Does famotidine contain wheat or gluten as an excipient?

We cross-check each famotidine 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 10 product labels we checked, 7 are clean, 0 are confirmed gluten-free by the maker, and 3 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 famotidine 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 famotidine 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 · 10 product labels screened

Is famotidine gluten-free?

Looks mostly clean — worth verifying with the maker. Mostly yes — but worth a quick call to the manufacturer for some generics. Of 10 product labels we checked, 7 are clean, 0 are confirmed gluten-free by the maker, and 3 contain an inactive ingredient (typically a source-ambiguous starch) whose botanical origin isn't fully disclosed. None contained confirmed gluten.

Drug context

About famotidine

Famotidine is an H2 blocker used for heartburn and ulcers, sold under brand names including Pepcid.

Why this matters

Different manufacturers, different ingredients

Generics of famotidine 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

St. Mary's Medical Park Pharmacy worth a call to confirm

US label (DailyMed) · FAMOTIDINE TABLET, FILM COATED [ST. MARY'S MEDICAL PARK PHARMACY] · label dated Jun 23, 2026

Worth a call to the maker: SODIUM STARCH GLYCOLATE TYPE A

Inactive ingredients HYPROMELLOSE 2910 (5 MPA.S) · HYPROMELLOSE 2910 (6 MPA.S) · MAGNESIUM STEARATE · MICROCRYSTALLINE CELLULOSE 101 · MICROCRYSTALLINE CELLULOSE 102 · POLYETHYLENE GLYCOL 8000 · SILICON DIOXIDE · SODIUM STARCH GLYCOLATE TYPE A · STARCH, CORN · TALC · TITANIUM DIOXIDE
View source label →
02

TWIN MED LLC worth a call to confirm

US label (DailyMed) · FAMOTIDINE TABLET, FILM COATED [TWIN MED LLC] · label dated Jun 18, 2026

Worth a call to the maker: SODIUM STARCH GLYCOLATE TYPE A

Inactive ingredients HYDROXYPROPYL CELLULOSE (110000 WAMW) · HYPROMELLOSE 2910 (6 MPA.S) · MAGNESIUM STEARATE · MICROCRYSTALLINE CELLULOSE · POLYETHYLENE GLYCOL 4000 · SODIUM STARCH GLYCOLATE TYPE A · STARCH, CORN · TALC · TITANIUM DIOXIDE · TRIACETIN
View source label →
03

TWIN MED LLC worth a call to confirm

US label (DailyMed) · FAMOTIDINE TABLET, FILM COATED [TWIN MED LLC] · label dated Jun 18, 2026

Worth a call to the maker: SODIUM STARCH GLYCOLATE TYPE A

Inactive ingredients HYDROXYPROPYL CELLULOSE (110000 WAMW) · HYPROMELLOSE 2910 (6 MPA.S) · MAGNESIUM STEARATE · MICROCRYSTALLINE CELLULOSE · POLYETHYLENE GLYCOL 4000 · SODIUM STARCH GLYCOLATE TYPE A · STARCH, CORN · TALC · TITANIUM DIOXIDE · TRIACETIN
View source label →
04

Select Consumer Group LLC nothing flagged on the label

US label (DailyMed) · ZANTAC 360 (FAMOTIDINE) TABLET, FILM COATED [SELECT CONSUMER GROUP LLC] · label dated Jun 29, 2026

Inactive ingredients CARNAUBA WAX · FERRIC OXIDE RED · HYDROXYPROPYL CELLULOSE (1600000 WAMW) · HYPROMELLOSE 2910 (5 MPA.S) · MAGNESIUM STEARATE · MICROCRYSTALLINE CELLULOSE · SODIUM STARCH GLYCOLATE TYPE A CORN · STARCH, CORN · TALC · TITANIUM DIOXIDE
View source label →
05

CVS Pharmacy, Inc. nothing flagged on the label

US label (DailyMed) · FAMOTIDINE TABLET, FILM COATED [CVS PHARMACY, INC.] · label dated Jun 26, 2026

