I have severe anemia for which I have been prescribed Iron Supplements. I have had to take Iron supplements before and have had a bad reaction to them - so the new one my doctor prescribed is Ferrous Fumarate. This has not upset my stomach at all - but its expensive - and being that I am broke most of the time I am trying to find something else that I can take that costs less and has the same effect.
Sooo... what I have found is that there are many Iron Supplements out there. Each formulation has a certain amount of Elemental Iron in it - which is the actual Iron in the formula. Here is what I found:
Chart from the Poison Control Center:
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* Ferrous sulfate - 20% elemental iron
* Ferrous gluconate- 12% elemental iron
* Ferrous fumarate - 33% elemental iron
* Ferrous lactate - 19% elemental iron
* Ferrous chloride - 28% elemental iron
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Another chart - from WebMD that I found:
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* A 325-mg tablet of ferrous sulfate has 65 mg (20%) of elemental iron
* A 325-mg tablet of ferrous gluconate has 39 mg (12%) of elemental iron
* A 325-mg tablet of ferrous fumarate has 107.25 mg (33%) of elemental iron
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Currently I take one 325mg tablet of the Fumarate version. This costs me $16 for a 30-day supply (30-325mg pills). I found a bottle of the Sulfate version that costs me $2 for a 30-day supply (60-325mg pills)
According to the research I did - the one I am on - the Fumarate - apparently has the highest risk of someone having a reaction to it - which is weird because I have had no reaction to it at all.
I am allergic to Sulfa drugs so naturally I was scared to take the Sulfate. So I went looking to see if the Sulfate is a Sulfa drug. I found a LARGE number of boards and posts from stupid people who obviously have no clue what they are saying - giving advice to others saying that if you are allergic to Sulfa drugs you ABSOLUTELY cannot take the Sulfate pill. So I got scared and went looking for posts from actual doctors and pharmacists and found a few. Here is what I found out:
Taken from a medical board post I found:
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"Sulfa drugs are a class of antibiotics such as Septrum-DS and Bactrim. Ferrous sulfate is a form of iron as opposed to ferrous gluconate. Both forms of iron are used to treat anemia. Of the two, ferrous gluconate is less constipating than ferrous sulfate. "
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Taken from WebMD:
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"Becoming allergic to sulfonamide antibiotics is rather common, often causing an itchy rash which can cover the entire body. The next time a sulfa drug is given (usually by accident), a more severe anaphylactic reaction can occur. You can download for free a recent review of the topic from a family practice journal:http://www.cfp.ca/cgi/reprint/52/11/1434
On the other hand, sulfates are very common chemical compounds, also found naturally in the human body. For example, magnesium sulfate is sometimes given intravenously to treat asthma attacks. Some people are allergic to a sulfate compound, such as nickel sulfate causing a rash where the metal touches the skin. However, I could find no mention in the medical literature regarding an increased likelihood of a person allergic to sulfonamide antibiotics to also be allergic to any type of sulfate compounds.
Sulfites (yet another type of sulfur-containing chemical) are sometimes used to preserve fruits and vegetables. Sulfites can be found in beer and wine. A few people with asthma have become sensitized to sulfites, but they are not also allergic to sulfonamide antibiotics. "
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Taken from UoI Medical School RX Peer Review:
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Confusion sometimes arises when a patient is labeled as having a "sulfa" allergy. "Sulfa" usually refers to agents in the class of drugs known as sulfonamides. Almost all sulfonamides are anti-infectives: however sulfasalazine which is used to treat ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease, is also included.
Some patients who have experienced a hypersensitivity reaction to a sulfonamide drug may also experience the reactions with carbonic anhydrous inhibitors (acetazolamide), thiazide diuretics, furosemide, and the sulfonylurea antidiabetic agents. Therapy with these agents should be initiated with caution, if at all, in patients with a documented history of sulfanomide hypersensitivity.
Sulfones (Dapsone[R]) do not appear to exhibit cross-sensitivity with sulfonamides.
Sulfur (S) is a chemical element that is ubiquitous. It has fungicidal activity and is used in some topical preparations. There is no cross-sensitivity with sulfonamides.
Sulfites (SO3) are used as antioxidants and stabilizers. Derivatives of sulfites include bisulfites, metabisulfites, and sulfur dioxide. They are found in injectable drugs, wine, and food (e.g., restaurants use sulfites to keep lettuce from turning brown). Sulfite allergies are common, but these compounds do not appear to exhibit cross-sensitivity to sulfonamides.
Sulfates (SO4) are used as salts to solubilize drugs (e.g., gentamicin sulfate, morphine sulfate, ferrous sulfate). Sulfate allergies are extremely rare and do not exhibit cross-sensitivity with sulfonamides.
When discussing allergies with patients and documenting them on the patient's chart, care must be taken to identify the actual cause of the allergy, as well as the type of adverse reaction experienced by the patient.
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So, short answer - if you have a Sulfa allergy like I do - you can still take supplements that are Sulfides because they are not the same thing. Taking my Iron in the Sulfide form - one extra pill a day which is not bad, saves me about $14 a month and is worth the savings!
So tip of the day - if you have no medical background or knowledge - please refrain from giving people advice online!
Sulfones (Dapsone[R]) do not appear to exhibit cross-sensitivity with sulfonamides.
Sulfur (S) is a chemical element that is ubiquitous. It has fungicidal activity and is used in some topical preparations. There is no cross-sensitivity with sulfonamides.
Sulfites (SO3) are used as antioxidants and stabilizers. Derivatives of sulfites include bisulfites, metabisulfites, and sulfur dioxide. They are found in injectable drugs, wine, and food (e.g., restaurants use sulfites to keep lettuce from turning brown). Sulfite allergies are common, but these compounds do not appear to exhibit cross-sensitivity to sulfonamides.
Sulfates (SO4) are used as salts to solubilize drugs (e.g., gentamicin sulfate, morphine sulfate, ferrous sulfate). Sulfate allergies are extremely rare and do not exhibit cross-sensitivity with sulfonamides.
When discussing allergies with patients and documenting them on the patient's chart, care must be taken to identify the actual cause of the allergy, as well as the type of adverse reaction experienced by the patient.
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So, short answer - if you have a Sulfa allergy like I do - you can still take supplements that are Sulfides because they are not the same thing. Taking my Iron in the Sulfide form - one extra pill a day which is not bad, saves me about $14 a month and is worth the savings!
So tip of the day - if you have no medical background or knowledge - please refrain from giving people advice online!
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