I've just been doing some reading on sulfite oxidase, particularly on what it looks like.  According to my reading, this is a very rare and usually fatal condition, one that manifests within the first few days of life.  It causes seizures, mental retardation, and developmental delays.

I'm now thinking that neither I nor anyone participating on this forum  has this condition.  If we are sensitive to sulfite, there's probably another reason for it besides an inborn, recessive-trait, metabolic error!  Any ideas on what could be the actual cause?  The only thing I can think of is molybdenum deficiency.

Bump

Since many people develop sulfite senstivity later in life when they have not been sensitive to sulfites before I presume is is not always a genetic condition.

Here are some somethings that interfere with sulfite oxidase activity in cells:

* heavy metal molecules such as lead and mercury,
* SO₂/SO₃-group containing drugs including DMPS
* Sulfa-drugs (e.g. a class of drugs within the sulfa group that can impair pterin synthesis, such as asthmatic inhalants and many antibiotics),
* molybdenum deficiency,
* severe B12-vitamin deficiency

Testing for sulfite sensitivity:

http://www.medical-library.net/content/view/453/41/

Quoted from C_sharp

Here are some somethings that interfere with sulfite oxidase activity in cells:

* heavy metal molecules such as lead and mercury,
* SO₂/SO₃-group containing drugs including DMPS
* Sulfa-drugs (e.g. a class of drugs within the sulfa group that can impair pterin synthesis, such as asthmatic inhalants and many antibiotics),
* molybdenum deficiency,
* severe B12-vitamin deficiency

Thanks C#, the only one of those I was aware of was molybdenum deficiency.