There may enough gluten in a medication to cause problems for a patient with celiac disease. Some pharmaceutical companies make gluten-free products, while a compounding pharmacist may be able to provide a noncommercial formulation.
Sources of gluten used in drug formulations:
(1) starch prepared from grain or its derivatives (polymer, etc)
(2) dusting powder
(3) caramel coloring
(4) contamination of other inactive ingredients
Risk factors for a reaction to gluten in a medication:
(1) high level gluten sensitivity
(2) high amount of gluten in the pharmaceutical preparation
(3) frequent drug dosing
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