Does acetaminophen contain wheat or gluten as an excipient?

We cross-check each acetaminophen product label against four data sources: DailyMed (FDA Structured Product Labels), the European Medicines Agency centrally-authorised medicines database, the Plogsted curated gluten-free drug list, and the 2024 Mangione et al. pediatric pharmacy NDC analysis. Inactive ingredients are scanned against a 146-entry red-flag dictionary covering wheat, barley, rye, malt, source-ambiguous starches, and FDA gluten-free attestation phrases. Mostly yes — but worth a quick call to the manufacturer for some generics. Of 18 product labels we checked, 10 are clean, 0 are confirmed gluten-free by the maker, and 8 contain an inactive ingredient (typically a source-ambiguous starch) whose botanical origin isn't fully disclosed. None contained confirmed gluten.

Can different manufacturers' generic versions of acetaminophen have different gluten status?

Yes. Generics in the United States must use the same active ingredient as the brand, but they are not required to use the same inactive ingredients. Two generics of acetaminophen from different manufacturers can use entirely different starch sources, binders, and fillers. A pharmacy may also switch which manufacturer it dispenses between fills without notifying you. Each manufacturer-specific entry below corresponds to a separately-filed product label.

DailyMed checked live · reference data updated August 19, 2026 · 18 product labels screened

Is acetaminophen gluten-free?

By Ned Walsch

Founder and maintainer of Gluten Screen

Updated August 20, 2026

Not clinically reviewed — verify with your pharmacist

Looks mostly clean — worth verifying with the maker. Mostly yes — but worth a quick call to the manufacturer for some generics. Of 18 product labels we checked, 10 are clean, 0 are confirmed gluten-free by the maker, and 8 contain an inactive ingredient (typically a source-ambiguous starch) whose botanical origin isn't fully disclosed. None contained confirmed gluten.

Drug context

About acetaminophen

Acetaminophen is the common analgesic and antipyretic also marketed as paracetamol, sold under brand names including Tylenol.

Why this matters

Different manufacturers, different ingredients

Generics of acetaminophen use the same active ingredient, but they aren't required to use the same inactive ingredients. Your pharmacy may switch which manufacturer they dispense between fills, sometimes without telling you. The list below shows each manufacturer's product label as a separate entry, because that's the granularity that actually matters when you're celiac.

The labels

The 18 we checked

01

Actavis worth a call to confirm

Plogsted list · Hydrocodone/Acetaminophen tablet 2.5/325 [Actavis] · label dated 2019-04-23
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02

Actavis worth a call to confirm

Plogsted list · Hydrocodone/Acetaminophen tablet 2.5/500 [Actavis] · label dated 2019-04-23
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03

Actavis worth a call to confirm

Plogsted list · Hydrocodone/Acetaminophen tablet 5/325 [Actavis] · label dated 2019-04-23
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04

Actavis worth a call to confirm

Plogsted list · Hydrocodone/Acetaminophen tablet 5/500 [Actavis] · label dated 2019-04-23
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05

Actavis worth a call to confirm

Plogsted list · Hydrocodone/Acetaminophen tablet 7.5/325 [Actavis] · label dated 2019-04-23
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06

Actavis worth a call to confirm

Plogsted list · Hydrocodone/Acetaminophen tablet 7.5/500 [Actavis] · label dated 2019-04-23
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07

Actavis worth a call to confirm

Plogsted list · Hydrocodone/Acetaminophen tablet 10/325 [Actavis] · label dated 2019-04-23
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08

Actavis worth a call to confirm

Plogsted list · Hydrocodone/Acetaminophen tablet 10/500 [Actavis] · label dated 2019-04-23
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09

CVS PHARMACY, INC nothing flagged on the label

US label (DailyMed) · CVS OVERNIGHT COLD AND FLU CLEAR AND COOL (ACETAMINOPHEN, DEXTROMETHORPHAN HYDROBROMIDE… · label dated Aug 18, 2026

Inactive ingredients ANHYDROUS CITRIC ACID · ASCORBIC ACID · D&C YELLOW NO. 10 · EDETATE DISODIUM · FD&C BLUE NO. 1 · GLYCERIN · PROPYL GALLATE · PROPYLENE GLYCOL · SODIUM BENZOATE · SODIUM CITRATE, UNSPECIFIED FORM · SORBITOL · SUCRALOSE · WATER · XANTHAN GUM
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10

H E B nothing flagged on the label

US label (DailyMed) · MUCUS RELIEF COUGH COLD SORE THROAT (ACETAMINOPHEN, DEXTROMETHORPHAN HBR, GUAIFENESIN, … · label dated Aug 18, 2026

Inactive ingredients ANHYDROUS CITRIC ACID · EDETATE DISODIUM · FD&C BLUE NO. 1 · FD&C RED NO. 40 · GLYCERIN · PROPYL GALLATE · PROPYLENE GLYCOL · SODIUM BENZOATE · SORBITOL · SUCRALOSE · TRISODIUM CITRATE DIHYDRATE · WATER · XANTHAN GUM
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11

CVS HEALTH nothing flagged on the label

US label (DailyMed) · CVS NIGHTTIME COLD AND FLU (ACETAMINOPHEN, DEXTROMETHORPHAN HBR, TRIPROLIDINE HCL) SOLU… · label dated Aug 18, 2026

Inactive ingredients ANHYDROUS CITRIC ACID · ASCORBIC ACID · EDETATE DISODIUM · FD&C BLUE NO. 1 · FD&C RED NO. 40 · GLYCERIN · PROPYL GALLATE · PROPYLENE GLYCOL · SODIUM BENZOATE · SODIUM CITRATE, UNSPECIFIED FORM · SORBITOL · SUCRALOSE · WATER · XANTHAN GUM
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12

