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

Gluten-free Prescriptions (birth- Control)

Grace Maureen

Recommended Posts

Grace Maureen Rookie
Grace Maureen
Posted

I am newly diagnosed with Celiac Sprue and having a tough time finding medications that are gluten-free.

In particular, I need a birth control pill to help manage endometriosis. When I call the drug companies I always get some form of..."the starch in the product is made from corn, however we cannot claim that it is entirely gluten-free because we do not test for it..."

What does that mean? Should I not use that pill then?

Does anyone know of any gluten-free birth control pills that are safe?

My doctor was absolutly no help. He just told me to call around.

Thank you for any guidance!

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

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


Lisa Mentor
Lisa
Posted
I am newly diagnosed with Celiac Sprue and having a tough time finding medications that are gluten-free.

In particular, I need a birth control pill to help manage endometriosis. When I call the drug companies I always get some form of..."the starch in the product is made from corn, however we cannot claim that it is entirely gluten-free because we do not test for it..."

What does that mean? Should I not use that pill then?

Does anyone know of any gluten-free birth control pills that are safe?

My doctor was absolutly no help. He just told me to call around.

Thank you for any guidance!

Welcome!

It means that they cannot verify that a product is gluten free unless they test it. If no gluten ingredients are in a product (meds specifically), I generally assume that it's a CYA statement. Meds are not producted on shared equiptment.

Here is a listing of gluten free meds. It's always good to call the company to have a second confirmation.

Open Original Shared Link

ang1e0251 Contributor
ang1e0251
Posted

It's not a pill but an insert. I have had good luck with the Nuvaring. My periods are so bad, you name it I feel it, the dr's keep me on continuous with no period any more. WHat a relief! I can function again and feel human. Good luck with your search.

*lee-lee* Enthusiast
*lee-lee*
Posted

i've been taking Zovia for years now (used to be called Demulen but i think that name brand is discontinued) and haven't had a problem. it's a generic brand so it should be pretty inexpensive if you have a prescription plan. it's about $30 without insurance.

GlutenGalAZ Enthusiast
GlutenGalAZ
Posted

Ortho Tri-Cyclen is gluten free, I took this for years but recently my doctor changed me over to Lo Estrin 24 Fe which is also gluten free. My dr had me change over to Lo Estrin to figure out if I was bleeding/spotting between periods b/c I have been on Ortho for too many years or if I need to be tested for endometriosis. I have only been on it for almost a month so not really sure yet how much it is helping.

Good Luck hope you can figure what you can take.

num1habsfan Rising Star
num1habsfan
Posted
Ortho Tri-Cyclen is gluten free

That is definitely good to know, I was going to post a topic about them on here but I guess I don't need to. I haven't started them quite yet..the doc said wait until I get my period. We'll see just how much they help my iron deficiency...(you can find more info about that in my thread in this sub-section)

  • 1 month later...
AFleming Newbie
AFleming
Posted

Does any one know if Trinessa (generic version of Ortho Tri Cyclen) is gluten free? I have searched on-line and am in th eprocess of trying to get information from the manufacturer. My insurance keeps changing me to the generic and I am leary to take these.

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

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


GlutenGalAZ Enthusiast
GlutenGalAZ
Posted
Does any one know if Trinessa (generic version of Ortho Tri Cyclen) is gluten free? I have searched on-line and am in th eprocess of trying to get information from the manufacturer. My insurance keeps changing me to the generic and I am leary to take these.

Sorry I don't know if it is gluten free or not. I know Ortho Tri Cyclen is or at least was when I was on it. If you do not want to take the generic and are okay with paying more for the name brand you can ask your doctor to either put the name brand on the prescription and/or check the do not substitute box. My mail in pharmacy gave me generic couple years ago for Ortho (do not remember what it was called) but I did not feel well when taking it (before gluten free days) I was getting side effects with it that did not go away - so they switched me back to the name brand. I always try to remember to ask my dr to check/initial the do not sub box.

GOOD LUCK

  • 8 months later...
clemsnkitti Newbie
clemsnkitti
Posted
I am newly diagnosed with Celiac Sprue and having a tough time finding medications that are gluten-free.

