

chemistry of sulphur compounds. LONG ago I was a dedicated amateur

high-school chemist, and then majored in chemistry at M.I.T.

Steve D.

THE SUSPECT QUOTE:

" 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. "

> Date: Sun, 31 Jul 2005 20:57:16 -0000

>

> Subject: Re: Sulfa drugs

>

> > Steve, funny that you mentioned that there is no real test to do

> > for an allergy to sulfa drugs.

>

> I didn't notice that in his post, or I would have spoke up. Back in

> 1991, I was tested by an allergist for allergies to multiple

> antibiotics, and was positive for penicillin, cephalosporin, and

> sulfa drug allergies. The test for sulfa drug allergies used

> Gantrisin. Because of the danger of even the skin test with a 1/1000

> solution of each antibiotic, the doctor did the testing himself, not

> a nurse or tech.

>

> I know that as of a few months ago, my allergist said that the

> preparation used to test patients for penicillin allergies is not

> available (I didn't specifically ask her about sulfa drug testing at

> the time). She said hopefully it will be available in the future.

> This is of concern to me because now my two-year-old got hives the

> last time she had Amoxicillin, and they say if it is a true allergy

> (that is, if antibodies are building up to the drug in your body), we

> could die if we get exposed to penicillin again.

>

> The allergists are at the whims of consumer demand and the

> manufacturers of the antibiotic skin test formulations, so perhaps

> they don't make the proper Gantrisin formulation anymore.

>

> This is interesting - it lists drugs that *aren't* antibiotics but

> *are* sulfa drugs (like Celebrex!):

>

> http://www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/WSIHW000/7945/7991/370729.html

>

> Take care,

> RH

>

> > When I mention my allergy to sulfa drugs to the

> > doctors, nurses, etc...they never questioned my allergic reaction

> to the

> > drug. I get the worse hives you can imagine, and I swell up and my

> whole

> > body gets red. It drives me nuts. And I have noticed these side-

> effects

> > while I am on my TPN but not when I am off of my TPN. I receive

> Amino Acids

> > which is Protein in my TPN and those mentioned by to be

> safe for

> > sulfa allergies are not the ones listed in my particular formula of

> TPN.

> >

> > Anyways, thank you all for being so kind and helping me get to the

> bottom

> > of this. I hate allergies and with Mito it is so much harder to

> figure out.

> >

> > Have a great day

> > Hugs,

> > Ann-Marie

> >