EZ Gluten testing

[JaneWhoLovesRain]

Hi - I just tested one of my prescription medications with the EZ Gluten test kit and it came out "very high positive" which surprised me.  In looking at the FAQ's on the EZ Gluten site they say they can't guarantee the results for non-food items (such as meds, toiletries, supplements).  I'm wondering if anyone here has tested their meds with a positive result and found that it was wrong (or right).  I don't understand why it wouldn't be accurate for meds.  I would think gluten is gluten whether it's in a medication or in a food.

[raspberryfirecracker]

Well that's horrifying... I do think there's no telling how the crazy chemicals in medicine would combine with the assay in the strips, so I'm glad they tell you upfront not to take it to heart.

You can find out the exact inactive ingredients in your medication by looking up its NDC number on the bottle (I think that's what it's called) and searching for it in combination with the pharmaceutical company's name (also on the bottle). You should end up finding links to the company's website and images of the exact ingredients for your pill. You might have to scroll through a list of similar variations like pill color etc to find yours.

Your can also internet search the numbers/letters written on the pill and go to the Drugs.com page it links to, but I would double check the info you find because sometimes the inactive ingredients information might be for an older formulation.

Edited February 1, 2021 by raspberryfirecracker
Forgot to mention the ndc + company doesn't link directly to the exact pill but to a list, usually

[knitty kitty]

Yes, gluten or wheat based fillers are often used in medications.  Your doctor and your pharmacist need to review your prescriptions and change them to gluten free versions of the same medications.

[JaneWhoLovesRain]

I did do a search for the ingredients of my prescription and most of them are a bunch of chemical names.  The only one that looked suspect was "talc."  But that's a long shot.  If anything I suspect it would be some kind of cross contamination.  I've thought of going to the pharmacist but most likely the response would be along the line of "the company doesn't add any gluten ingredients but can't guarantee what the makers of the ingredients add," and I would be no further ahead.

I sent an email to ezgluten to ask about the accuracy for medications but received no answer. I also noticed that the red line of the test strip was very faint whereas usually when I test something it is very clear and easy to see so I wanted to know if this was normal or not and if it had something to do with getting a very high positive.

I know generally prescription medication is gluten free so I found this surprising.  Fortunately it's not a life or death prescription so I should be okay without taking it for a few day.  It's clearly written on my record at the pharmacy that all my meds need to be gluten free, I would hope they wouldn't give me something without checking first.

[Scott Adams]

Talc is a naturally occurring mineral I believe, and is used to make talcum power. 

[Kate333]

You can find many Rx and OTR medication lists online which specifically ID ingredients, esp. gluten and dairy.  But to be on the safe side (because some of these lists are not always up to date and because processing procedures and ingredients often change with time), I recommend calling the manufacturer directly to make sure.