Does ciprofloxacin contain wheat or gluten as an excipient?

We cross-check each ciprofloxacin 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. At least one manufacturer has formally attested their formulation contains no gluten. Of 11 labels we checked, 1 are confirmed by the maker and 10 show nothing flagged. Confirm the brand or generic on your bottle matches one of the attesting manufacturers below.

Can different manufacturers' generic versions of ciprofloxacin 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 ciprofloxacin 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 · 11 product labels screened

Is ciprofloxacin gluten-free?

By Ned Walsch

Founder and maintainer of Gluten Screen

Updated August 20, 2026

Not clinically reviewed — verify with your pharmacist

Confirmed gluten-free by at least one manufacturer. At least one manufacturer has formally attested their formulation contains no gluten. Of 11 labels we checked, 1 are confirmed by the maker and 10 show nothing flagged. Confirm the brand or generic on your bottle matches one of the attesting manufacturers below.

Drug context

About ciprofloxacin

Ciprofloxacin is a fluoroquinolone antibiotic used for urinary, respiratory, and GI infections, sold under brand names including Cipro.

Why this matters

Different manufacturers, different ingredients

Generics of ciprofloxacin 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 11 we checked

01

(manufacturer not listed) manufacturer-attested gluten-free

Plogsted list · Cipro · label dated 2017-04-28

Listed gluten-free in Plogsted Alpha List (2017-04-28)
View source label →
02

Sagent Pharmaceuticals nothing flagged on the label

US label (DailyMed) · CIPROFLOXACIN INJECTION, SOLUTION [SAGENT PHARMACEUTICALS] · label dated Aug 17, 2026

Inactive ingredients dextrose monohydrate · hydrochloric acid · lactic acid, unspecified form · water
View source label →
03

Coupler LLC nothing flagged on the label

US label (DailyMed) · CIPROFLOXACIN HYDROCHLORIDE TABLET, FILM COATED [COUPLER LLC] · label dated Aug 06, 2026

Inactive ingredients MAGNESIUM STEARATE · POLYETHYLENE GLYCOL, UNSPECIFIED · POLYVINYL ALCOHOL, UNSPECIFIED · SILICON DIOXIDE · SODIUM STARCH GLYCOLATE TYPE A POTATO · STARCH, CORN · TALC · TITANIUM DIOXIDE
View source label →
04

Redpharm Drug nothing flagged on the label

US label (DailyMed) · CIPROFLOXACIN (CIPROFLOXACIN HYDROCHLORIDE) TABLET, FILM COATED [REDPHARM DRUG] · label dated Aug 03, 2026

Inactive ingredients ASCORBIC ACID · HYPROMELLOSE 2910 (5 MPA.S) · MAGNESIUM STEARATE · MICROCRYSTALLINE CELLULOSE 101 · MICROCRYSTALLINE CELLULOSE 102 · POLYETHYLENE GLYCOL 400 · POVIDONE K30 · SILICON DIOXIDE · SODIUM STARCH GLYCOLATE TYPE A POTATO · TITANIUM DIOXIDE
View source label →
05

Northwind Health Company, LLC nothing flagged on the label

US label (DailyMed) · CIPROFLOXACIN TABLET, FILM COATED [NORTHWIND HEALTH COMPANY, LLC] · label dated Jul 31, 2026

Inactive ingredients CROSPOVIDONE · HYPROMELLOSE, UNSPECIFIED · MAGNESIUM STEARATE · MICROCRYSTALLINE CELLULOSE · POLYETHYLENE GLYCOL, UNSPECIFIED · SILICON DIOXIDE · STARCH, CORN · TITANIUM DIOXIDE · WATER
View source label →
06

Sandoz Inc nothing flagged on the label

US label (DailyMed) · CIPROFLOXACIN HYDROCHLORIDE AND HYDROCORTISONE SUSPENSION/ DROPS [SANDOZ INC] · label dated Jul 22, 2026

Inactive ingredients ACETIC ACID · BENZYL ALCOHOL · HYDROCHLORIC ACID · HYDROGENATED SOYBEAN PHOSPHATIDYLCHOLINE · POLYSORBATE 20 · POLYVINYL ALCOHOL, UNSPECIFIED · SODIUM ACETATE · SODIUM CHLORIDE · SODIUM HYDROXIDE · WATER
View source label →
07

Sportpharm LLC nothing flagged on the label

US label (DailyMed) · CIPROFLOXACIN AND DEXAMETHASONE SUSPENSION/ DROPS [SPORTPHARM LLC] · label dated Jul 15, 2026

Inactive ingredients ACETIC ACID · BENZALKONIUM CHLORIDE · BORIC ACID · EDETATE DISODIUM · HYDROCHLORIC ACID · HYDROXYETHYL CELLULOSE (3000 CPS AT 1%) · SODIUM ACETATE · SODIUM CHLORIDE · SODIUM HYDROXIDE · TYLOXAPOL · WATER
View source label →
08

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

US label (DailyMed) · CIPROFLOXACIN TABLET [ST. MARY'S MEDICAL PARK PHARMACY] · label dated Jul 03, 2026

Inactive ingredients HYPROMELLOSE, UNSPECIFIED · MAGNESIUM STEARATE · MICROCRYSTALLINE CELLULOSE · MODIFIED CORN STARCH (1-OCTENYL SUCCINIC ANHYDRIDE) · POLYETHYLENE GLYCOL, UNSPECIFIED · SILICON DIOXIDE · SODIUM STARCH GLYCOLATE TYPE A CORN · STARCH, CORN · TITANIUM DIOXIDE
View source label →
09

Asclemed USA, Inc. nothing flagged on the label

US label (DailyMed) · CIPROFLOXACIN (CIPROFOLXACIN) TABLET [ASCLEMED USA, INC.] · label dated Jun 29, 2026

Inactive ingredients HYPROMELLOSE, UNSPECIFIED · MAGNESIUM STEARATE · MICROCRYSTALLINE CELLULOSE · MODIFIED CORN STARCH (1-OCTENYL SUCCINIC ANHYDRIDE) · POLYETHYLENE GLYCOL, UNSPECIFIED · SILICON DIOXIDE · SODIUM STARCH GLYCOLATE TYPE A CORN · STARCH, CORN · TITANIUM DIOXIDE
View source label →
10

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

US label (DailyMed) · CIPROFLOXACIN TABLET, COATED [ST. MARY'S MEDICAL PARK PHARMACY] · label dated Jun 22, 2026

Inactive ingredients CELLULOSE, MICROCRYSTALLINE · HYPROMELLOSE, UNSPECIFIED · MAGNESIUM STEARATE · MODIFIED CORN STARCH (1-OCTENYL SUCCINIC ANHYDRIDE) · POLYETHYLENE GLYCOL, UNSPECIFIED · SILICON DIOXIDE · SODIUM STARCH GLYCOLATE TYPE A CORN · STARCH, CORN · TITANIUM DIOXIDE
View source label →
11

Redpharm Drug nothing flagged on the label

US label (DailyMed) · CIPROFLOXACIN AND DEXAMETHASONE SUSPENSION/ DROPS [REDPHARM DRUG] · label dated Jun 18, 2026

Inactive ingredients ACETIC ACID · BENZALKONIUM CHLORIDE · BORIC ACID · EDETATE DISODIUM · HYDROCHLORIC ACID · HYDROXYETHYL CELLULOSE (3000 CPS AT 1%) · SODIUM ACETATE · SODIUM CHLORIDE · SODIUM HYDROXIDE · TYLOXAPOL · 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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