Posted by Jeremy Appleton, ND on February 24, 2004 at 20:54:25:
In Reply to: Re: Sulfa/Sulfur Allergy posted by Kerry Gibbons on January 22, 2004 at 13:00:19:
It is possible to have a hypersensitivity reaction to MSM (I have heard of one or two anecdotal cases), but such a reaction is unlikely to have anything to do with sulfur. Moreover, sulfur (the element) and sulfa (sulfonamide drugs) are not the same thing. MSM contains no sulfa (sulfonamides)or sulfites (a kind of preservative). A molecule of MSM contains one atom of sulfur, the element. It also contains two methyl groups and two atoms of oxygen.
It is a common misconception that people with allergies to sulfa drugs or to sulfites are “allergic to sulfur”. It is not possible to be allergic to sulfur. Sulfur is an element, like oxygen or potassium: the tenth most abundant element in the known universe and the fourth most abundant mineral in the human body. A 70-kilogram human body contains approximately 200 grams of elemental sulfur.
Humans consume large amounts of sulfur each day, most abundantly as the sulfur-containing amino acids cysteine and methionine. Foods are a rich source of dietary sulfur. Sulfur-containing foods include fish, poultry, eggs, milk, legumes, onions, garlic, cabbage, Brussels sprouts and turnips. Sulfur is also a major component of many nutritional supplements, not just MSM. These include cysteine, methionine, taurine, N-acetylcysteine (NAC), glutathione, thiamine, and biotin. Are people with allergies to sulfa antibiotics or sulfites allergic to these sulfur-containing molecules as well? We could not survive without sulfur.
Allergy to sulfa drugs is one of the more common drug allergies. Sulfa drugs are more appropriately labeled sulfonamides and are derivatives of para-amino benzoic acid (PABA). A sulfonamide allergy is different from a sulfite allergy because sulfonamides and sulfites are distinctly different chemicals. Similarly, both of these agents are distinctly different from MSM. A person allergic to sulfa drugs is no more likely to be allergic to MSM or sulfites than any other individual.
If you had an allergic reaction to an MSM product, you may be sensitive to MSM, or you may have reacted to another ingredient in the formula (such as an additive). Or you may have reacted to something else and the timing was suspicious. When using MSM, don't use cheap imported material. Get the pure stuff, which is OptiMSM from Cardinal Nutrition. And yes, I do work for Cardinal, that's how I know it's the best. Check out our website, and please feel free to contact me if you have any questions about MSM in the future.
: The official word from the MSM people is still that no one has been proven allergic to MSM. It is possible (especially if the MSM was not from us) that the MSM you took had additives that you were allergic to. It is also possible that the detox from the MSM appeared to be the same as an allergic reaction, but in fact was not and that after the detox period, it would have been fine.
: : I am also allergic to sulfa drugs. I was told I could take MSM. So I did. After a week I broke out in a horrible rash. So yes you can be allergic to anything with sulfa in it. Its not different. I break out from some lotions and shower gels, bubble bath etc. they have sulfur in some of them.
: : LIsa