CVS PHARMACY nothing flagged on the label

US label (DailyMed) · CVS NIGHTTIME COLD (ACETAMINOPHEN, DEXTROMETHORPHAN HYDROBROMIDE, DOXYLAMINE SUCCINATE,… · label dated Aug 17, 2026

Inactive ingredients CITRIC ACID MONOHYDRATE · D&C YELLOW NO. 10 · EDETATE DISODIUM · FD&C BLUE NO. 1 · GLYCERIN · PROPYL GALLATE · PROPYLENE GLYCOL · SODIUM BENZOATE · SODIUM CHLORIDE · SODIUM CITRATE, UNSPECIFIED FORM · SORBITOL · SUCRALOSE · WATER
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13

CVS PHARMACY nothing flagged on the label

US label (DailyMed) · NIGHTTIME HBP COLD AND FLU RELIEF (ACETAMINOPHEN, DEXTROMETHORPHAN HBR, DOXYLAMINE SUCC… · label dated Aug 17, 2026

Inactive ingredients ANHYDROUS CITRIC ACID · FD&C BLUE NO. 1 · FD&C RED NO. 40 · GLYCERIN · HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP · POLYETHYLENE GLYCOL 400 · PROPYLENE GLYCOL · SACCHARIN SODIUM · SODIUM BENZOATE · SODIUM CHLORIDE · SUCRALOSE · TRISODIUM CITRATE DIHYDRATE · WATER
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14

Kenvue Brands LLC nothing flagged on the label

US label (DailyMed) · TYLENOL COLD PLUS FLU MULTI-SYMPTOM GELS DAY PLUS NIGHT (ACETAMINOPHEN,DEXTROMETHORPHAN… · label dated Aug 17, 2026

Inactive ingredients D&C YELLOW NO. 10 · FD&C BLUE NO. 1 · FD&C RED NO. 40 · FD&C YELLOW NO. 6 · GELATIN · GLYCERIN · MINERAL OIL · POLYETHYLENE GLYCOL, UNSPECIFIED · POVIDONE · PROPYLENE GLYCOL · WATER
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15

Amazon.com Services LLC nothing flagged on the label

US label (DailyMed) · DAYTIME COLD AND FLU (ACETAMINOPHEN, DEXTROMETHORPHAN HBR, PHENYLEPHRINE HCL) SOLUTION … · label dated Aug 17, 2026

Inactive ingredients ANHYDROUS CITRIC ACID · FD&C YELLOW NO. 6 · GLYCERIN · MENTHOL, UNSPECIFIED FORM · POLYETHYLENE GLYCOL, UNSPECIFIED · PROPYLENE GLYCOL · SACCHARIN SODIUM · SODIUM BENZOATE · SODIUM CHLORIDE · SODIUM CITRATE, UNSPECIFIED FORM · SORBITOL SOLUTION · SUCRALOSE · WATER · XANTHAN GUM
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16

CVS PHARMACY nothing flagged on the label

US label (DailyMed) · CVS CHILDRENS PAIN PLUS FEVER RELIEF (ACETAMINOPHEN) SUSPENSION [CVS PHARMACY] · label dated Aug 17, 2026

Inactive ingredients ANHYDROUS CITRIC ACID · CARBOXYMETHYLCELLULOSE SODIUM, UNSPECIFIED · D&C RED NO. 33 · FD&C BLUE NO. 1 · GLYCERIN · MICROCRYSTALLINE CELLULOSE · SODIUM BENZOATE · SORBITOL SOLUTION · SUCRALOSE · TRISODIUM CITRATE DIHYDRATE · WATER · XANTHAN GUM
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17

CVS PHARMACY nothing flagged on the label

US label (DailyMed) · CVS CHILDRENS COLD PLUS COUGH PLUS SORE THROAT (ACETAMINOPHEN AND DEXTROMETHORPHAN HYDR… · label dated Aug 17, 2026

Inactive ingredients ANHYDROUS CITRIC ACID · CARBOXYMETHYLCELLULOSE SODIUM, UNSPECIFIED · D&C RED NO. 33 · EDETATE DISODIUM · FD&C RED NO. 40 · GLYCERIN · MICROCRYSTALLINE CELLULOSE · SODIUM BENZOATE · SORBITOL SOLUTION · SUCRALOSE · TRISODIUM CITRATE DIHYDRATE · WATER · XANTHAN GUM
View source label →
18

CVS Pharmacy nothing flagged on the label

US label (DailyMed) · HEADACHE RELIEF EXTRA STRENGTH (ACETAMINOPHEN, ASPIRIN AND CAFFEINE) TABLET, FILM COATE… · label dated Aug 17, 2026

Inactive ingredients CROSPOVIDONE, UNSPECIFIED · HYPROMELLOSE, UNSPECIFIED · MICROCRYSTALLINE CELLULOSE · POVIDONE, UNSPECIFIED · PROPYLENE GLYCOL · SODIUM LAURYL SULFATE · SODIUM STARCH GLYCOLATE TYPE A POTATO · STARCH, CORN · STEARIC ACID · TITANIUM DIOXIDE
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Background

What “gluten in a medication” actually means

Gluten enters drugs through their excipients — the inactive ingredients used to bind, coat, fill, or stabilize the dose. The main concern is wheat starch as a filler. Source-ambiguous starches (plain “starch”, pregelatinized starch, sodium starch glycolate, modified starch) get flagged for verification because their botanical origin isn't always disclosed on the label.

The 2024 Mangione et al. pediatric NDC analysis (689 NDCs across the top 100 pediatric medications) found 1.5% contained gluten outright; another 25.7% couldn't be confirmed either way. Liquid and oral-suspension formulations carry disproportionate risk because wheat starch is a common thickener. Full methodology →

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