I Think I'm Allergic To Pill Coatings and Can't Figure It Out!

[Christine]

And, I don't know what to do or who to turn to but it's really getting me down.

First off, I have discussed this with one GP, two dermatologists, and two pharmacists. I get a "wow" and a shrug.

Last November, I noticed that whenever I took ibuprofen I would get a hive on my chest. Just one hive. It occurred almost 45 minutes after the dose of ibuprofen and it would last for about 2 hours. No matter what brand or off-brand it was and no matter the color (some are orange and some are brown) The hive was white in the center, raised, and then red all around. Then it just disappeared. After this happening a few times, I thought I had an ibuprofen allergy and immediately stopped taking them and discussed with my doctor.

I then switched to acetaminaphin, which doesn't work as well, but no hive.

Several months ago, I was trying out some new iron tablets. I picked up a brand called Feosol. When I went to take the first pill, I remember saying to myself--"this pill looks just like one of those brown ibuprofen pills" which was odd because my other iron tablets never looked like these. Within 45 minutes of taking half the tablet, I had a huge welt on my breast (not the chest this time but close enough).

At this point, I knew I wasn't allergic to iron and started to think about pill coatings.

I then created a spreadsheet and put in all the ingredients in Feosol and ibuprofen, plus I added two medications in there that I weren't giving me any reaction just to see if I could narrow it down (acetaminophin and sudafed). I knew that I could exclude any common ingredients that were in all four. After doing all that, I really only came up with two ingredients that it could be. Still I wasn't sure because I think many things I do take could have those two ingredients.

Moving along--this weekend I get a headache and I take my standard Tylenol. I couldn't believe it--I got the WELT on my chest again. I know this sounds stupid, but I literally felt like I was going to cry. I feel very out of control with this.

Yesterday, I went to the store and found some regular strength, brand name Tylenol that had VERY little in the way of fillers. I took some last night and did not get a hive.

Obviously, it is a filler of some sort, but I just CANNOT narrow it down. What has really thrown me is the delayed reaction to the Tylenol if it is the same ingredient causing it. I have no clue which one is the culprit in order to avoid it.

I seem to be able to take other pills (with no "sheen" on them) just fine: Synthroid, Xanax, Flinstone Chewables, Prilosec.

I really want to figure this out but I don't know where to turn at this point. I think a REALLY clever pharmacist could figure it out but I can't find one!

Has anyone EVER heard of such a thing and any ideas how I might figure it out?

 

[Aidensmom]

Someone I know has that problem, but I can't remember who it is to get details from! It was one of the ingredients in the coating. I would ask your pharmacist if he had any knowledge on it.

My mom had a similar experience with one of her asthma inhalers - everytime she used it her nasal allergies would act up. Turns out the propellant contained a dairy product, and she is allergic to milk.

 

[Christine]

Someone I know has that problem, but I can't remember who it is to get details from! It was one of the ingredients in the coating. I would ask your pharmacist if he had any knowledge on it.

Please let me know if you can remember. I'm betting that whatever it is might be common. I have asked two pharmacists but with no luck.

 

[dejavu]

My DD (20) gets hives from the coated advill too! She does not get it from Motrin however. We also get wierd looks and disbelief when we tell Dr.'s, nurses & pharmacist's. So no, you are not alone. She got hives this winter from taking z-pac ( an antiboitic) that was also coated.

 

[snowy76]

Christine, do you have any sensitivity to corn or corn starch? Or similar grains?

http://stason.org/TULARC/child-parent/allergy-asthma/3-3-Gluten-wheat-and-grain-allergies.html

Corn is another potential allergen, distinct from gluten allergies. As
with wheat, corn products are found in any number of products. Corn
starch is used as a thickener for many foods, as a base for cosmetics,
and to prevent sticking. Corn sugar is used as an ingredient in many
sodas, bottled fruit drinks, baking mixes, and such. It is also used
in the glue for envelopes and stamps, in cosmetics, as a pill coating,
in processed foods, and spice mixes. Symptoms range from skin rashes,
runny nose and itchy eyes, to asthma.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Have you thought about asking an allergist?

 

[Christine]

Christine, do you have any sensitivity to corn or corn starch? Or similar grains?

http://stason.org/TULARC/child-parent/allergy-asthma/3-3-Gluten-wheat-and-grain-allergies.html

As far as I know, no. It is in the bottle of Tylenol I bought yesterday that I did not react to.

Some of the suspicous ingredients are:

polydextrose
polyethelene glycol
povidone

I had actually written off the povidone because it was in the acetaminophin and the sudafed (which I had previously not reacted to) but now I have to add it back on because it is in the acetaminophin that I reacted to.

 

[Database]

Recommend getting a referral to an allergist!

You may be allergic to one of the binding agents used in the medication.

Look up dermatitis herpetiformis on a search engine and see if your rash is consistent with this reaction.

Don't rely on the disboard for medical advice. (Disclaimer so you don't sue me!)

 

[Christine]

Recommend getting a referral to an allergist!

You may be allergic to one of the binding agents used in the medication.

Look up dermatitis herpetiformis on a search engine and see if your rash is consistent with this reaction.

Don't rely on the disboard for medical advice. (Disclaimer so you don't sue me!)

No, it doesn't look like the dermatitis herpetiformis. Actually it is not a rash. It is a single hive with a wheal and usually comes on dead center in my chest but I have had two variations (once on the back and once on the breast).

And I'm not relying on the DIS for medical advice. I'm looking for similar experiences. I've relied on my doctor, two dermatologists, and two pharmacists but they've gotten me nowhere.

My next step is an allergist but I need to find a GREAT one.

 

[debbi801]

Oh wow, I remember when you first posted about the Motrin reaction last year. Talk about frustrating.

