Jump to content

  • Welcome to Celiac.com!

    You have found your celiac tribe! Join us and ask questions in our forum, share your story, and connect with others.


  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A1):
    Celiac.com Sponsor (A1-M):

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Our Content
    eNewsletter
    Donate

Benadryl

shai76

Recommended Posts

shai76 Explorer
shai76
Posted

Every time I take it I end up with the most awful stomach cramps and diarrhea. The, of course, I feel so tired and sick. I get tunnel vision and feel like I'm going to pass out. Before I though the D and cramps were from the food allergy problems that I took the Benadryl for in the first place. But I'm not sure because even when I take it for slight environmental allergy problems I end up sitting on the toilet all night doubled over in pain. errrr

Anyone else have the same problem?

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


Rusla Enthusiast
Rusla
Posted

Is it the generic or the real stuff?

hez Enthusiast
hez
Posted

I use the children's liquid and do not have problems. I remember it being gluten-free but I could not find that information on their website. I will keep looking and post if I find something.

Hez

Found this on the Benadryl website.

Hez

Q. Do any of the Benadryl® products contain gluten?

A. We do not specifically test for the presence of gluten in our products. Therefore, we cannot certify them to be gluten free. While we can tell you that there are no gluten-containing grains in this product, we cannot guarantee that cross-contamination with gluten did not occur in the manufacturing process.

tarnalberry Community Regular
tarnalberry
Posted

They have the standard CYA statement for their items, which pretty much translates to gluten-free for their items. BUT you could be having a bad reaction to the drug itself. If that happens every time you take it, I highly recommend that you stop taking it, and look into other antihistamines. Some people do not respond well to some drugs. Have you had similar responses to any other antihistamines?

(The active ingredient in Benadryl, diphenhydramine, is a first-gen anti-histamine, which also has significant Open Original Shared Link. The side effects you mention are all listed in the Open Original Shared Link for the drug. So it may simply be that you are highly sensitive to drugs with these properties, or perhaps you're taking something else that has these properties that's causing a multiplicative effect? Either way, perhaps a second- or third-gen antihistimaine would work better for you?)

Carriefaith Enthusiast
Carriefaith
Posted

Check out this link:

Open Original Shared Link

The ingredients are at the bottom of the link.

Rusla Enthusiast
Rusla
Posted

I was sure the real stuff was gluten-free however, I do not know about generic brands.

shai76 Explorer
shai76
Posted
  • Author

Okay, it's actually the generic CVS brand benadryl. I've never had a problem until I started this specific brand. Regular Benadryl never caused me a problem, unless I developed an allergy to it...which happens to me sometimes. What other antihistamines are there that are as effective for people with severe allergies? I have to take it when I break out in hives, and start to have throat swelling. I also carry an epipen but I will only use that as a last resort.

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


flagbabyds Collaborator
flagbabyds
Posted

you can get prescription hydroxizyine,

i have always reacted to benadryl and i think that i am allergic to the med, it also has corn in it which i am really highly allergic to so that could be it also

i use hydroxizine in place of epi-pen cause i am also mildly allergic to epi as it makes my heart do funny funny things and makes me throw up.

shai76 Explorer
shai76
Posted
  • Author
you can get prescription hydroxizyine,

i have always reacted to benadryl and i think that i am allergic to the med, it also has corn in it which i am really highly allergic to so that could be it also

i use hydroxizine in place of epi-pen cause i am also mildly allergic to epi as it makes my heart do funny funny things and makes me throw up.

I'm also allergic to corn, but I've never had that bad of a reaction to it. Usually it just causes me some wheezing, and eczema...not this gastrointestinal distress. It's so extremely painful. It feels like someone is twisting my insides, ringing them out like a wet rag. It's just awful. :blink:

I see my allergist Monday to have my sublingual drops refilled. Maybe I will talk to her about getting a new kind of antihistamine.

flagbabyds Collaborator
flagbabyds
Posted

yeah, i'm anaphalyxis to corn and soy but also allergic to epi so it really really sucks!

shai76 Explorer
shai76
Posted
  • Author
yeah, i'm anaphalyxis to corn and soy but also allergic to epi so it really really sucks!

