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Generic Plaquenil (Hydroxychloroquine)

splinky

By splinky
in Coping with Celiac Disease

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splinky Newbie
splinky
Posted

Hi, I'm taking Plaquenil for Lupus type symptoms and I know that the brand name product is gluten free but at $75 a month difference, I'd love to take the generic. I've tried to contact Mylan and so has my pharmacist but we can't get a definite answer. Does anyone here have a line into Mylan? I'd like to be sure before I make a switch but noone at Mylan seems to know the answer. Help!!!!!! Thanks

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GFRPH Newbie
GFRPH
Posted

Hi, I'm taking Plaquenil for Lupus type symptoms and I know that the brand name product is gluten free but at $75 a month difference, I'd love to take the generic. I've tried to contact Mylan and so has my pharmacist but we can't get a definite answer. Does anyone here have a line into Mylan? I'd like to be sure before I make a switch but noone at Mylan seems to know the answer. Help!!!!!! Thanks

I'm a pharmacist with Celiac disease and I know how frustrating it can be to get a straight answer from some of these drug companies. Often they don't want to say their products are gluten free, even though they should be, because of the very low possibility of cross contamination. There's a wonderful pharmacist, Steve Plogsted, who researches tons of medications to determine if they are gluten free. He's finding that some companies are saying that their products are not gluten free because they contain sugar alcohols, which are gluten free. He has a website www.glutenfreedrugs.com. He maintains a list of drugs that are gluten free. Unfortunately, hydroxychloroquine was not on it. That doesnt necessarily mean that it's not gluten free though. He also has a list of ingredients found in medication and whether they are

gluten free or not. You and your pharmacist can use that list compared with the ingredients for hydroxychloroquine (listed in the package insert) to determine if there are any suspect ingredients. Then, using that information, you can call the company and push them as to what they say the source of gluten is. If it's cc or sugar alcohols, then it's gluten free. Mylan used to claim that all of their drugs are gluten free so I suspect it is gluten free but I would push them on what they say is the source of gluten. Also, many companies will say that there are no gluten ingredients used but the final product is not tested so they cannot say that it is gluten free. That's legalese for gluten free.

splinky Newbie
splinky
Posted
  • Author

I'm a pharmacist with Celiac disease and I know how frustrating it can be to get a straight answer from some of these drug companies. Often they don't want to say their products are gluten free, even though they should be, because of the very low possibility of cross contamination. There's a wonderful pharmacist, Steve Plogsted, who researches tons of medications to determine if they are gluten free. He's finding that some companies are saying that their products are not gluten free because they contain sugar alcohols, which are gluten free. He has a website www.glutenfreedrugs.com. He maintains a list of drugs that are gluten free. Unfortunately, hydroxychloroquine was not on it. That doesnt necessarily mean that it's not gluten free though. He also has a list of ingredients found in medication and whether they are

gluten free or not. You and your pharmacist can use that list compared with the ingredients for hydroxychloroquine (listed in the package insert) to determine if there are any suspect ingredients. Then, using that information, you can call the company and push them as to what they say the source of gluten is. If it's cc or sugar alcohols, then it's gluten free. Mylan used to claim that all of their drugs are gluten free so I suspect it is gluten free but I would push them on what they say is the source of gluten. Also, many companies will say that there are no gluten ingredients used but the final product is not tested so they cannot say that it is gluten free. That's legalese for gluten free.

Thanks very much for your response. I'm also allergic to beet sugar so I guess checking the sugar alcohols is a pretty good idea, in any event. I'll check out the website and share it with my pharmacist. Thanks again

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