<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>>
What a gift to have access to this group! Thank you so much to all of you who responded to my plea for z-pak guidance for my celiac daughter yesterday! I learned so much from all of you and wanted to pass it along in case it can help anyone else out there. I can't tell you how grateful I am to have this group to turn to when things like this arise!
First, I let me share what I learned in the midst of this decision making. Before seeing all of the great responses from members of the list, I called back to the doctor's office to see if there was a different antibiotic which would be appropriate that I could begin researching. The nurse suggested that I first call different pharmacies to see if any carried z-pak that was produced by a different company. It never occurred to me that this was a possibility and it turned out she was right! The CVS in our area apparently stocks Pfizer produced z-paks (Pfizer did not know the source of the starch in their product) - when I phoned Rite Aid, they had z-paks produced by TEVA. I called TEVA and they DID know the source of the starch in their products and, other than the usual cross contamination disclaimer, were able to assure me that their z-pak was gluten free! So, despite a rocky path, my daughter has officially begun her z-pak!
Now, for the great info from the list for future reference, I have copied and pasted responses below:
- The odds are EXTREMELY slim the starch is wheat. Pfizer is almost certainly doing the CYA dance. For me, the need for the antibiotic would outweigh the tiny, tiny chance it’s wheat.
-Took a generic from cvs two weeks ago, confirmed that it was gf. The name of the company was green something
- I take zpacs frequently for sinus infections. Never had an issue. I had one just a month ago, no reaction at all.
- If you can do some research on chemically separated starch you might find that even if it is derived from wheat it may not contain gluten. I have done some checking on this, but not recently.
- Yes, I recently had the same problem. I ended up with penicillin which solved my problem. Good luck.
- I took it a week ago (name brand) with no problems. Good luck!
- I am an R.N. and need to take a blood pressure med daily, that comes generically with gluten starch and is gluten free with an alternate brand.. You can INSIST that your daughter's prescriptions be filled gluten free with celiac. Work through your pediatrician. Ask him or her to prescribe the specific brand or Zithromax that is gluten free. I think that will work for you. Good luck.
-Interesting -- my son & I are both terribly allergic to that drug.
- The makers of Z-Pak use pregelatinized starch in the U.S. primarily comes from corn although it occasionally is made from potato and rarely from tapioca. Although, by law, it could come from wheat I have never found it made from wheat, only corn. By the way, EVERY generic manufacturer uses corn and/or potato. Zithromax is a gastric stimulant and is likely to cause some sort of intestinal symptoms but it is not related to gluten (in other words you could get diarrhea from it).
-Here are FDA Official links to ALL the inactive ingredients in all forms of Zithromax by Pfizer. There are 2 pages covering every form of the drug. There is also ZERO starches in Zithromax. Instead, milk sugar and wood pulp is the fillers. There are ZERO ORAL ANTIBIOTICS CONTAINING GLUTEN SOLD IN THE USA AND CANADA. NONE. This is a fact. My daily work in a major Los Angeles Hospital - Medical Center as Assistant Pharmacy Director and I'm responsible to make sure all patients with Celiac or Gluten Intolerance do not receive any meds with gluten.
So please take the Zithromax and feel better soon!
http://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/lookup.cfm?setid=b749df83-49b0-433e-8a62-589a048dd716
http://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/lookup.cfm?setid=db52b91e-79f7-4cc1-9564-f2eee8e31c45
Here are the fillers and inactive ingredients:
Inactive Ingredients:
CALCIUM PHOSPHATE, DIBASIC, ANHYDROUS
CROSCARMELLOSE SODIUM
MAGNESIUM STEARATE
SODIUM LAURYL SULFATE
HYPROMELLOSES
TITANIUM DIOXIDE
LACTOSE
TRIACETIN
You can look up the inactive ingredients sources here: http://www.glutenfreedrugs.com/Excipients.htm
*Please provide references to back up claims of a product being GF or not GF*
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