Does cetirizine contain wheat or gluten as an excipient?

We cross-check each cetirizine 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. Of 12 product labels we cross-checked, 1 list a gluten-derived ingredient outright. Generics from different manufacturers can differ — check which manufacturer's version your pharmacy dispensed before assuming any fill is safe.

Can different manufacturers' generic versions of cetirizine 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 cetirizine 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 May 17, 2026 · 12 product labels screened

Is cetirizine gluten-free?

Some formulations contain gluten. Of 12 product labels we cross-checked, 1 list a gluten-derived ingredient outright. Generics from different manufacturers can differ — check which manufacturer's version your pharmacy dispensed before assuming any fill is safe.

Drug context

About cetirizine

Cetirizine is a second-generation antihistamine for allergies, sold under brand names including Zyrtec.

Why this matters

Different manufacturers, different ingredients

Generics of cetirizine 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 12 we checked

01

Padagis / Perrigo contains gluten

Mangione 2024 · levocetirizine dihydrochloride 2.5 mg/5 mL oral solution [Padagis / Perrigo] · label dated 2025-06-09

Gluten on the label: Manufacturer-declared gluten content (Matson et al. 2025 (peer-reviewed): the manufacturer of this NDC confirmed that the product contains gluten.)
View source label →
02

(manufacturer not listed) worth a call to confirm

Mangione 2024 · levocetirizine dihydrochloride 2.5 mg/5 mL oral solution (no confirmed-GF version found) · label dated 2025-06-09

Worth a call to the maker: No confirmed gluten-free formulation available
View source label →
03

St. Mary's Medical Park Pharmacy nothing flagged on the label

US label (DailyMed) · CETIRIZINE HYDROCHLORIDE TABLET [ST. MARY'S MEDICAL PARK PHARMACY] · label dated Jun 29, 2026

Inactive ingredients HYPROMELLOSES · LACTOSE · MAGNESIUM STEARATE · POLYETHYLENE GLYCOL · POVIDONE · STARCH, CORN · TITANIUM DIOXIDE
View source label →
04

CVS Pharmacy, Inc. nothing flagged on the label

US label (DailyMed) · CETIRIZINE HYDROCHLORIDE TABLET, ORALLY DISINTEGRATING [CVS PHARMACY, INC.] · label dated Jun 24, 2026

Inactive ingredients .ALPHA.-TOCOPHEROL, DL- · ANHYDROUS CITRIC ACID · BETADEX · CROSPOVIDONE (35 .MU.M) · HYDROXYPROPYL CELLULOSE (110000 WAMW) · MAGNESIUM STEARATE · MALTODEXTRIN · MANNITOL · MICROCRYSTALLINE CELLULOSE 101 · MICROCRYSTALLINE CELLULOSE 102 · SILICON DIOXIDE · SODIUM BICARBONATE · SODIUM STARCH GLYCOLATE TYPE A POTATO · SUCRALOSE
View source label →
05

CVS Pharmacy, Inc. nothing flagged on the label

US label (DailyMed) · CHILDRENS CETIRIZINE HYDROCHLORIDE (CETIRIZINE HYDROCHLORIDE) TABLET, ORALLY DISINTEGRA… · label dated Jun 24, 2026

Inactive ingredients .ALPHA.-TOCOPHEROL, DL- · ANHYDROUS CITRIC ACID · BETADEX · CROSPOVIDONE (35 .MU.M) · HYDROXYPROPYL CELLULOSE (110000 WAMW) · MAGNESIUM STEARATE · MALTODEXTRIN · MANNITOL · MICROCRYSTALLINE CELLULOSE 101 · MICROCRYSTALLINE CELLULOSE 102 · SILICON DIOXIDE · SODIUM BICARBONATE · SODIUM STARCH GLYCOLATE TYPE A POTATO · SUCRALOSE
View source label →
06

Whole Foods Market, INC. nothing flagged on the label

US label (DailyMed) · ALLERGY RELIEF (CETIRIZINE HCL) CAPSULE [WHOLE FOODS MARKET, INC.] · label dated Jun 23, 2026

Inactive ingredients GELATIN · GLYCERIN · MANNITOL · POLYETHYLENE GLYCOL, UNSPECIFIED · SODIUM HYDROXIDE · SORBITAN · SORBITOL · WATER
View source label →
07

Savings Distributors LLC nothing flagged on the label

US label (DailyMed) · ZYRTEC ALLERGY (CETIRIZINE HYDROCHLORIDE) TABLET, FILM COATED [SAVINGS DISTRIBUTORS LLC] · label dated Jun 22, 2026

Inactive ingredients CROSCARMELLOSE SODIUM · HYPROMELLOSE, UNSPECIFIED · LACTOSE MONOHYDRATE · MAGNESIUM STEARATE · MICROCRYSTALLINE CELLULOSE · POLYETHYLENE GLYCOL, UNSPECIFIED · SILICON DIOXIDE · TITANIUM DIOXIDE
View source label →
08

WALMART INC. (see also Equate) nothing flagged on the label

US label (DailyMed) · ALLERGY RELIEF (CETIRIZINE HCL) CAPSULE, LIQUID FILLED [WALMART INC. (SEE ALSO EQUATE)] · label dated Jun 22, 2026

Inactive ingredients BUTYLATED HYDROXYTOLUENE · GELATIN · GLYCERIN · POLYETHYLENE GLYCOL 400 · SODIUM HYDROXIDE · SORBITAN · SORBITOL · WATER
View source label →
09

Granules India Ltd nothing flagged on the label

US label (DailyMed) · CETIRIZINE HYDROCHLORIDE TABLET, COATED [GRANULES INDIA LTD] · label dated Jun 18, 2026

Inactive ingredients CELLULOSE, MICROCRYSTALLINE · CROSCARMELLOSE SODIUM · HYPROMELLOSE, UNSPECIFIED · LACTOSE MONOHYDRATE · MAGNESIUM STEARATE · POLYETHYLENE GLYCOL · SILICON DIOXIDE · TITANIUM DIOXIDE
View source label →
10

Granules India Ltd nothing flagged on the label

US label (DailyMed) · CETIRIZINE HYDROCHLORIDE TABLET, COATED [GRANULES INDIA LTD] · label dated Jun 18, 2026

Inactive ingredients CELLULOSE, MICROCRYSTALLINE · CROSCARMELLOSE SODIUM · HYPROMELLOSE 2910 (5 MPA.S) · LACTOSE MONOHYDRATE · MAGNESIUM STEARATE · POLYETHYLENE GLYCOL 400 · SILICON DIOXIDE · TITANIUM DIOXIDE
View source label →
11

Sun Pharmaceutical Industries, Inc. nothing flagged on the label

US label (DailyMed) · CHILDRENS CETIRIZINE HYDROCHLORIDE (CETIRIZINE HYDROCHLORIDE) SOLUTION [SUN PHARMACEUTI… · label dated Jun 15, 2026

Inactive ingredients ACETIC ACID · GLYCERIN · PROPYLENE GLYCOL · SODIUM ACETATE ANHYDROUS · SODIUM BENZOATE · SUCRALOSE · WATER
View source label →
12

Wal-Mart Stores Inc nothing flagged on the label

US label (DailyMed) · EQUATE CHILDRENS ALLERGY RELIEF (CETIRIZINE HYDROCHLORIDE) SOLUTION [WAL-MART STORES INC] · label dated Jun 15, 2026

Inactive ingredients ACETIC ACID · GLYCERIN · METHYLPARABEN · PROPYLENE GLYCOL · PROPYLPARABEN · SODIUM ACETATE ANHYDROUS · SUCRALOSE · WATER
View source label →

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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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