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Today I had my pharmacist check to see if Vasotec, a medication used to
lower blood pressure, was free of any wheat, rye, barley or oats, in other
words was it gluten free. My husband had been told it was- at some time in
the past. Due to experiences of others and because he has been ill I
thought it was time for another check. My pharmicist told me what he found
out, that they generally used cornstarch but it could have as much as 5%
gluten. This seemed confused and I decided to double check. When I first
spoke to someone in their national office I could see why the pharmacist
sounded confused. I was told that they generally used cornstach but their
could be gluten. Most of her canned speech, she was reading from a
computer screen, was generalities not specifics about the medication I was
inquiring about. I demanded that she be specific- and then she said
that she wasn't allowed to be because it was against FDA regulations. I
demanded to speak to her supervisor. He then said...............
 
The medication was made by any one of three manufacturers,
it could be made of either wheat, potato, or corn-- and that there was no
way of determining by the lot number what was in it............
 
I say beware of Merck products! I feel their attitude is excessively
cavalier........I have filed a complaint because their product may have
contributed to my husband's symptoms.
 
Irma Debruyn, Mass