Does loratadine contain wheat or gluten as an excipient?

We cross-check each loratadine 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 loratadine 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 loratadine 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 loratadine 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 loratadine gluten-free?

By Ned Walsch

Founder and maintainer of Gluten Screen

Updated October 13, 2026

Not clinically reviewed — verify with your pharmacist

Nothing on the labels looks like gluten. We checked 10 product labels for loratadine 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 loratadine

Loratadine is a second-generation non-drowsy antihistamine for allergies, sold under brand names including Claritin.

Why this matters

Different manufacturers, different ingredients

Generics of loratadine 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

CVS WOONSOCKET PRESCRIPTION CENTER, INCORPORATED nothing flagged on the label

US label (DailyMed) · CHILDRENS ALLERGY RELIEF (LORATADINE) TABLET, CHEWABLE [CVS WOONSOCKET PRESCRIPTION CEN… · label dated Sep 30, 2026

Inactive ingredients ASPARTAME · D&C RED NO. 27 ALUMINUM LAKE · FD&C BLUE NO. 2 ALUMINUM LAKE · MAGNESIUM STEARATE · MANNITOL · MICROCRYSTALLINE CELLULOSE · SILICON DIOXIDE · STEARIC ACID
View source label →
02

Rite Aid Corporation nothing flagged on the label

US label (DailyMed) · CHILDRENS ALLERGY RELIEF (LORATADINE) SOLUTION [RITE AID CORPORATION] · label dated Sep 10, 2026

Inactive ingredients EDETATE DISODIUM · GLYCERIN · MALTITOL · PHOSPHORIC ACID · PROPYLENE GLYCOL · SODIUM BENZOATE · SODIUM PHOSPHATE, MONOBASIC, UNSPECIFIED FORM · SORBITOL · SUCRALOSE · WATER
View source label →
03

Rite Aid Corporation nothing flagged on the label

US label (DailyMed) · LORATADINE TABLET, ORALLY DISINTEGRATING [RITE AID CORPORATION] · label dated Sep 10, 2026

Inactive ingredients CROSCARMELLOSE SODIUM · CROSPOVIDONE (120 .MU.M) · HYPROMELLOSE, UNSPECIFIED · MAGNESIUM STEARATE · MANNITOL · MICROCRYSTALLINE CELLULOSE · SUCRALOSE
View source label →
04

YYBA CORP nothing flagged on the label

US label (DailyMed) · LORATADINE TABLET [YYBA CORP] · label dated Sep 02, 2026

Inactive ingredients LACTOSE MONOHYDRATE · MAGNESIUM STEARATE · SODIUM STARCH GLYCOLATE TYPE A POTATO · STARCH, CORN
View source label →
05

L. Perrigo Company nothing flagged on the label

US label (DailyMed) · PERRIGO ALLERGY D (LORATADINE, PSEUDOEPHEDRINE SULFATE) TABLET, FILM COATED, EXTENDED R… · label dated Sep 02, 2026

Inactive ingredients ANHYDROUS DIBASIC CALCIUM PHOSPHATE · CROSCARMELLOSE SODIUM · HYPROMELLOSE, UNSPECIFIED · LACTOSE MONOHYDRATE · MAGNESIUM STEARATE · POVIDONE, UNSPECIFIED · TITANIUM DIOXIDE
View source label →
06

Sun Pharmaceutical Industries, Inc. nothing flagged on the label

US label (DailyMed) · CHILDRENS LORATADINE SUGAR FREE (LORATADINE) SOLUTION [SUN PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRIES, I… · label dated Sep 01, 2026

Inactive ingredients BUTYLATED HYDROXYANISOLE · GLYCERIN · MALTITOL · PHOSPHORIC ACID · POLYETHYLENE GLYCOL, UNSPECIFIED · PROPYLENE GLYCOL · SODIUM BENZOATE · SODIUM PHOSPHATE, MONOBASIC, DIHYDRATE · SORBITOL · SUCRALOSE · WATER
View source label →
07

Amazon.com Services LLC nothing flagged on the label

US label (DailyMed) · AMAZON BASIC CARE ALLERGY RELIEF (LORATADINE) TABLET [AMAZON.COM SERVICES LLC] · label dated Aug 31, 2026

Inactive ingredients LACTOSE MONOHYDRATE · MAGNESIUM STEARATE · SODIUM STARCH GLYCOLATE TYPE A POTATO · STARCH, CORN
View source label →
08

Amazon.com Services LLC nothing flagged on the label

US label (DailyMed) · CHILDRENS ALLERGY RELIEF (LORATADINE) SOLUTION [AMAZON.COM SERVICES LLC] · label dated Aug 28, 2026

Inactive ingredients EDETATE DISODIUM · GLYCERIN · MALTITOL · PHOSPHORIC ACID · PROPYLENE GLYCOL · SODIUM BENZOATE · SODIUM PHOSPHATE, MONOBASIC, UNSPECIFIED FORM · SORBITOL · SUCRALOSE · WATER
View source label →
09

Safeway, Inc. nothing flagged on the label

US label (DailyMed) · ALL DAY ALLERGY RELIEF (LORATADINE) TABLET [SAFEWAY, INC.] · label dated Aug 20, 2026

Inactive ingredients LACTOSE MONOHYDRATE · MAGNESIUM STEARATE · MICROCRYSTALLINE CELLULOSE · SODIUM STARCH GLYCOLATE TYPE A CORN
View source label →
10

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 →

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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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