In particular, I need a birth control pill to help manage endometriosis. When I call the drug companies I always get some form of..."the starch in the product is made from corn, however we cannot claim that it is entirely gluten-free because we do not test for it..."

What does that mean? Should I not use that pill then?

Does anyone know of any gluten-free birth control pills that are safe?

My doctor was absolutly no help. He just told me to call around.

Thank you for any guidance!

I have a gluten intolerance and endometriosis-- I take Seasonale (and other generics-- Jolessa, Quasense) without any problem at all.

Hope this helps! It's nice to have a period only every three months....

krawhitham Newbie
krawhitham
Posted

I wanted to add my birth control experience.

I had been on Apri-28 (which is on the gluten-free drugs list) for about 7 years. When I moved from the East Coast to the West Coast, they said I had to switch to the generic out there which is called Reclipsen. Reclipsen is not on the gluten-free list.

I never noticed any problems with gluten UNTIL starting Reclipsen, and so 2 months ago I both stopped taking birth control and went on a gluten-free diet... So just in case anyone was considering that particular drug, do some research on it first!

  • 2 months later...
princessjessie Newbie
princessjessie
Posted

I have the same question.

I'm taking the generic of Yasmin. It's called Ocella or Occella, not sure of the spelling.

If anyone has any information on it that would be helpful. I can't find them on the gluten free drug lists that I have checked.

DownWithGluten Explorer
DownWithGluten
Posted

That gluten-free drugs link someone gave on here is good. I'm not sure if it is ALL inclusive, but I always bring it to the doctors whenever I go and make them pick something from on there. :P

I started taking LoOvral for cramps etc. it's gluten free. The nuvaring someone mentioned on here sounds intriguing.

Beloved Apprentice
Beloved
Posted

Don't flat out trust that GlutenFreeDrugs website, it's got alot of outdated stuff.

You should always call the company yourself, rather than counting on others to do it for you.

I take Tri-Nessa, it's not guaranteed but they say the starch is from Corn, I've been taking for ages with no problems and I had a scope in March, so I'm fairly certain it's fine.

Ortho-Tri-Cyclen (brand name) says no gluten ingredients but will not guarantee gluten-free...pretty much the same thing.

Dasmith Rookie
Dasmith
Posted

I take Loestrin24Fe for birth control. It is gluten free and actually states it on the website...having great results..no side effects at all...hope this helps. :)

  • 6 months later...
NV Girl Newbie
NV Girl
Posted

I have been recently diagnosed with celiac - but have no symptoms. Does anyone know for sure which bc pills are gluten free

Seasonale apparently could have cross contamination in the manufacturing

Loestrin apparenlty has a very small amount of gluten

Thank you

mushroom Proficient
mushroom
Posted

I have been recently diagnosed with celiac - but have no symptoms. Does anyone know for sure which bc pills are gluten free

Seasonale apparently could have cross contamination in the manufacturing

Loestrin apparenlty has a very small amount of gluten

Thank you

Loestrin 24Fe claims to have no gluten. It does contain an unspecified starch, probably corn.

modiddly16 Enthusiast
modiddly16
Posted

I've been on Yasmin for about 5 years. The company confirmed that it was gluten free...as they did with Yaz. Yaz, however, caused me to put an obnoxious 10 pounds on that I'm still fighting to get off, so I went back to Yasmin. I never went generic with this because although it would've helped my bank account...the company refused to confirm that it was gluten free...so I stuck with what works and have never had an issue.

glutenfr3309 Rookie
glutenfr3309
Posted

I've been on Yasmin for about 5 years. The company confirmed that it was gluten free...as they did with Yaz. Yaz, however, caused me to put an obnoxious 10 pounds on that I'm still fighting to get off, so I went back to Yasmin. I never went generic with this because although it would've helped my bank account...the company refused to confirm that it was gluten free...so I stuck with what works and have never had an issue.

ooo good to know about yaz. i've been on that now for a couple of years and did not research it yet. glad i won't have to switch!

modiddly16 Enthusiast
modiddly16
Posted

ooo good to know about yaz. i've been on that now for a couple of years and did not research it yet. glad i won't have to switch!

