It’s that time of year again! It seems like colds and the flu are in full force right now! It’s been two years since this list was updated, so I’m happy to be able to share this info with you.
For me personally, preventative measures are really important for avoiding a cold/flu altogether and then I don’t have to worry about taking medicine. There are certain things I do in order to keep my immune system strong, especially during flu season. I’m also a HUGE fan of sinus rinse and do it faithfully!
As my fellow gluten free friends know, trying to find out which medicine you can and cannot take when you’re not feeling well is no fun! Unfortunately with celiac disease, reading labels and researching products is a big part of life!
To help make life a little easier (especially when you’re not feeling well), I’ve put together an updated list of gluten free cold/flu medication.
As always, I am not a doctor so please consult with your doctor or pharmacist before taking medications or for any questions you may have. And remember… when in doubt, go without! 🙂
When there is a generic drug listed the manufacturer is in parenthesis.
Gluten Free Cold/Flu Medications:
- Azithromycin (Greenstone, Sandoz, Teva, Pleva, Wockhardt)*
- Benadryl-all products
- Biaxin (tabs/liquid)
- Cipro
- Clarinex
- Clarinex D
- Clarinex Reditabs- company does not know source of starch
- Claritin
- Claritin D
- Claritin D-24
- Claritin liquid
- Comtrex (tabs/caplets/liquid)
- Comtrex Deep Chest Cold
- Comtrex Non-Drowsy
- Dayquil
- Dimetapp elixir
- Dimetapp tabs-CONTAINS GLUTEN!!!
- Equate Allergy Relief *
- Erythromycin tabs (Abbott labs)
- Flomax
- Flonase
- Ibuprofen (Amneal, Pharm. Formulations)
- Keflex
- Nasacort
- Nasacort AQ
- Nasalcrom
- Nasalide
- Nasonex
- Niquil
- Phenergan w/ Codeine syrup
- Robitussin Cold & Congestion Caplet
- Robitussin Cold & Cough Liqui-Gels
- Robitussin Cold Severe Congestion liqui-gels
- Robitussin Cold, Cough & Flu Liqui-Gels
- Robitussin line
- Robitussin Multi Symptom Cold & Flu Caplets
- Robitussin Night Time liquil-Gel
- Sudafed
- Sudafed Cold & Sinus Liquid Caps
- Sudafed Plus
- Tamiflu
- TheraFlu Cough and Cold
- Tuss DM
Tylenol Allergen Statement: “Although we don’t add gluten or gluten containing grains to our products, we cannot confirm that the product or any ingredients in TYLENOL® products are gluten free. Your safety is of great concern to us; therefore, we strongly recommend that you first consult your doctor before using any product if you have a form of gluten intolerance or sensitivity.”
*There are no gluten-containing ingredients added to this product however the manufacturer cannot guarantee the product is gluten-free since they do not test for the absence of gluten.
** Post updated by MsModify 1/18/18
***This list is for the US. If you’re in another country, please contact the manufacturer first.
Information provided by: glutenfreedrugs.com– list updated 4/17
This is such a great list – sharing it with my friend who is GF. xo, Biana –BlovedBoston
I hope it helps your friend! Thanks for stopping by! 🙂
Any updates for 2017/2018 fly season?
I’m working on it. It should be up in the next couple weeks!
Regular Benedryl has gluten, it’s only due free that is safe. Personal itchy experience. (Im allergic to gluten. I’ll scratch until I bleed and then some. Because of a reaction I googled benedryl and checked. I can’t remember if they were a company I emailed or if it was on their site.)
*dye-free
agreed! to my knowledge there is only one gluten free Benadryl brand product. As Corinna says, it’s Dye-Free Liquigels
I have called many of these companies and they will not guarantee them to be Celiac safe/gluten free. If you have CD, I would not take many of these meds, UNLESS it says certified GF.
Very few pharmaceutical companies will say “certified gluten free”. As with everything else, when you have celiac you need to always double check and do what you feel is best for your body.
