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How many of you are allergic to Sulfa/Sulfites?

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Ulcerative Colitis
Are you allergic to Sulfa / Sulfites
Yes - 60.0% - 3 votes
No - 40.0% - 2 votes
Don't know - 0.0% - 0 votes
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Posted 5/5/2022 1:12 PM (GMT -8)
Hello All,

How many of you are allergic to sulfa or sulfites? Is there any relation between IBD ( UC) and sulfa allergy?

I am allergic to sulfa medication, found out when I am 17, and the UC diagnosis when I am 42years old in 2016.

Thank you
Jay

Post Edited (jared9) : 5/5/2022 5:29:46 PM (GMT-6)

Posted 5/5/2022 5:54 PM (GMT -8)
I have a sulfa allergy, but I don’t think there’s a connection to sulfite sensitivity (like food preservatives) from what I understand?
Posted 5/6/2022 12:35 PM (GMT -8)
I don't have a true sulfite/sulfa allergy. When I'm flaring, my gut microbiome shifts towards hydrogen sulfide producers, as it does for most of us. Those corrode the bowel wall and increase transit time. So adding more sulfa to the diet, especially from synthetic supplements, feeds those buggers big time. During remission periods, sulfa/sulfite doesn't bother me at all.
Posted 5/7/2022 3:54 AM (GMT -8)
I am allergic to sulfites, a preservative, but not sulfa. If I consume anything with sulfites it triggers my asthma in addition to causing my throat and tongue to swell. I have to be careful with salad dressings (sulfites in vinegar), cannot drink wine or even grape juice, and have to make sure that I don’t eat dried fruits treated with sulfites. I have had this problem since I was very young. My first reaction was when I was a toddler eating dried apricots, ended up in the ER. Thankfully my pediatrician also had a sulfite allergy and was a major player in getting sulfites listed on food and drink labels and knew what to avoid. I cannot use regular rowasa, so when I flare up it is a pain to try and get the sulfite free version. I have taken sulfa based antibiotics in my life without reaction.

ETA- Last I heard, there is no official sulfite allergy, just a sulfite sensitivity and most commonly presents in people who have asthma. Perhaps this has changed now, but this was the case when I switched GI’s a few years ago. I still call it an allergy though.
Posted 5/7/2022 8:04 AM (GMT -8)
Is Bactrim a sulfite drug? I only took it once and had a reaction of hives so have never taken it again.
Posted 5/7/2022 8:23 AM (GMT -8)
Sulfa drugs and sulfites are not the same thing. Sulfites are a preservative, sulfa drugs like sulfasalazine are totally different. Being allergic to sulfa doesn’t mean you are allergic to sulfites and vice versa. This is my one tiny soap box I have to stand on for my medical care team all the time (except for my allergist)
Posted 5/7/2022 9:20 AM (GMT -8)

VanJordan said...
I don't have a true sulfite/sulfa allergy. When I'm flaring, my gut microbiome shifts towards hydrogen sulfide producers, as it does for most of us. Those corrode the bowel wall and increase transit time. So adding more sulfa to the diet, especially from synthetic supplements, feeds those buggers big time. During remission periods, sulfa/sulfite doesn't bother me at all.

Hello VanJordan,

This is what I found @healthline, appreciate your thoughts on this, Thank you!

"Gut inflammation
A sulfur-rich diet may worsen symptoms in those with ulcerative colitis (UC) or Chron’s disease (CD) — two inflammatory bowel diseases that cause chronic inflammation and ulcers in the gut.

Emerging research suggests that sulfur-rich foods may help a specific type of sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) thrive in your gut. These bacteria release sulfide, a compound thought to break down the gut barrier, causing damage and inflammation (7Trusted Source, 8Trusted Source).

That said, not all sulfur-rich foods may have the same effect. For instance, while a diet rich in sulfur-containing animal products and low in fiber may raise SRB levels, one rich in sulfur-containing vegetables appears to have the opposite effect (8Trusted Source).

Moreover, many factors other than the sulfur content of foods may influence the balance of gut bacteria. Therefore, more research is needed before strong conclusions can be made."
Posted 5/7/2022 9:58 AM (GMT -8)

FlowersGal said...
Is Bactrim a sulfite drug? I only took it once and had a reaction of hives so have never taken it again.

FlowersGal, yes, Bactrim is a sulfa drug. That’s the one I had 20 years ago that gave me a reaction
Posted 5/7/2022 3:07 PM (GMT -8)

jared9 said...
Hello VanJordan,

This is what I found @healthline, appreciate your thoughts on this, Thank you!

"Gut inflammation
A sulfur-rich diet may worsen symptoms in those with ulcerative colitis (UC) or Chron’s disease (CD) — two inflammatory bowel diseases that cause chronic inflammation and ulcers in the gut.

Emerging research suggests that sulfur-rich foods may help a specific type of sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) thrive in your gut. These bacteria release sulfide, a compound thought to break down the gut barrier, causing damage and inflammation (7Trusted Source, 8Trusted Source).

That said, not all sulfur-rich foods may have the same effect. For instance, while a diet rich in sulfur-containing animal products and low in fiber may raise SRB levels, one rich in sulfur-containing vegetables appears to have the opposite effect (8Trusted Source).

Moreover, many factors other than the sulfur content of foods may influence the balance of gut bacteria. Therefore, more research is needed before strong conclusions can be made."

Food sources of sulfur are in bioavailable form, so the body assimilates it at a faster rate. Sulfites and additives are not bioavailable, so they must be converted by bacteria (much like how soil bacteria fix sulfur) to bioavailable forms. The non-bioavailable forms stick around longer and give sulfur reducing bacteria a chance to multiply.

They tend to have lipopolysaccharide (LPS) cell walls around them. When they die, the LPS disrupts the gut barrier. Therefore, a diet high in non-bioavailable sulfur will cause these LPS bacteria to multiply, and the more of them that die on a regular basis, the more damage to the colon they can do.

High-sulfur veggies don't seem to be a problem. High-sulfur meats, on the other hand, are a problem. Beef is a good example. A lot of people with UC can't tolerate red meat.
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