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Gluten Free Alternative To Zicam?

Waitingindreams

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Waitingindreams Enthusiast
Waitingindreams
Posted

Whenever I feel a cold coming on I would take Zicam, it works super fast and it's the most effective cold medicine I've ever taken. Unfortunately, it is not listed on any of the gluten free drug sites/lists I've found and the company itself states that it cannot guarantee that the product is gluten free.

 

Does anyone know of a really effective gluten free cold medicine? Zicam could stop a cold in its tracks, I'm looking for something that I can take just before the cold really starts.

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kareng Grand Master
kareng
Posted

Most companies aren't going to guarantee it is gluten-free if they don't test for gluten.  That does not mean it has gluten in it. 

 

Sounds fine to me. 

Do Zicam® products include gluten?

None of the ingredients or manufacturing processes contain glutens derived from wheat, rye or barley. However, some Zicam® manufacturing facilities use equipment that may have come in contact with gluten agents.

Waitingindreams Enthusiast
Waitingindreams
Posted
  • Author

I guess what I meant to ask was if anyone knew a really effective cold medicine that was certified as gluten free. I know some of Advil's products are, for example. The fact that Zicam wasn't on those gluten free drug lists made me wary, especially since I'm still not feeling 100%. I'm still new to the gluten free diet (three months in) so at times I might be overly cautious - though if I could keep taking Zicam that would be ideal. I guess I'll just try it and see how it affects me. Thanks for your response!

WinterSong Community Regular
WinterSong
Posted

Isn't Zicam just a big burst of zinc? Couldn't you take a supplement? I take a calcium/magnesium/zinc supplement every day.

 

Also, I've heard that Zicam and other zinc products may not really work and it's just a placebo effect. 

Adalaide Mentor
Adalaide
Posted

Very few, if any manufacturers will come right out and say more than a CYA statement. It is nearly always "we don't use gluten but aren't making any promises" because just in case someone gets sick they don't want to get sued. It's just the way the industry works. With medications the cleaning practices that are in place are top-notch so the chances of CC from other products are so low they are almost nonexistent. If a drug manufacturer tells me the ingredients are gluten free, I'll take it.

kareng Grand Master
kareng
Posted

. With medications the cleaning practices that are in place are top-notch so the chances of CC from other products are so low they are almost nonexistent. If a drug manufacturer tells me the ingredients are gluten free, I'll take it.

 

 

And I wondered where the gluten on the machines would come from  if all the products do not contain gluten!  Maybe another brand uses the machines? 

Adalaide Mentor
Adalaide
Posted

And I wondered where the gluten on the machines would come from  if all the products do not contain gluten!  Maybe another brand uses the machines? 

 

The two medications I have run into that for sure contained gluten were a gelcap, which would presumably run on different equipment than regular pills, and a prescription nausea medication that you let melt under your tongue. I don't remember what drug it was, but with the brand name and more than one generic I was specifically told they were not gluten free. Knowing that, I'm still not the least bit concerned about other medications those manufacturers make.

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Waitingindreams Enthusiast
Waitingindreams
Posted
  • Author

Thanks for the replies everyone! I guess Zicam is fine to take. Phew!

 

Wintersong - (I like your name) Zicam is a big burst of zinc, yes - but I never found zinc supplements to be as effective. I too was taking one every day to try to help my skin/ward off colds...but I would still need Zicam at the beginning of a cold. As for it being a placebo effect, that I have no idea - a friend of mine is an RN and she told me about it, and I found the cold symptoms went away really quickly. It helps me, that's all I know :P 

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