Iron suppliment/hives rash reaction

IRD

Now I may be getting somewhere (after reading posts found here examples included below)....a sulfate reaction... that makes sense.

I finally got my act together in taking my slow fe iron late May through June of 2004. Taking it loyally... then bam... What looked like mosquito bites. Those kept coming and coming... I am now on two meds to control that outbreak. I dropped the Iron (ferrous sulfate in mid stream reaction) and just started it up again for I didnt want to lose advances made on my anemia situation... Pins and needles sensations came back, though I am on an H1 blocker (antihistamine/allegra) and H2 (Zantac) which is probably blocking most of the reaction I would otherwise get. Needless to say I am stopping the Slow FE Iron (took two days so far). Have any of you developed a pins and needles sensation as result of Ferrous Sulfate? (In addtion to rash) What was this rash like.. itchy like bites? Also please... list alternatives of Iron suppliments that you have since found do not give you an allergic response. Thank you.

Originally posted by montanajane:
I was finally diagnosed with iron deficiency anemia. I think I have had it for several years. I have terrible fatigue, lightheaded, poor concentration, sore tongue, brittle nails, anyway, I was put on ferrous sulfate tablets. After 2 weeks of taking them, I had started to feel better but developed terrible rash and hives. So the doctor put me on feosol. I only took it 3 days and broke out in hives again. Now the doctor says to try to eat iron rich foods. Just wondering if anybody else has had an allergy to iron supplements or knows of other ways to increase iron.

Originally posted by StacieLee2000
Sorry to hear about your anemia. I have it too, and I know how inconvenient it is. I took ferrous sulfate, and the next morning, I woke up with a rash on my hands. After speaking with the pharmacist, he mentioned that it had sulfa in it (sulfate)-which I am allergic to. That helped explain the rash. I don't know the ingredients of feosol. In the future I will be sure to ask the pharmacist what all the ingredients are in any medication I take. I have had a very difficult time finding iron tablets that my body can tolerate. I am now taking iron supplements, and while I have to take more of them, to make up for the one ferrous sulfate, it's worth it to me, to not have the side effects. But remember, that even though the prescribed iron pill may be 325 mg, only about 65 mg of that was iron. So, I'm right where I would have been had I continued taking it. Iron rich foods: liver, brocolli, spinach and red meat are best. I also snack on raisins. Hope this helps. Feel free to write whenever you want. Take care and good luck