<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>>

Hi Listmembers,

There were several posts recently about the gluten status of prescription drugs and it was my understanding that several people thought that all prescription drugs were gluten free.  Someone asked that if we had any exceptions to that rule that we should post them so that others would know.

I have two medications that I have confirmed that they are not gluten free.

One is aggrenox that is made by Boehringer-Ingelheim.  In May, my husband had a mini-stroke and the doctors insisted that he take aggrenox until they could figure out the reason for the stroke.   I contacted Boehringer-Ingelheim and in a 24 hour period got three different answers regarding the status.  The final answer was that they do not know what is in their filler ingredients and it changes from batch to batch, so they have no idea whether it is gluten free or not.

The second one is Cipro 500 mg tablets that used to be made by Bayer and is now made by Schering Plough.  I spoke with Bayer this morning and they advised that they no longer make Cipro and I should call Schering Plough.  I spoke with them and they also said that their filler ingredients change from batch to batch and they have no idea whether it is gluten free or not.  

Our pharmacy also carries a generic form of Cipro made by Mylan.  I spoke with Mylan at 304-599-2595 and they verified that all of the prescription drugs that they manufacture are gluten free.  The generic Cipro is actually manufactured by them so they could verify that it was indeed gluten free.  

My experience with checking on the status of prescription drugs is that there are many that the manufacturer cannot say whether they are gluten free of not.  I have also found that there are many changes in the company that makes a given drug.  It has not been that long ago that I checked on Cipro and at that time, it was made by Bayer and it was GF.  So much for that!!!!

This just goes to show us that we need to check each and every time we fill our prescriptions.

Hope this helps,
Barbara in Missouri

Disclaimer ---  I am a volunteer and not a medical expert, but I can share with you information that I have found helpful.  Please contact your medical professional for medical advice regarding your situation.  Please verify the gluten free status of products often for your own protection.

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