Estrace and tartrazine (coloring)

[Muffin]

Estrace®: 0.5 mg, 1 mg, 2 mg [2 mg tablets contain tartrazine]

Tartrazine appears to cause the most allergic and intolerance reactions of all the azo dyes, particularly among asthmatics and those with an aspirin intolerance. Symptoms from tartrazine sensitivity can occur by either ingestion or cutaneous exposure to a substance containing tartrazine.

A variety of immunologic responses have been attributed to tartrazine ingestion, including anxiety, migraines, clinical depression, blurred vision, itching, general weakness, heatwaves, feeling of suffocation, purple skin patches, and sleep disturbance.

Certain people who are exposed to the dye experience symptoms of tartrazine sensitivity even at extremely small doses, some for periods up to 72 hours after exposure. In children, asthma attacks and hives have been claimed, as well as supposed links to thyroid tumors, chromosomal damage, and hyperactivity.
A 1994 study at the University of Melbourne suggested that children previously identified as hyperactive may exhibit an increase in irritability, restlessness, and sleep disturbance after ingesting tartrazine.

This is really baffling there are no real reasons for this coloring agent to be in these tablets and with the possible side effects of them you'd think they'd avoid using them!! Especially considering the negative effects we are already exposed to.
I don't get it..why... why... why. I don't care if the pill is yellow or if its brown or whatever :S
Just make it as safe as possible not worse :S
*baffled*.

[Janet_Girl]

Color and shape are ways of identifying different drugs.  Not only is this for doctors, pharmacists, but for patents.  If you know that your Estrogen is a pale blue oval tablet, you can identify it from the other three in your habd by this means.

Drugs are tested, and patents are informed of possible side effects.  Some of those side effects are from the coloring gents used.  Some injections are suspended in peanut oil.  Allergies to peanuts or nuts in general can have life threatening problems.

This is why it is never a good idea to self medicate.  It can literally kill you.


Janet

[Muffin]

SO in other words its 2010 and we still haven't figured out a simple and safe method of coloring pills? 0_o

[Janet_Girl]

Eventually not.  And with the amount the some take and that they use those weekly pill containers, it would appear that people can't distinguish between pills. 



Janet

[Muffin]

Don't get me wrong I understand the color variation I'm just baffled that they choose a method that carries negative effects. It's crazy really. Or lazy/cost effective.
And on the other hand there are a lot of white pills that have letters and numbers imprinted into them and they're safe/distinguishable by all accounts surely. But I'm sure there's an equally baffling explanation why not all tablets can be like that :S
Any who.

[rejennyrated]

I have to confess that I too have wondered about the use of tartrazine, particularly when there are other equaly good orange dyes available.

The other one, which has a potential issue for some is uterogestan/microgest/prometrium all of which contain peanut oil as Janet has pointed out. That might be more difficult to fix, because sometimes the use of a particular oil does affect the efficacy or indeed the storage life.

[Muffin]

Interesting the two hormones I consider to be the cream of the crop.. (estrace/prometrium) well the most effective. Are both off set by potentially harmful additives. *ponders*.

[Hannah]

Drugs are tested, and patents are informed of possible side effects

lol, drugs are "tested" then released to the market to recoup r&d costs before being recalled if they are hazardous.

Seriously with emerging superflu (the Stand, anyone?), genetically modified corn, the superflu vaccine, antibiotic-resistant bacteria and genital bombs I'm not going to sweat the coloring in my estradiol too much. The other day I learned how H1N1 came to be and it was straight out of the movies. I'm gonna spend my fretting juice on superflus, you kids sweat the estradiol and we'll see who gets sick sooner!

[rejennyrated]

The other day I learned how H1N1 came to be and it was straight out of the movies. I'm gonna spend my fretting juice on superflus, you kids sweat the estradiol and we'll see who gets sick sooner!

I've had H1N1 - I was one of the very early cases. Wasn't a big deal. Didn't even take antivirals. But yes you have a point there are more important issues.

It's just that when a thing like a colorant is so easy to change one wonders why someone hasn't thought to do it.

[Hannah]

If might have something to do with the peculiars of getting estradiol into the blood, I dunno I'm just feeling frisky  At any rate if they changed an ingredient they would prolly have to "test" the drug again, with all the time and expense that would entail. I wish Dr. Reddy would color their Dutas something other than dark brown, it's not very visually appealing to take a brown jellybean every morning.

H1N1 isn't as bad as it could have been, thats the scary part. I'm still learning the particulars though, and can't claim to be versed in the matter just yet...but what I've seen so far gives me the heebie jeebies.

[kae m]

I have to confess that I too have wondered about the use of tartrazine, particularly when there are other equaly good orange dyes available.

Do you need to get the brand-name version?  The same pill I get as generic from "Barr Labs" is green, not orange, and has no warning about any dye.  It's therapeutically equivalent and way cheaper at the full retail price than my brand-name copay would be for Estrace.