Steve Plogsted, a pharmacist at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, is an expert on gluten in medications. His website, glutenfreedrugs.com, is widely recognized as the most reliable source of information on gluten-free prescription and over-the-counter drugs. Have a question about gluten and medications? Send it to [email protected]
Q: I have celiac and am also being treated for myasthenia gravis. My physician wants to start me on immunoglobulin therapy and told me that it was “mostly gluten free.” Of course, I am concerned, and I can’t seem to find any answers.
A: Rest assured, this treatment is fine for people with celiac. There are numerous brands of immunoglobulin therapy currently on the market, but they share many of the same characteristics. There are two important issues to remember when using these products: none of them contain any gluten material, and for you to experience a gluten reaction, the gluten must first be absorbed through the gut. As a side note, no intravenous products currently only the market contain any form of gluten.
To read more of Steve Plogsted’s advice and information on gluten-free medications, read these past Q&As:
- What steps are taken to minimize or prevent cross-contamination in a pharmaceutical manufacturing facility?
- Is a drug that is considered gluten free in the United States also considered gluten free in Canada?
- Some companies have told me that their product contains gluten not from a starch but, rather, from a sugar alcohol. What exactly is a sugar alcohol?
To read resident dietitian Amy Keller’s advice on following and thriving on the gluten-free diet, check out these Q&As:
- We have two family members who eat gluten free. What should I include in an emergency kit for them?
- How am I going to manage a gluten-free diet along with diabetes?
- Recently, I decided that I’d like to become a vegetarian for health reasons. What options do I have to get enough protein and iron without meat?
