Was I Glutened By Flonase?

[Emme999]

I've discovered that my "gluten indicator" is a wicked case of heartburn - and I have it right now! But all I've had to eat/drink today is a glass of Minute Maid orange juice. I've been sick though, and have used Tylenol Cold (Severe Congestion) Caplets and had a few shots of Flonase nasal spray. I'm pretty sure the other stuff is safe. Could it have been the Flonase? Their website is completely NOT helpful. (They don't even have an email address where I can send questions! )

Anyway - here are the ingredients:

Fluticasone propionate nasal spray 50 mg, Flonase, is an aqueous suspension of microfine fluticasone propionate for topical administration to the nasal mucosa by means of a metering, atomizing spray pump. Flonase nasal spray also contains microcrystalline cellulose and carboxymethylcellulose sodium, dextrose, 0.02% w/w benzalkonium chloride, polysorbate 80, and 0.25% w/w phenylethyl alcohol, and has a pH between 5 and 7.

Does anything in there look like it could have gluten in it to you?

What the (*#$! is phenylethyl alcohol anyway?

Please help if you can!!

Thanks, Michelle

[pmrowley]

Michelle,

Flonase is on this site's gluten-free Drugs list, so I would speculate that your heartburn is from somewhere else. The acidic pH of the Flonase might be causing it, but the dosage is so slight that I doubt it. (Of course, Orange juice is highly acidic; I can't drink citrus at night for the same reason. How about switching to Grape Juice? )

https://www.celiac.com/st_prod.html?p_prodid=285

-Pat

[Emme999]

Pat -

Thanks!!! I had looked at that list and somehow missed it. Sorry! Thank you for helping me

- Michelle