For those patients that have been diagnosed with celiac disease following a strict gluten free diet is the only way to relieve the damage and symptoms this disease causes. While many people associate gluten with food products such as wheat, barley or rye, many people do not realize that many medications often contain large amounts of gluten. Because manufacturers are not required to label fillers such as these in their medications it is often difficult to navigate this area of gluten free eating.

Fillers in medications are called excipients and they are used for a variety of reasons, they often add bulk to a medication, give it form, and serve as a lubricant. Excipients can also cause the pill to absorb water allowing it to swell and disintegrate easily after it is swallowed. The starches that are used for these purposes are the source of possible gluten contamination. Most starches used in pills come from corn, potato, tapioca and wheat starch.

Excipients must come from an approved list of FDA excipients but the FDA does not regulate the amount or type that is used in a medication. This means that while brand A may be gluten free, the generic form of that medication may use a different excipient and may indeed have gluten in it. Because of this you will need to check with each individual manufacturer to find out what excipients it contains and you will need to check frequently because manufacturers have been known to change formulas from time to time.

The information for excipients can be found on package insert information, so the first place to ask will be with your pharmacist, if he is uncooperative or does not seem knowledgeable ask for a copy of the insert that you can take home with you and research or use to contact the manufacturer. Most pharmacists should know which excipients contain gluten however so this is where you should start your search for information.

Another source of information is the Internet; many websites maintain lists of not only prescription medications but over the counter remedies that are gluten free. While researching the status of gluten in your medicines may be a time intensive and difficult procedure it is one that will help you to stay as healthy as possible, and should not be skipped.