Allergies

Possible reaction to the dye in synthroid

02/14/2007

Question:

Is it possible for the dye in synthroid (blue) to cause something in my stools to irritate my skin around my anus?

Answer:

Anything in medicine is possible; however, whether it is probable is another story. You can ask the pharmacist if they make a synthroid preparation that is dye free and see if this prevents this reaction. You should also talk to your doctor about this reaction to make sure something else like hemorrhoids is causing the problem. There are a variety of things that can cause irritation around the anus; i.e., trauma from wiping too hard, psoriasis, contact dermatitis from fragrant toilet products...You may need to see a board certified internal medicine trained allergist experienced in evaluating these types of reactions. "Excipients" which refer to preservatives and dyes in medications can cause a variety of local and systemic reactions but proving that they are the cause is a bit more challenging.

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Response by:

Jonathan Bernstein, MD
Professor of Medicine
Division of Immunology and Allergy
Department of Internal Medicine
College of Medicine
University of Cincinnati