My doctor told me that my reaction isn't a typical result of the pill. A lot of people lose weight on Yaz...however, a lot of people gain it as well. I don't know what the deal is with that but I'm still struggling to get the extra weight off.

kareng Grand Master
kareng
Posted

Azurette and Kariva were last I checked. What ever you decide, call the company and ask to make sure they didn't change the formula.

  • 1 year later...
Sinenox Apprentice
Sinenox
Posted

Hi there,

Watson Pharmaceuticals, the manufacturer of Reclipsen, is hard to pin down. I had to call them a few times, but I was routed to their laboratory, where I spoke to two technicians named Brendan and Andrew. They both confirmed that there are no gluten ingredients in Reclipsen, and that the starches used are based in corn.

To the OP: Reclipsen is a birth control pill that is sometimes used to treat endometriosis. You may want to check it out. I'm pretty sensitive and I haven't had any problems.

I wanted to add my birth control experience.

I had been on Apri-28 (which is on the gluten-free drugs list) for about 7 years. When I moved from the East Coast to the West Coast, they said I had to switch to the generic out there which is called Reclipsen. Reclipsen is not on the gluten-free list.

I never noticed any problems with gluten UNTIL starting Reclipsen, and so 2 months ago I both stopped taking birth control and went on a gluten-free diet... So just in case anyone was considering that particular drug, do some research on it first!

ElseB Contributor
ElseB
Posted

I was on Yasmin for about 6 year, starting pre-diagnosis. I confirmed gluten free status, but last year I started getting constipation, which is my gluten symptom. I don't think it was gluten though, just the hormones from the pill upsetting my system (because I got no stomach ache, which always precedes the C when I get glutened). But then I got a blood clot which doctors said was most likely due to the pill since I had no other risk factors. So no more pill for me!

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. rei.b
      - rei.b replied to rei.b's topic in Celiac Disease Pre-Diagnosis, Testing & Symptoms
      11

      High DGP-A with normal IGA

      I was tested for celiac at the same time, so I wasn't taking naltrexone yet. I say that, because I don't. The endoscopy showed some mild inflammation but was inconclusive as to celiac disease. They took several biopsies and that's all that was shown. I was not given a Marsh score.
    2. knitty kitty
      - knitty kitty replied to rei.b's topic in Celiac Disease Pre-Diagnosis, Testing & Symptoms
      11

      High DGP-A with normal IGA

      Food and environmental allergies involve IgE antibodies. IgE antibodies provoke histamine release from mast cells. Celiac disease is not always visible to the naked eye during endoscopy. Much of the damage is microscopic and patchy or out of reach of the scope. Did they take any biopsies of your small intestine for a pathologist to examine? Were...
    3. rei.b
      - rei.b replied to rei.b's topic in Celiac Disease Pre-Diagnosis, Testing & Symptoms
      11

      High DGP-A with normal IGA

      I was tested for food allergies and environmental allergies about 7 months before I started taking Naltrexone, so I don't think that is the cause for me, but that's interesting! The main thing with the celiac thing that is throwing me off is these symptoms are lifelong, but I don't have intestinal damage to correlate with lifelong undiagnosed celiac...
    4. trents
      - trents replied to lmemsm's topic in Gluten-Free Foods, Products, Shopping & Medications
      10

      Finding gluten free ingredients

      Welcome to the forum, @Kara S! Warrior bread is a grain free bread product. Google it. There are commercial mixes available, I believe, Youtube videos and many recipes.
    5. knitty kitty
      - knitty kitty replied to Colleen H's topic in Coping with Celiac Disease
      6

      Gluten related ??

