Allergy to Vitamins?

ABSOLUTELY.

Especially vitamins that come from food sources (best as far as absorbability goes, but worst as far as allergic reactions go)... for example people who are allergic to shellfish can't take calcium coming from oystershell (the most common source), but can very easily take calcium that is gotten from a non shellfish source.

So, too, the binders and "inactive" ingredients can be allergy sources.

SLIGHTLY different, some people have disorders which make them unable to process certain vitamins/ minerals.. or do so badly. My uncle-in-law can't process vitamin A. Born with completely healthy eyes and organs, he's been blind and "crippled" because of vitamin A toxicity since he was about 4 years old. He has major kidney and liver problems, as well as a few other things that come from vitA overdose. My neighbor has Celiacs. She can't take most vitamins because there are trace amounts of wheat in them. Personally, I can take vitamins just FINE (all kinds) EXCEPT prenatals. The massive dose triggers migraines. Kids vitamins, however don't blip my radar at all, and actually help PREVENT my migraines. My mum is prone to kidney stones, she cannot, cannot, cannot take anything with calcium in it. Her body is flush with Ca++. She can't even eat spinach. Her bones and blood Ca++ are great... her body just *yanks* the calcium out of anything with Ca++ in it, and then ends up with an overabundance, which calcifies into stones in her kidneys.

So, yes. He could be allergic, or have a more serious problem, but since the rash is new from the vitamins, I would suspect it's merely an ingredient in the new vitamins.

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It is not possible to have an allergy to a vitamin - they are "vital" to living as they act as catalysts for the chemical reactions that make our bodies work. You CAN be allergic to the non-vitamin ingredients in the vitamin. Stop taking them and if his rash clears up, he's allergic to something in them. Compare the ingredients in his old vitamin and the new one to try to find the culprit.

Funny you should say that. Over the holidays I started to give my son a prescription vitamin that has fluoride in it. A few days later he had a rash all over his face. I couldn't figure out for the life of me what the problem was. The vitamin was the only new thing. But, he had vitamins and fluoride separately before but didn't have any problems. I stopped it just to see...sure enough, rash went away. IDK what the issue was with that one type of vitamin, but I won't give it to him anymore (I'm finishing the bottle with my older son LOL, he isn't reacting to it). I bought an OTC one instead and haven't had any problems since.

I have never "heard" of an allergy to a vitamin but I am sure it is possible. Just like w/ any food or medicine, one ingredient can cause a reaction so it is definately possible.

If you are looking for a new vitamin, I would suggest Koala Pals.

most food allergies appear on the face however there are so many preservatives and additives in many foods and vitamins that my children are allergic too and they break out everywhere, you probably may never determine what is causing it in our experience

I seriously think they can be allergic to anything, but just FYI my youngest son had the underwear rash from head to toe and it took awhile to go away completely. I've noticed my son is sensitive to many skin contact things, I do give him benadryl if I think he is having a sensitivity to something and it seems to help. Although I guess the best way to rule out what he is allergic to is remove the allergen completely and see if it goes away. Could he just have dry skin? All of my kids are especially dry and itchy right now and I have had to cut back on the number of baths they get. Good luck figuring it out.

S.,
There is a lot of really bad fillers and other stuff in store bought vitamins. The rash you describe is similar to the one my son got before we knew he was allergic to antibiotics.

Yes.There could be something in the vitamins that he is allergic to. I had a boss long ago who got red and flushed when she took magnesium. She was allergic to it. Cut out the vitamins altogether for a few days and see if it happens. You could also try some zyrtec or benedryll to see if it helps get rid of the rash. Good luck.

It's hard to be sure without seeing the rash, but I second the question about dry skin. We here in MN are used to dealing with this issue every winter. The rubbing of his waistband could irritate dry skin in the winter.

Hi S.,

If you are giving him a vitamin (like a Flintstone) that you pick up at Walmart or GNC, then you are using something that would be considered drug store grade and the fillers/additional ingredients in them vary from lot# to lot#. If you purchased it from a pharmaceutical grade outlet like Vitamin Shoppe or Swanson, then it's probably not the vitamin. You can't be allergic to something your body needs but the delivery can cause issues.

Continue to look at everything that changed at the time of, or even a week or so before. Sometimes allergens build up in the system. Latex, for instance, is a progressive allergy.

God bless,

M.

My daughter has a multitude of allergies.
I would discontinue anything with artificial preservatives in it. Talk to the pediatrician and schedule an allergy test, but not all allergies show up on the skin test or the blood test. You really do have to start eliminating things from his diet that you know will make him break out.