Bayer Low Dose Aspirin Gluten Free?

[richieroman]

Hi all:

This is my 1st post ever on a social website so please forgive me if I have done anything incorrectly.

I was diagnosed with celiac disease back in 1990 confirmed by a biopsy of my small intestine. I am now 60 years of age, and my regular physician has recommended I start taking a daily low dose aspirin.

I checked the Bayer website, and their low dose aspirin has 4 lines of separate chemical inactive ingredients, while the regular 325 mg aspirin has only a few inactive ingredients. I called Bayer and inquired if their aspirin products were gluten free and was informed that they do not add gluten to their product....however they cannot guarantee their products are gluten free as some of the ingredients may be processed in facilities that also process gluten. Can anyone help in answering whether these products are safe, and if not can any other substitutes be recommended. Thank you in advance.

Richard Romano

[JoshB]

It's fine. Almost no one uses gluten or even wheat starch as a binder now, so there's nothing to cross contaminate with. Besides if any manufacturing facility is going to have good protocols against cross contamination on a processing line, it's a pharmaceutical plant.

[psawyer]

Hi, Richard, and welcome to the board.

The reply you received is very common from mainstream companies. They purchase their ingredients from their suppliers, but don't test them to see if they were contaminated with gluten prior to arriving at their plant. Since they don't test, they "cannot guarantee" anything.

I would use the product without hesitation.

[richieroman]

Thank you both Peter and Josh for your fast responses...I will now go ahead and use this product with confidence. Interesting to note Peter that what you said in your post is almost exactly word for word what I was told over the phone by a company representative. Thank you again.

Richard

[yourwrong]

On ‎9‎/‎22‎/‎2011 at 3:41 PM, JoshB said:

It's fine. Almost no one uses gluten or even wheat starch as a binder now, so there's nothing to cross contaminate with. Besides if any manufacturing facility is going to have good protocols against cross contamination on a processing line, it's a pharmaceutical plant.

You are wrong. And I am surprised anyone would listen to anything you have to say. Bayer Aspirin.  the products are produced in a facility that may also process gluten, and could be made on the same equipment as gluten-containing products. So if you have celiacs you will get sick.

[kareng]

28 minutes ago, yourwrong said:

You are wrong. And I am surprised anyone would listen to anything you have to say. Bayer Aspirin.  the products are produced in a facility that may also process gluten, and could be made on the same equipment as gluten-containing products. So if you have celiacs you will get sick.

You are responding, rather rudely, to someone from 2011.  In 6 years products may have changed.  However, the poster is correct  that wheat starch is seldom used.  If a person is worried about a medication they can call the company and inquire.  You do not seem to have any actual info from Bayer to share.  This appears to be your own assumptions.

Even if the factory were to make a different medication on the same machinery, they would be thoroughly cleaned between runs.  Especially something as sensitive  as medication.  They can not run the risk that a different medication is present in the aspirin.  

 

Edit - just checked the website for Bayer Aspirin - they list corn starch for most products.  No other starches listed

[Hinks12369]

On 9/22/2011 at 0:19 PM, richieroman said:

Hi all:

 

This is my 1st post ever on a social website so please forgive me if I have done anything incorrectly.

 

I was diagnosed with celiac disease back in 1990 confirmed by a biopsy of my small intestine. I am now 60 years of age, and my regular physician has recommended I start taking a daily low dose aspirin.

 

I checked the Bayer website, and their low dose aspirin has 4 lines of separate chemical inactive ingredients, while the regular 325 mg aspirin has only a few inactive ingredients. I called Bayer and inquired if their aspirin products were gluten free and was informed that they do not add gluten to their product....however they cannot guarantee their products are gluten free as some of the ingredients may be processed in facilities that also process gluten. Can anyone help in answering whether these products are safe, and if not can any other substitutes be recommended. Thank you in advance.

 

Richard Romano

I found out the hard way Bayer aspirin made me sick!  Walgreens has gulten free aspirin low dose to!

[Gemini]

I am really surprised that any doctor would recommend low dose aspirin to anyone with Celiac.  Aspirin is hard on the gut and can cause ulcers and bleeding...even low dose ones. I know people this has happened to and they don't have Celiac.  Personally, I find that drinking a glass of red wine with dinner does the trick as it is a blood thinner also. But you have to drink it with a meal!