Does Claritin contain wheat or gluten as an excipient?

We cross-check each Claritin 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. We checked 10 product labels for claritin and didn't find any ingredients on our gluten red-flag list. Worth noting — this isn't the same as a manufacturer attestation. Formulations can change without notice, and starch sources aren't always disclosed.

Can different manufacturers' generic versions of Claritin 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 Claritin 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 · 10 product labels screened

Is Claritin gluten-free?

By Ned Walsch

Founder and maintainer of Gluten Screen

Updated August 20, 2026

Not clinically reviewed — verify with your pharmacist

Nothing on the labels looks like gluten. We checked 10 product labels for claritin and didn't find any ingredients on our gluten red-flag list. Worth noting — this isn't the same as a manufacturer attestation. Formulations can change without notice, and starch sources aren't always disclosed.

Drug context

About Claritin

Claritin is a brand name for loratadine — the brand-name non-drowsy antihistamine loratadine. The active ingredient is the same across brand and generic versions, but inactive ingredients (excipients) can differ between manufacturers, which is the whole point of this page.

Why this matters

Different manufacturers, different ingredients

Generics of Claritin 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 10 we checked

01

Rugby Laboratories nothing flagged on the label

US label (DailyMed) · LORATADINE ODT (LORATADINE) TABLET, ORALLY DISINTEGRATING [RUGBY LABORATORIES] · label dated Aug 18, 2026

Inactive ingredients ASPARTAME · CROSPOVIDONE (120 .MU.M) · MANNITOL · MICROCRYSTALLINE CELLULOSE · PEPPERMINT · SODIUM STEARYL FUMARATE · STARCH, CORN
View source label →
02

CVS PHARMACY, INC nothing flagged on the label

US label (DailyMed) · DYE-FREE CHILDRENS LORATADINE (LORATADINE) TABLET, CHEWABLE [CVS PHARMACY, INC] · label dated Aug 07, 2026

Inactive ingredients ANHYDROUS CITRIC ACID · ASPARTAME · MAGNESIUM STEARATE · MANNITOL · MICROCRYSTALLINE CELLULOSE · SILICON DIOXIDE · SODIUM STARCH GLYCOLATE TYPE A POTATO · STEARIC ACID
View source label →
03

Intent Brands LLC nothing flagged on the label

US label (DailyMed) · SURVIVEX TRAVEL MED MOD (CONVENIENCE KIT) KIT [INTENT BRANDS LLC] · label dated Aug 06, 2026

Inactive ingredients ASPARTAME · CITRIC ACID MONOHYDRATE · LACTOSE · MALTODEXTRIN · SODIUM BICARBONATE · STARCH, CORN
View source label →
04

CVS PHARMACY, INC nothing flagged on the label

US label (DailyMed) · DYE-FREE CHILDRENS LORATADINE (LORATADINE) TABLET, CHEWABLE [CVS PHARMACY, INC] · label dated Aug 06, 2026

Inactive ingredients ANHYDROUS CITRIC ACID · ASPARTAME · MAGNESIUM STEARATE · MANNITOL · MICROCRYSTALLINE CELLULOSE · SILICON DIOXIDE · SODIUM STARCH GLYCOLATE TYPE A POTATO · STEARIC ACID
View source label →
05

Dolgencorp Inc nothing flagged on the label

US label (DailyMed) · DG HEALTH ALLERGY RELIEF (LORATADINE) TABLET [DOLGENCORP INC] · label dated Jul 31, 2026

Inactive ingredients LACTOSE MONOHYDRATE · MAGNESIUM STEARATE · POVIDONE, UNSPECIFIED
View source label →
06

Meijer, Inc. nothing flagged on the label

US label (DailyMed) · ALLERGY RELIEF (LORATADINE) TABLET, ORALLY DISINTEGRATING [MEIJER, INC.] · label dated Jul 29, 2026

Inactive ingredients CROSCARMELLOSE SODIUM · CROSPOVIDONE, UNSPECIFIED · HYPROMELLOSE, UNSPECIFIED · MAGNESIUM STEARATE · MANNITOL · MICROCRYSTALLINE CELLULOSE · SUCRALOSE
View source label →
07

Walgreen Company nothing flagged on the label

US label (DailyMed) · ALLERGY RELIEF (LORATADINE) TABLET [WALGREEN COMPANY] · label dated Jul 24, 2026

Inactive ingredients LACTOSE MONOHYDRATE · MAGNESIUM STEARATE · POVIDONE, UNSPECIFIED
View source label →
08

Sun Pharmaceutical Industries, Inc. nothing flagged on the label

US label (DailyMed) · CHILDRENS LORATADINE (LORATADINE) SOLUTION [SUN PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRIES, INC.] · label dated Jul 15, 2026

Inactive ingredients CITRIC ACID MONOHYDRATE · GLYCERIN · PROPYLENE GLYCOL · SODIUM BENZOATE · SODIUM METABISULFITE · SUCROSE · WATER
View source label →
09

Sun Pharmaceutical Industries, Inc. nothing flagged on the label

US label (DailyMed) · CHILDRENS LORATADINE SUGAR FREE (LORATADINE) SOLUTION [SUN PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRIES, I… · label dated Jul 15, 2026

Inactive ingredients BUTYLATED HYDROXYANISOLE · GLYCERIN · PHOSPHORIC ACID · POLYETHYLENE GLYCOL, UNSPECIFIED · PROPYLENE GLYCOL · SODIUM BENZOATE · SODIUM PHOSPHATE, MONOBASIC, DIHYDRATE · SORBITOL · WATER
View source label →
10

Kroger Company nothing flagged on the label

US label (DailyMed) · ALLERGY AND NASAL CONGESTION (LORATADINE, PSEUDOEPHEDRINE SULFATE) TABLET, FILM COATED,… · label dated Jul 13, 2026

Inactive ingredients ANHYDROUS DIBASIC CALCIUM PHOSPHATE · CROSCARMELLOSE SODIUM · HYPROMELLOSE, UNSPECIFIED · LACTOSE MONOHYDRATE · MAGNESIUM STEARATE · POVIDONE, UNSPECIFIED · TITANIUM DIOXIDE
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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