Colorful Medicines Can Cause Problems
A blue drug isn’t always made with blue dye, according to American Pharmacists Association media liaison Norman Tomaka (BS, MS in Pharmacy). “Just because a tablet’s purple, or just because a tablet’s green,” he notes, “doesn’t mean that’s the dye that’s used in it. For example, Dulcolax, a red laxative, contains D&C Yellow #10 aluminum lake.
Coloring That Does Double-Duty as a Binding Agent
Then there are coloring agents like cobalt that also double as binding agents, a type of inactive ingredient that manufacturers use to physically “bind,” or hold, a medicine together. Cobalt allergies, according to Dr. Purvi Parikh, an immunologist with Allergy and Asthma Associates of Murray Hill in New York, are common. Cobalt is frequently found in vitamin B12.
While all this is interesting, here’s why it matters: You may be allergic to a color additive, and that allergy could be keeping you from taking medicine you truly need.
Tomaka says approximately 40% of the population thinks they’re allergic to penicillin class drugs, but less than 10% actually are.
The dyes used in some drugs are referred to as “inactive ingredients.” Sometimes it is hard to tell if a medicine contains synthetic dyes. It might be listed in the insert in the package, but you won’t know until you open the package.
For help in avoiding synthetic dyes in medicine, your best bet is to consult a pharmacist.
If there is a compounding pharmacist in your area, they can often create a medicine that is free of unwanted additives. Or, they might be able to provide it in a different form (such as a liquid, not a pill). They can leave out synthetic dyes, and might even be able to add natural flavoring.
Why is Red 3 allowed in food but not in cosmetics?
According to Lauren Kirchner, and investigative reporter for Consumer Reports, “The short answer: Bureaucracy, it seems. As the recent petition to the FDA puts it “There is no scientific or public health justification for permitting the use of FD&C Red No. 3 dye in food while prohibiting [the dye] in cosmetics and externally applied drugs.”
Michael McCauley of Consumer Reports writes, “For decades, the FDA has been aware of multiple studies showing that Red Dye 3 can cause cancer in animals. Several studies have linked some artificial food dyes, including Red Dye 3, to hyperactivity and other neurobehavioral effects in children. While Red Dye 3 poses risks to people of all ages, young children may be the most vulnerable because of their small body weight and high levels of exposure.”
Thirty-two years ago the FDA said it would “take steps” to ban Red 3 from foods. So far it has not.
“Since 2011, it is evident that dyes are linked to harmful effects in children. Artificial dyes have neurotoxic chemicals that aggravate mental health problems.”
Advances in Neurobiology, 2020
One of the ADHD medicines
What are the ingredients in Vyvanse? Active Ingredient: lisdexamfetamine dimesylate. Inactive Ingredients: microcrystalline cellulose, croscarmellose sodium, and magnesium stearate. The capsule shells contain gelatin, titanium dioxide, and one or more of the following: D&C Red #28, D&C Yellow #10, FC&C Blue #1 and FC&C red #40.
Note: Red #28 and Yellow #10 are not allowed in foods.