I would recommend either an allergist or an immunologist. No idea where you're located. I know a great one in Baltimore, but that is probably too far. Good luck, I think you're doing the right thing with the chart, it will help with deducing the culprit.

 

[Diva of Dragons]

Alot of pill companies are starting put sucralose (Splenda) in their pill coatings. It is cropping up in all kinds of products you wouldn't expect. It gives me severe migraines, even in the tiniest amounts.

Just another thing to check for. I hope you get to the bottom of this.

 

[snowball22]

Are you allergic to sulfites? Many companies are now coating their pills with this preservative. Sulfites can cause hives, rash, shortness of breath, and so forth.

 

[Christine]

Are you allergic to sulfites? Many companies are now coating their pills with this preservative. Sulfites can cause hives, rash, shortness of breath, and so forth.

No, I don't think so, plus sulfites were not listed. I feel like I'm never going to figure it out.

 

[lovemygoofy]

Did all the pills have the same kind of coating? Like the slick easy to swallow? Did they have the same kind of color or could have a kind of color in it? I know a woman that is allergic to pill coatings that are the easy to swallow slick kind and also anything that has a red coating.

I would really reccomend going to an allergist. They can create all kinds of things to find what you are specifically allergic to.

 

[Christine]

Did all the pills have the same kind of coating? Like the slick easy to swallow? Did they have the same kind of color or could have a kind of color in it? I know a woman that is allergic to pill coatings that are the easy to swallow slick kind and also anything that has a red coating.

I would really reccomend going to an allergist. They can create all kinds of things to find what you are specifically allergic to.

So far the pills did seems to have a coating on them so that you could handle the pill/tablet and it would not start to disintegrate. The ibuprofen tablets were either orange or brown (both gave me a problem and I had some from a few different manufacturers). The Feosol gave me a problem also and it had the same brown coating as the ibuprofen.

Now, the Tylenol had a coating on it too; however, it was white. It didn't bother me for a few months--until yesterday. I then bought an uncoated, white type of Tylenol and, so far so good.

Sudafed has a coating and a coloring and it doesn't bother me. I also take a chewable vitamin that has many colorings but no coatings and I am fine with that. My Synthroid is also VERY blue and no problems with that, but no coating on that pill.

I guess my next stop will be an allergist. It's just finding a good one that is the problem. I've taken my son to two different allergists in our area and I have not been impressed with them.

 

[lovemygoofy]

I just called the friend with the weird pill allergy thing too and she said that between the allergy doctor and the dermatalogist they figured out the problems. I guess if you didn't want the allergist you could start out at the dermatalogist. I really don't know but hope you figure it out. I hate when you have to start at scratch and the doctors are unhelpful or they want to treat you like a science experiment.

 

[yeartolate]

Quality of life is a "perception". What may be quality to some, may not be quality to another.

But as a nurse of many years, I can tell you that when you start having side effects to medications that aren't completely necessary, it should at least give you pause to question the actual need of the drug.

I am just wondering how many of these drugs are really needed.

Pharmaceutically speaking, less is frequently more.

 

[BettyCv]

Christine,

I'm not sure if you are upset because 1) you need to take this medication and can't find any you aren't allergic to or 2) you know you're allergic to something and you want to find out exactly what it is so that you an avoid it (and inform doctors of it, etc.).

Have you tried contacting the pharmaceutical companies? Just a thought.

Also, maybe you could try the child/liquid versions of ibuprofen and tylenol. I do not see any of of those 3 possible ingredients listed on my children's motrin. The children's tylenol does have "propylene glycol" which is similar-sounding to one of the three ingredients you listed.

The dosage for each goes up to 11 years/ 95 pounds, but I would think a pharmacist could tell you what the adult dosage is.

Let me know if you want me to e-mail you the exact ingredients listed on each (or you might even be able to get that information on-line).

I can only imagine how frustrating this is for you!

Betty

 

[Christine]

Quality of life is a "perception". What may be quality to some, may not be quality to another.

But as a nurse of many years, I can tell you that when you start having side effects to medications that aren't completely necessary, it should at least give you pause to question the actual need of the drug.

I am just wondering how many of these drugs are really needed.

Pharmaceutically speaking, less is frequently more.

Well, I guess when I have a headache I feel that I need to take something. I don't always take something. I often try to lay down in a quiet, dark room and let it pass. Sometimes this works. This past Sunday evening it did not work. I had the headache for about 6 hours and finally, not being able to sleep, I took two Tylenol. I'm sure there are going to be times in my life when I will require a pain reliever of some sort.

 

[Christine]

Christine,

I'm not sure if you are upset because 1) you need to take this medication and can't find any you aren't allergic to or 2) you know you're allergic to something and you want to find out exactly what it is so that you an avoid it (and inform doctors of it, etc.).

Betty, I am upset for both numbers 1 and 2!

There are times that I will need to take something. I get headaches occasionally. They are not migraines but they get close to being that painful. They come in spells. I won't get them for months and then I'll get a few each week. Probably hormonal. Anyway, there are times that I need to take something and now I feel like I getting boxed in on what is available.

I also would like to know what the offending ingredient is. It is important to know. Is it actually ibuprofen? I think that's important to know because there are other drugs that cross-react. What if I need to be admitted to the hospital? What if I am in some type of accident or have surgery and need a pain reliever? I think I need to know what the culprit is.

As far as the other drugs, I've looked most of them up on line (including the liquids). The children's liquids were going to be my next step if this "new" Tylenol does not work for me. Actually, checking the liquid Tylenol with the proplyene glycol might be a good experiment since that's one of my suspicious offenders. I have to stop at Target today and get the ingredients of their box of Tylenol. That is the last one I reacted to and the inactive ingredients aren't listed on the bottle--of course, I've thrown the box out.