Actually Tylenol is not necessary gluten free. The manufacturer issued a statement saying “Although we don’t add gluten or gluten containing grains to our products, we cannot confirm that the product or any ingredients in TYLENOL® products are gluten free…”
Thanks! I will update this!
Your lists are so incredibly helpful! Thank you for sharing them.
Thank you for the feedback! I’m so glad you find them helpful!!
When I look up DayQuil it says the same as Tylenol… can’t guarantee gluten free but it’s on this list? It’s all so confusing.
Really? Okay, I will check the original list I found it on and contact the company. Ugh, yes this is so frustrating…. hardly any companies wants to commit to say if they are gf or not. Thank you for bringing this to my attention! 🙂
My doctor put me on Claritin D because it is supposed to be gf for some allergy relief. However, I had a Celiac flare up pretty much the entire 2 weeks that I was on it. This is truly the worst part of the disease when the safe products aren’t necessarily safe.
Aww, I’m so sorry to hear that and can definitely relate! Have you tried nasal rinse? That really helps me with allergies.
I have a very bad celiac reaction to mucinex DM each time too. The cross contamination on these products must be very high. Just tonight I forgot about my last reaction in Oct and got some more and got sick again. It’s forever off my list now.
I too bad a terrible reaction to Mucinex. I asked my pharmacist about it and she confirmed it was not gluten free.
Wow that’s great your pharmacist was knowledgeable about gluten in medication! I’ve never had that experience! I just removed Mucinex from the list. This list comes from glutenfreedrugs.com, so I will be sure to double check everything. Thanks!
Maybe you are reacting to something else in the product other than gluten.
I was just researching Mucinex D because I’m currently having a reaction and it was the only thing I had that could possibly have gluten. Dagnabbit.
I had an awful reaction.
I felt like I was having contractions for most of the day.
The reaction was so much worse than the original discomfort
my 16yr old daughter has celiac disease and took vicks dayquil today for severe cold and flu and threw up 2 hours later.
Must have gluten.
Any list for kids medicine?
I have Celiac’s disease and high blood pressure, is there any safe medication to take for cold or flu.
Thank you so much for the list. I am so sick, i also have fibromyalgia so its a double whammy.
Thank you so much…..am having my first ever HD episode and I want to take something so I can sleep! Hello, Benadryl. 🙂
You’re welcome! Have you tried essential oils? I use lavender to help me sleep and it works great and doesn’t give me that groggy feeling in the morning like Benadryl!
Not on your list, but I really love DayClear/NiteClear. They work, and they are transparent about their ingredients.
https://www.dayclear.com/
There are also a lot of generic pain relief options — Target brand ibuprofen is labeled gluten free; I’ve never checked their acetaminophen.
Thanks for sharing! I also like how Target clearly labels gluten free on their medications!
Does any one with celiac actually use any of these products. None of these medications are gluten free certified so I am very skeptical about this list
Verywellfit had an article from 2020 stating that Benadryl only has one product that’s gluten-free. I have had a terrible headache, the one I usually get when I eat anything with gluten, after taking a member’s mark version of Benadryl (Aller-Ben). I am thinking it either has gluten or some type of cross contamination.
Is the theraflu the powdered form because that does contain gluten according to their website.
I am gluten intolerant and have found a liquid form or gel tabs of a product is the best way to go, Gluten may not be in the product but is often used in making tablets.
Benadryl states: only one of their three products is gluten free. Allergy relief, dye free liquigels .
I noticed Theraflu cough and cold were on here but not Theraflu expressmax severe cold and flu. Is that one not gluten free? Thank you
I thought that regular Benadryl is not gluten free. Only the Allergy Dye Free Benadryl is gluten free.
https://www.verywellfit.com/gluten-free-allergy-and-sinus-medicine-4172456
Dollar general brand Rexall is labeled gluten free on their lines of meds as well.
Mucinex, as well as many others, are missing from this list. Please make another update. Thanks!