Wow, that would be scary! I'm anaphylectic to soy (and other beans and legumes) and milk. My other allergies are bad, but not as bad as my bean and milk allergy!

flagbabyds Collaborator
flagbabyds
Posted

yeah corn and soy and wheat are my worst allergies but epi also screws up my heart badly and makes it really hard to move or breathe

it really sucks so i carry hydroxizine around with me at all times and use that instead

grantschoep Contributor
grantschoep
Posted

As with lots of drugs, some people react very differently. I, for example am some one that took Ambian, and don't remeber about 3 weeks of my life. Ambian is a great sleep aid for people, for me, one rare side effect was complete amnesia, true I was very sick at the time.

Benadryl, I know the official brand name is gluten-free. I used to have to take it alot, unfortunatly(IMHO) I'm not a person that gets tired from benadryl.

pixiegirl Enthusiast
pixiegirl
Posted

what is hydroxizine and is it as effective as an epi?

Susan

tarnalberry Community Regular
tarnalberry
Posted
Okay, it's actually the generic CVS brand benadryl. I've never had a problem until I started this specific brand. Regular Benadryl never caused me a problem, unless I developed an allergy to it...which happens to me sometimes. What other antihistamines are there that are as effective for people with severe allergies? I have to take it when I break out in hives, and start to have throat swelling. I also carry an epipen but I will only use that as a last resort.

You might want to go back to brand-name Benadryl, then, if it didn't cause a problem. But other antihistamines I've had are atarax (hydroxyzine) and zyrtec (the latter being a metabolite of the former). Both still have anticholinergic properties (antihistamines tend to, and the atarax more than the zyrtec), but I believe the generic (prescription) of atarax is gluten-free. it can make you sleepy (atarax more than zyrtec), but it is cheep 'cause it's been around for a while. ;)

I'm not sure *anything* is going to be as effective as an epi-pen... it's a totally different route of delivery.

Carriefaith Enthusiast
Carriefaith
Posted
what is hydroxizine and is it as effective as an epi?

I am also interested in this. I am highly allergic to something, I think wheat or milk. I have epipens.

ylimaf Rookie
ylimaf
Posted

Yes Benedryl is gluten free. The pediatrician double checked it for us. Yes our pediatrician understands celiac disease. He was the one who noticed it when I had no clue it even existed. The generic brand might well have gluten in it. Generic brands are made in such a way to make it cheaper to buy and wheat is cheaper to to work with. We use the name brand quite often with no side affects. Our 2 year old has celiac disease and is anaphalactic with milk. With 4 other children who have no issues with milk, our 2 year old finds occasion weekly to get it on him or in him. If I were you get the name brand and be comfortable.

shai76 Explorer
shai76
Posted
  • Author
Yes Benedryl is gluten free. The pediatrician double checked it for us. Yes our pediatrician understands celiac disease. He was the one who noticed it when I had no clue it even existed. The generic brand might well have gluten in it. Generic brands are made in such a way to make it cheaper to buy and wheat is cheaper to to work with. We use the name brand quite often with no side affects. Our 2 year old has celiac disease and is anaphalactic with milk. With 4 other children who have no issues with milk, our 2 year old finds occasion weekly to get it on him or in him. If I were you get the name brand and be comfortable.

Thanks! I bought some today. I bought the Benadryl name brand gel caps that are dye free. I'm still afraid of trying it. Those tummy aches were terrible!

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Celiac.com:
    Join eNewsletter
    Donate
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):
    Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):



    Celiac.com Sponsors (A17-M):



  • Recent Activity

    1. knitty kitty
      - knitty kitty replied to Jane02's topic in Gluten-Free Foods, Products, Shopping & Medications
      9

      Desperately need a vitamin D supplement. I've reacted to most brands I've tried.