      @Colleen H, I have had similar reactions and symptoms like yours. I started following the low histamine Autoimmune Protocol diet developed by a doctor with Celiac Disease herself, Dr. Sarah Ballantyne. Her book, The Paleo Approach, is very helpful in understanding what's going on in the body. Not only do you have antibodies attacking the body...
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):


  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      132,130
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748
    Tony White
    Newest Member
    Tony White
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):

  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.5k
    • Total Posts
      1m
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):



  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):


  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • rei.b
      High DGP-A with normal IGA

      By rei.b · Posted

      I was tested for celiac at the same time, so I wasn't taking naltrexone yet. I say that, because I don't. The endoscopy showed some mild inflammation but was inconclusive as to celiac disease. They took several biopsies and that's all that was shown. I was not given a Marsh score.
    • knitty kitty
      High DGP-A with normal IGA

      By knitty kitty · Posted

      Food and environmental allergies involve IgE antibodies.  IgE antibodies provoke histamine release from mast cells.   Celiac disease is not always visible to the naked eye during endoscopy.  Much of the damage is microscopic and patchy or out of reach of the scope.  Did they take any biopsies of your small intestine for a pathologist to examine?  Were you given a Marsh score? Why do you say you "don't have intestinal damage to correlate with lifelong undiagnosed celiac disease"?   Just curious.  
    • rei.b
      High DGP-A with normal IGA

      By rei.b · Posted

      I was tested for food allergies and environmental allergies about 7 months before I started taking Naltrexone, so I don't think that is the cause for me, but that's interesting!  The main thing with the celiac thing that is throwing me off is these symptoms are lifelong, but I don't have intestinal damage to correlate with lifelong undiagnosed celiac disease.
    • trents
      Finding gluten free ingredients

      By trents · Posted

      Welcome to the forum, @Kara S! Warrior bread is a grain free bread product. Google it. There are commercial mixes available, I believe, Youtube videos and many recipes. 
    • knitty kitty
      Gluten related ??

      By knitty kitty · Posted

      @Colleen H, I have had similar reactions and symptoms like yours.  I started following the low histamine Autoimmune Protocol diet developed by a doctor with Celiac Disease herself, Dr. Sarah Ballantyne.  Her book, The Paleo Approach, is very helpful in understanding what's going on in the body.   Not only do you have antibodies attacking the body, there are mast cells spreading histamine which causes inflammation.  Foods also contain histamine or act as histamine releasers.  Our bodies have difficulty clearing histamine if there's too much.  Following the low histamine AIP diet allows your body time to clear the excess histamine we're making as part of the autoimmune response, without adding in extra histamine from foods.  High histamine foods include eggs, processed foods and some citrus fruits.  The AIP diet allows meat and vegetables.  No processed meats like sausage, luncheon meats, ham, chicken nuggets, etc. No night shades (potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, eggplant).  No dairy.  No grains.  No rice.  No eggs.  No gluten-free processed foods like gluten free breads and cookies.  No nuts.  No expensive processed gluten-free foods.  Meat and vegetables.  Some fruit. Some fruit, like applesauce, contains high levels of fructose which can cause digestive upsets.  Fructose gets fermented by yeasts in the gastrointestinal tract.  This fermentation can cause gas, bloating and abdominal pain.   The AIP diet changes your microbiome.  Change what you eat and that changes which bacteria live in your gut.  By cutting out carbohydrates from grains and starchy veggies like potatoes, SIBO bacteria get starved out.  Fermenting yeasts get starved out, too.  Healthy bacteria repopulate the gut.   Thiamine Vitamin B 1 helps regulate gut bacteria.  Low thiamine can lead to SIBO and yeast infestation.  Mast cells release histamine more easily when they are low in Thiamine.  Anxiety, depression, and irritability are early symptoms of thiamine insufficiency.  A form of thiamine called Benfotiamine has been shown to promote intestinal healing.   Thiamine works with the seven other B vitamins.  They all need each other to function properly.   Other vitamins and minerals are needed, too.  Vitamin D helps calm and regulate the immune system. Thiamine is needed to turn Vitamin D into an active form.  Thiamine needs magnesium to make life sustaining enzymes.  Taking a B Complex and additional Benfotiamine is beneficial.  The B vitamins are water soluble, easily lost if we're not absorbing nutrients properly as with Celiac Disease.  Since blood tests for B vitamins are notoriously inaccurate, taking a B Complex, Benfotiamine, and magnesium Threonate, and looking for health improvements is a better way to see if you're insufficient.   I do hope you will give the low histamine AIP diet a try.  It really works.
×
×
  • 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.