sulfa, sulfur, sulfate...help..allergies?

Question

Okay...so, I'm allergic to sulfa but I've heard that sulfa, sulfate, and sulfur are all the same thing. Should I stay away from all of these? I have heavy allergies to sulfa so I need to know this...It's quite important. Can anyone helpe answer my question? Thanks!

Answer 1

sulfa, sulphur, sulfer are all the same substance, sulfa and sulfer I believe are American spellings and sulphur is british, all are valid.

sulphate is a sulphur atom bonded to three oxygens, it has different chemical properties, but still is not particually friendly; so it is probably best to avoid all of those four

hope this helps

Answer 2

Lasix (also known as furosemide) is a diuretic (water pill) that is chemically related to a group known as "sulfa" drugs. The term sulfa refers to a specific chemical structure that contains a sulphur molecule. Other drugs such as sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim (also known as Bactrim or Septra), some drugs used to treat diabetes, and hydrochlorothiazide also contain this sulfa structure.

People sometimes develop an allergy to the sulfa antibiotics. People can develop an allergy to other sulfa-containing drugs but it is much less common. To be safe, if a person is allergic to one sulfa drug, they should be considered allergic to them all. This is called cross reactivity.

Until recently, we really did not have any good data to guide us. The results of a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine last fall give us a good idea of the risks. The researchers looked at the records of almost 20,000 patients who had taken a sulfa-containing antibiotic. The study was a bit complicated, but the bottom line is that there is a risk of a reaction to drugs like Lasix in people who have had a reaction to drugs like Bactrim. The risk looks like it is increased in people with more than one drug allergy (for example allergic to penicillin and Bactrim) and those with asthma, hay fever and other allergies.
One of the more common drug allergies is that to sulfa drugs. Sulfa drugs are more appropriately labeled sulfonamides and are derivatives of para-amino benzoic acid. The following list contains common medications that have a sulfonamide component. A sulfonamide allergy is different from a sulfite allergy because sulfonamides and sulfites are distinctly different chemicals. A person allergic to sulfites is no more likely to be allergic to sulfonamides than any other individual.
Sulfonamide drug classes/individual drugs that may cause allergic reactions include:
Sulfonamide antibiotics, sulfadiazine, sulfamethoxazole, sulfasalazine, sulfisoxazole, sulfacetamide, sulfanilamide, sulfathiazole, sulfabenzamide, Thiazide diuretics, hydrochlorothiazide, chlorothiazide, metolazone, chlorthalidone, indapamide, methyclothiazide, Loop Diuretics, furosemide, Sulfonylureas, chlorpropamide, tolbutamide, tolazamide, glipizide, glyburide, Carbonic anhydrase inhibitor, and acetazolamide
In contrast, sulfiting agents refer to a group of chemicals that include sulfur dioxide, sulfite salts, and sulfate salts. Sulfur dioxide is considered to be the offending component in a sulfite allergy. Sulfites and sulfates are metabolized to sulfur dioxide under certain conditions that depend on concentration, heat, and pH.

Answer 3

They are all derivatives of sulfur. As long as you are allergic to sulfur then you should avoid any of those containing sulfur. That is the best way for you to avoid any allergy. You have to use sulfur-free remedies. Check out this link:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sulfur