      @Jane02, I hear you about the kale and collard greens. I don't do dairy and must eat green leafies, too, to get sufficient calcium. I must be very careful because some calcium supplements are made from ground up crustacean shells. When I was deficient in Vitamin D, I took high doses of Vitamin D to correct the deficiency quickly. This is safe...
    2. Jane02
      - Jane02 replied to Jane02's topic in Gluten-Free Foods, Products, Shopping & Medications
      9

      Desperately need a vitamin D supplement. I've reacted to most brands I've tried.

      Thank you so much @knitty kitty for this insightful information! I would have never considered fractionated coconut oil to be a potential source of GI upset. I will consider all the info you shared. Very interesting about the Thiamine deficiency. I've tracked daily averages of my intake in a nutrition software. The only nutrient I can't consistently...
    3. knitty kitty
      - knitty kitty replied to Jane02's topic in Gluten-Free Foods, Products, Shopping & Medications
      9

      Desperately need a vitamin D supplement. I've reacted to most brands I've tried.

      Hello, @Jane02, I take Naturewise D 3. It contains olive oil. Some Vitamin D supplements, like D Drops, are made with fractionated coconut oil which can cause digestive upsets. Fractionated coconut oil is not the same as coconut oil used for cooking. Fractionated coconut oil has been treated for longer shelf life, so it won't go bad in the...
    4. Scott Adams
      0

      Penobscot Bay, Maine: Nurturing Gluten-Free Wellness Retreat with expert celiac dietitian, Melinda Dennis

      until
      Hello! Join me and treat yourself to a four-day, three-night restorative gluten-free retreat in a peaceful, private coastal retreat setting near Penobscot Bay in Maine. Dates: April 10-13, 2026 Enjoy engaging classes...
    5. Scott Adams
      - Scott Adams replied to Jane02's topic in Gluten-Free Foods, Products, Shopping & Medications
      9

      Desperately need a vitamin D supplement. I've reacted to most brands I've tried.

      I do not know this, but since they are labelled gluten-free, and are not really a product that could easily be contaminated when making them (there would be not flour in the air of such a facility, for example), I don't really see contamination as something to be concerned about for this type of product.
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):

  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      133,329
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748
    klkarius
    Newest Member
    klkarius
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):

  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.6k
    • Total Posts
      1m
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):

  • Who's Online (See full list)

  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • knitty kitty
      Desperately need a vitamin D supplement. I've reacted to most brands I've tried.

      By knitty kitty · Posted

      @Jane02, I hear you about the kale and collard greens.  I don't do dairy and must eat green leafies, too, to get sufficient calcium.  I must be very careful because some calcium supplements are made from ground up crustacean shells.  When I was deficient in Vitamin D, I took high doses of Vitamin D to correct the deficiency quickly.  This is safe and nontoxic.  Vitamin D level should be above 70 nmol/L.  Lifeguards and indigenous Pacific Islanders typically have levels between 80-100 nmol/L.   Levels lower than this are based on amount needed to prevent disease like rickets and osteomalacia. We need more thiamine when we're physically ill, emotionally and mentally stressed, and if we exercise like an athlete or laborer.  We need more thiamine if we eat a diet high in simple carbohydrates.  For every 500 kcal of carbohydrates, we need 500-1000 mg more of thiamine to process the carbs into energy.  If there's insufficient thiamine the carbs get stored as fat.  Again, recommended levels set for thiamine are based on minimum amounts needed to prevent disease.  This is often not adequate for optimum health, nor sufficient for people with absorption problems such as Celiac disease.  Gluten free processed foods are not enriched with vitamins like their gluten containing counterparts.  Adding a B Complex and additional thiamine improves health for Celiacs.  Thiamine is safe and nontoxic even in high doses.  Thiamine helps the mitochondria in cells to function.  Thiamine interacts with each of the other B vitamins.  They are all water soluble and easily excreted if not needed. Interesting Reading: Clinical trial: B vitamins improve health in patients with coeliac disease living on a gluten-free diet https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19154566/ Safety and effectiveness of vitamin D mega-dose: A systematic review https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34857184/ High dose dietary vitamin D allocates surplus calories to muscle and growth instead of fat via modulation of myostatin and leptin signaling https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38766160/ Safety of High-Dose Vitamin D Supplementation: Secondary Analysis of a Randomized Controlled Trial https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31746327/ Vitamins and Celiac Disease: Beyond Vitamin D https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11857425/ Investigating the therapeutic potential of tryptophan and vitamin A in modulating immune responses in celiac disease: an experimental study https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40178602/ Investigating the Impact of Vitamin A and Amino Acids on Immune Responses in Celiac Disease Patients https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10814138/
    • Jane02
      Desperately need a vitamin D supplement. I've reacted to most brands I've tried.

