celiac and prescription drugs

Dot · Joined: 13 May 2006 Posts: 3 Location: Revere MA

Many seniors are on prescription drugs as I am. I am wondering how anyone here as found a way to getting around meds that are harmful to them?
Thanks! Dot Embarassed

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Eat, drink, be merry......and wise!

paw · Joined: 28 Sep 2005 Posts: 355 Location: Michigan

When I was told to go GF, I looked at each of my medicines and suppliments and checked online to see that the exact one I take (generics) were GF and there is no dairy in them. Dairy might not be a problem for you. My vitamins had to be changed to a different brand, but my prescription medicines were all ok. I don't take a lot of medicines at this time.

When I get a new prescription I ask the doctor if it contains gluten or dairy. If they don't know, I ask them to check. They all have computer access in their office and I want to know before I get to the pharmacy or worse, I pay for it and get home and look it up myself and find it is not safe.

I hope this works for you too! P.S. I am not a senior yet, but it does not matter on this issue. If a drug your doctor wants you to use contains gluten, they should be able to find a similar drug in many cases.
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Dairy free 7-2004
Gluten free 10-2005
female

Dot · Joined: 13 May 2006 Posts: 3 Location: Revere MA

Hi paw,
Thanks for your reply and I got some good out of it right off the bat! I never entertained the idea of asking my doc to check the ingredients; what a great thought. One I will remember.

Story goes; last week I visited cardiology and he decided I needed a mild dose of a particular med. After taking the second dose I noticed constant intestinal cramping and began running to the john (right in the middle of my son's arrival from CA and I had not seen him for like six years!). By the third dose I was a very sick lady with the nausea and john hopping and really bad cramps. I put two and two together and said, oh my, this started with the new medication.

My son and I agreed I should stop it. Within just two days my stomach is still a little funky but much, much better with no more cramps.

I went on line and found something that said common side effect could be a swelling of the intestinal tract (don't have the exact name) in some patients causing cramping, etc.

I am just amazed this doc being told my wheat allergies. I believe even if this med may not have gluten, perhaps it's just a med that can cause this in general and why would not a physician think about that??? I am not happy with that!

I called the office and some young lady called back later and said the doc wants you to just cut it in half. He does not know at this time, but I refuse to do that. I told the young lady, I have wheat allergy and it makes no difference, a thimble full or five cups. So I just think if this med can do this to me, why would I want my innards to settle for it at half the dose at all?????

What do you think and sorry for the long, long response.
Take care, DOT
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Eat, drink, be merry......and wise!

paw · Joined: 28 Sep 2005 Posts: 355 Location: Michigan

I am sorry your doctor is not taking this seriously. That would make me angry. I am allergic to some medicines and I carry the list on a card in my wallet. I make sure Doctors, nurses, pharmacists etc. all know what I can't have. I treat wheat, gluten and dairy the same way because I don't want to take a pill that will make me sick.

So far they have been able to find me other medicines when their first choice is one I am allergic to. I have not had any suggested yet that contain wheat, so I hope that continues to not be a problem.

If it was my doctor I would speak to him/her personally (going through an office assistant is not the same at all) and say "I am allergic to an ingredient in this medicine -- we need to try something else" If they did not help you then, I would be looking for another doctor! Good luck getting this taken care of.

I would not take another of these pills until you speak with the doctor. You can look up the medicine online (or post the name here and I will try to find it) and check the ingredients and the side effects. That might answer your question.
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Dairy free 7-2004
Gluten free 10-2005
female

pashort · Joined: 14 Jul 2005 Posts: 5 Location: Omaha, NE

http://www.glutenfreedrugs.com/

You can check out prescription and over the counter medicines on this website.

leafylady · Joined: 03 Oct 2010 Posts: 23 Location: SE Illinois

do many prescription drugs contain gluten? My husband, the one I'm cooking gluten-free for, takes a lot, due to a previous kidney transplant.
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My creative metalarts blog at http://www.kaskiles.com

bud7-10 · Joined: 05 Jul 2006 Posts: 290

Hi, LeafyLady!

Yes, prescriptions can contain gluten.

Call the pharmacy where you fill his prescriptions. They should be able to give you the manufacturer name and phone number for each prescription. Call the manufacturers to find out if they are gluten-free.
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Wheat-free and egg-free since 10/1999.
GF since CD dx 5/2005.
Many food allergies.

cultureslayer · Joined: 07 Apr 2006 Posts: 1144 Location: NC

I agree on trying to ditch the ditsy physician assistant that returns calls. The one that works for my doctor thought diflucan was an antibiotic! I literally had no idea what she was telling me to do she had garbled the message so bad with her confusion of abx and diflucan.

For those fortunate enough to not know, diflucan (fluconazole) is an antifungal. anything -azole is antifungal, and I'd expect anyone that worked in a doctor's office to know this.
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Lauren
Pain is inevitable; suffering is optional.

avadavis · Joined: 26 Sep 2011 Posts: 2

I take great precautions, but every now and then, a new prescription with gluten will slip in. My naturopath gave me a quick cure-all that works once you stop taking the new drug. Take a tablespoon of psyllium fiber with a full glass of water in the morning and again before bed. But be sure to drink lots of filtered water all day long--I use our refrigerator water filter system--otherwise you'll be bound up for a few days. The psyllium sweeps out your intestines, scraping the bits of gluten away.

Obviously, you wouldn't do this everyday, but it sure comes in handy every now and then.

bud7-10 · Joined: 05 Jul 2006 Posts: 290

auzzi · Joined: 17 Sep 2011 Posts: 4