Inactive ingredients CARNAUBA WAX · FERRIC OXIDE RED · HYDROXYPROPYL CELLULOSE (1600000 WAMW) · HYPROMELLOSE 2910 (5 MPA.S) · MAGNESIUM STEARATE · MICROCRYSTALLINE CELLULOSE · SODIUM STARCH GLYCOLATE TYPE A CORN · STARCH, CORN · TALC · TITANIUM DIOXIDE
View source label →
06

Family Dollar Stores, LLC nothing flagged on the label

US label (DailyMed) · FAMOTIDINE TABLET, FILM COATED [FAMILY DOLLAR STORES, LLC] · label dated Jun 25, 2026

Inactive ingredients CARNAUBA WAX · FERRIC OXIDE RED · FERRIC OXIDE YELLOW · HYDROXYPROPYL CELLULOSE (1600000 WAMW) · HYPROMELLOSE 2910 (5 MPA.S) · MAGNESIUM STEARATE · MICROCRYSTALLINE CELLULOSE · SODIUM STARCH GLYCOLATE TYPE A CORN · STARCH, CORN · TALC · TITANIUM DIOXIDE
View source label →
07

Unit Dose Solutions, Inc. nothing flagged on the label

US label (DailyMed) · FAMOTIDINE TABLET, FILM COATED [UNIT DOSE SOLUTIONS, INC.] · label dated Jun 23, 2026

Inactive ingredients CARNAUBA WAX · FERRIC OXIDE RED · FERRIC OXIDE YELLOW · HYDROXYPROPYL CELLULOSE (1600000 WAMW) · HYPROMELLOSE 2910 (15 MPA.S) · MAGNESIUM STEARATE · MICROCRYSTALLINE CELLULOSE · SODIUM STARCH GLYCOLATE TYPE A POTATO · STARCH, CORN · TALC · TITANIUM DIOXIDE
View source label →
08

Direct_Rx nothing flagged on the label

US label (DailyMed) · IBUPROFEN FAMOTIDINE TABLET [DIRECT_RX] · label dated Jun 23, 2026

Inactive ingredients CROSCARMELLOSE SODIUM · FERROSOFERRIC OXIDE · GLYCERYL MONO- AND DICAPRYLOCAPRATE · HYPROMELLOSE 2910 (15 MPA.S) · MAGNESIUM STEARATE · MICROCRYSTALLINE CELLULOSE · POLYVINYL ALCOHOL, UNSPECIFIED · PROPYLENE GLYCOL · SHELLAC · SILICON DIOXIDE · SODIUM LAURYL SULFATE · TALC · TITANIUM DIOXIDE
View source label →
09

Advanced Rx of Tennessee, LLC nothing flagged on the label

US label (DailyMed) · IBUPROFEN AND FAMOTIDINE TABLET [ADVANCED RX OF TENNESSEE, LLC] · label dated Jun 22, 2026

Inactive ingredients CROSCARMELLOSE SODIUM · FERROSOFERRIC OXIDE · GLYCERYL MONO- AND DICAPRYLOCAPRATE · HYPROMELLOSE 2910 (15 MPA.S) · MAGNESIUM STEARATE · MICROCRYSTALLINE CELLULOSE · POLYVINYL ALCOHOL, UNSPECIFIED · PROPYLENE GLYCOL · SHELLAC · SILICON DIOXIDE · SODIUM LAURYL SULFATE · TALC · TITANIUM DIOXIDE
View source label →
10

Savings Distributors LLC nothing flagged on the label

US label (DailyMed) · PEPCID COMPLETE (FAMOTIDINE, CALCIUM CARBONATE, AND MAGNESIUM HYDROXIDE) TABLET, CHEWAB… · label dated Jun 22, 2026

Inactive ingredients ACACIA · ALUMINUM OXIDE · CELLULOSE ACETATE · CROSPOVIDONE · D&C RED NO. 7 · DEXTROSE, UNSPECIFIED FORM · FD&C BLUE NO. 1 ALUMINUM LAKE · FD&C RED NO. 40 · HYDROXYPROPYL CELLULOSE, UNSPECIFIED · HYPROMELLOSE, UNSPECIFIED · LACTOSE MONOHYDRATE · MAGNESIUM STEARATE · MALTODEXTRIN · MINERAL OIL · STARCH, CORN · SUCRALOSE
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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