How to Find Out if There is Gluten In Your Medications

Living with celiac disease, or gluten intolerance can not only be tricky but it can be very frustrating and uncomfortable. Gluten is found in the most unsuspecting of places, so it is important to learn how to spot it. One of the most surprising places that you will find gluten is in the ingredients in your medication. Often listed inconspicuously, gluten can be making you sick inside the pill or capsule that is supposed to be making you feel better. Gluten in medication is a surprising cause of illness if you are suffering from gluten intolerance.

Gluten in Medications? Find out.

One way is to learn to recognize giveaway words and what they could be made of. For example, “starch” is a common ingredient in medication. Where the starch is sourced from is extremely important, as it can often be sourced from wheat. Websites, such as pillbox, can tell you if your medication contains ingredients sourced by wheat.

Related: Common Wheat Allergy Symptoms and Reactions

Another option is to call the manufacturer of the medication, however with no current laws dictating that they must disclose if a product is gluten free this can be a risky choice. If a manufacturer can tell you that the product you are consuming is not made with gluten, but can’t guarantee that it is gluten free, start checking the ingredients again to decide your risk for gluten contaminants. As stated above, this is commonly found in the word “starch” so if your medication contains “starch”, “pre-gelatinized starch”, or outright says “wheat starch”, it is best to check websites to find out where it is sourced from if the manufacturer won’t be transparent with you.

Here is a document containing a list of gluten free medications. 

Gluten in medication is not common, but it isn’t unheard of by any means. Checking with your pharmacist or doctor is a good way to find out if there is gluten in your medication, as is calling the manufacturer to find out if the medication is gluten free. If these efforts turn up useless or questionable, it is advisable to take matters into your own hands by doing thorough research. Utilizing the internet and researching each ingredient will turn up very helpful for those trying to avoid gluten. If a potential gluten source is detected in the medication, utilizing a website to search the exact source of the ingredient in question is the next best option.