multivitamin causing itching?

hello,

I have been dealing with chronic itching all over my body (like not a spot spared, my fingers itch my toes, back, legs, arms and any other place you can think of). About 3 days ago, I had realized that I had run out of my once daily multi vit and hadn't been taking it for probably 2 weeks (yeah I know, slow on the uptake), but before I began taking it again 3 days ago I thought about it and realized "wait a minute, I haven't been itching & scratching all day like a chimp." (literally one night I came out of the shower crying because the itching was so bad, I am NOT one to shed tears easily, especially from itching!!)/

So anyway I have been taking it for 3 days and the itching has returned! Coincidence? Maybe, but I thought it warranted a post. Is there anything in multivites specifically known to cause chronic itching? I mean there are like a million things in this multivit (whoever heard if tin in a multivitamin? I didnt even know this was a trace mineral needed by the body-it is berkley & jensen brand from **'s wholesale-it's their store brand) and how do I know if it is an active ingredient, or some stupid filler? I took a snapshot of the ingredient and facts labels and they can be seen here: http://i247.photobucket.com/albums/gg145/cduval04/ingredients.jpg
and here: http://i247.photobucket.com/albums/gg145/cduval04/facts.jpg

I take 2000 iu of vitamin d in a separate supplement and also a b complex, any advice/suggestions/theories.personal experience stories would be very helpful!!

thanks in advance!

[geminigirl1963]

You'd be surprised at what you can be allergic to!!  Just goes to show you that even things that are supposed to be GOOD for us or NATURAL can and sometimes do - cause problems.

Quite honestly, I don't know in your case - and it's probably virtually impossible for anyone to tell you what might be causing the itching, but I thougth I'd share something slightly similar that happened to me several years ago.  I was coming down with a cold and started taking those little zinc/vitamin c lozenges.  The next morning, I woke up covered in hives and itching like a crazy ape like you said - I was also having some difficulty breathing (I do have asthma) - because of the difficulty breathing, i made a trip to the ER where they loaded me up with steroids and benadryl and asked me if I had eaten or drank anything new in the past couple of days or if I was taking any new medication.  No on the food and drink, but told them about the zinc/vitamin C.  They said stop the lozenges, which I did.  It took a day or so for teh hives and itchiness to fully clear up.

The next time I started getting a cold, I tried JUST vitaminc C and made out fine - so I tried the zinc/vitamin C lozenges again and once again, broke out in hives and itching/difficulty breathing.  VOILA!!  I knew 100% that it was the zinc in the lozenge that I am allergic to.  I also had this type of reaction when I was taking a multivitamin following shoulder surgery (surgeon's suggestion as the extra vitamins were supposed to aid in healing) - and I didn't even think about there being zinc in them.  A few hours after my first vitamin, I again broke out in hives - I knew right then I had neglected to read the label for zinc, but knew what to do -- Benadryl to the rescue again!

So...... I'm not saying that zinc is the cuplrit in your case - but am saying that yes, it is possible to be allergic to something in the vitamins.  Unfortunately, without actual allergy testing and/or elmination of each ingredient one by one and then adding them back in one by one, it'll be difficult, if not impossible to determine exactly what part o fthe vitamin you're having trouble with.

Have you tried any other brands of mutli vitamins?  If so, did you have the same problem with them?  If you haven't tried another brand, you may think about doing that - that might possibly at least let you know whether it's an inactive ingredient/additive or whether it's one of the actual active vitamins/minerals as different brands quite often use different additives/inactive ingredients/

Other than that, maybe try some benadryl or other over the counter antihistamine along with the vitamin and see if tha tallows you to continue to take the one you like without all the itching.

Best of luck!  Let me know how it goes.

[Irishbred]

I cannot take a regular multi-vitamin. why? It contains 'IRON" and I am
an Iron Diabetic, yes, iron diabetic..MOST NEVER HEARD OF THIS.
aka: HEMOCHROMATOSIS..I'm 100% Irish, both parents had disorder..it's genetically inherited..PASSED TO EA. GENERATION W/OUT KNOWLEDGE. MOST NEVER GET TESTED..NOT PART OF YOUR REGULAR BLOOD TEST EA. YEAR.
.I cannot  disorder) metabolize iron. Centrum Silver is the only vitamin I can take. One should not take IRON in a vitamin unless directed by your doctor. I didn't know I had this disorder...found out at age 65yrs. It's all of 'NORTHERN EUROPE" decendants...but most 'IRISH"...why it's called 'THE IRISH CURSE, & BRONZE DIABETES/CHANGES SKIN COLOR..
.
GO TO DR. OZ'S website, he'll state  what vitamins  and the quantity you should take per your age.
...OVER INDULGENCE...JUST AS BAD AS NOT TAKING ANY.
I WOULD SAY "STOP" TAKING VITAMINS. KEEP A LOG OF WHAT YOU EAT, ETC. JOURNALS CAN HELP YOU SOLVE YOUR PROBLEM.
.
GOOD LUCK..

[cduval04]

hey,

yes I am of french Canadian and german descent. My skin is so sensitive to the point where it makes me REALLY annoyed....I put a heating blanket on for too long or take a hot shower, i get itchy red blotches, any puncture of my skin will leave a thick raised scar no matter how small....there is no tanning for me...I just burn like a lobster..I don't like sunlight for long periods of time it makes me itchy...I was dxed with "dermatographia" which essentially means "skin writing" if you scratch or slap my skin the mark will remain there for at least 30 min.....I have 19x the normal levels of antibodies to dust mites...and as I get older...my scalp gets itchier ....and my sinus congestion/rhinitis/asthma get worse...never used to be a problem....but I do have beautiful skin, it is just a pain in the behind....

I have heard of haemochromotosis and I know iron is eliminated from even a healthy body at a snails pace..(in your case not at all)..I think I heard doctor oz say u shouldnt have iron in your multi unless you are a female of childbearing age....that being said I take large doses of nsaids and eat a TON of garlic (for systemic candida) and I take large doses of valerian at night as well as ginger capsules for nausea...every single one of which can thin the blood...so I am always super cold anyway...but I was taking all these things during my "non itchy" period...so I think maybe I will swtich mvites and see what happens.....I havent had blood work in awhile (except thyroid which is always bouncing around and needs to be checked regularly), but my b12, platelets and hematocrit were all normal...RBC count has always been on the low end, I dunno I hate doctors. They dont test anything but the basics.....I hate to "ask" for specific tests b/c then it looks like I've been playing doctor (which I have b/c I dont get help) but I sorta "hint hint" and they never test things like mast cells, histamine, or adrenal hormones, probably because they are all to expensive.....but I will def. switch multis to a more basic, maybe veggie based one and see what happens...thanks!