      By Jane02 · Posted

      Thank you so much @knitty kitty for this insightful information! I would have never considered fractionated coconut oil to be a potential source of GI upset. I will consider all the info you shared. Very interesting about the Thiamine deficiency.  I've tracked daily averages of my intake in a nutrition software. The only nutrient I can't consistently meet from my diet is vitamin D. Calcium is a hit and miss as I rely on vegetables, dark leafy greens as a major source, for my calcium intake. I'm able to meet it when I either eat or juice a bundle of kale or collard greens daily haha. My thiamine intake is roughly 120% of my needs, although I do recognize that I may not be absorbing all of these nutrients consistently with intermittent unintentional exposures to gluten.  My vitamin A intake is roughly 900% (~6400 mcg/d) of my needs as I eat a lot of sweet potato, although since it's plant-derived vitamin A (beta-carotene) apparently it's not likely to cause toxicity.  Thanks again! 
    • knitty kitty
      Desperately need a vitamin D supplement. I've reacted to most brands I've tried.

      By knitty kitty · Posted

      Hello, @Jane02,  I take Naturewise D 3.  It contains olive oil.   Some Vitamin D supplements, like D Drops, are made with fractionated coconut oil which can cause digestive upsets.  Fractionated coconut oil is not the same as coconut oil used for cooking.  Fractionated coconut oil has been treated for longer shelf life, so it won't go bad in the jar, and thus may be irritating to the digestive system. I avoid supplements made with soy because many people with Celiac Disease also react to soy.  Mixed tocopherols, an ingredient in Thornes Vitamin D, may be sourced from soy oil.  Kirkland's has soy on its ingredient list. I avoid things that might contain or be exposed to crustaceans, like Metagenics says on its label.  I have a crustacean/shellfish/fish allergy.  I like Life Extension Bioactive Complete B Complex.  I take additional Thiamine B 1 in the form Benfotiamine which helps the intestines heal, Life Extension MegaBenfotiamine. Thiamine is needed to activate Vitamin D.   Low thiamine can make one feel like they are getting glutened after a meal containing lots of simple carbohydrates like white rice, or processed gluten free foods like cookies and pasta.   It's rare to have a single vitamin deficiency.  The water soluble B Complex vitamins should be supplemented together with additional Thiamine in the form Benfotiamine and Thiamine TTFD (tetrahydrofurfuryl disulfide) to correct subclinical deficiencies that don't show up on blood tests.  These are subclinical deficiencies within organs and tissues.  Blood is a transportation system.  The body will deplete tissues and organs in order to keep a supply of thiamine in the bloodstream going to the brain and heart.   If you're low in Vitamin D, you may well be low in other fat soluble vitamins like Vitamin A and Vitamin K. Have you seen a dietician?
    • Scott Adams
      Desperately need a vitamin D supplement. I've reacted to most brands I've tried.

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      I do not know this, but since they are labelled gluten-free, and are not really a product that could easily be contaminated when making them (there would be not flour in the air of such a facility, for example), I don't really see contamination as something to be concerned about for this type of product. 
    • trents
      Desperately need a vitamin D supplement. I've reacted to most brands I've tried.

      By trents · Posted

      Contact them.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

NOTICE: This site places This site places cookies on your device (Cookie settings). on your device. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use, and Privacy Policy.