Does naproxen contain wheat or gluten as an excipient?

We cross-check each naproxen 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 11 product labels we checked, 9 are clean, 1 are confirmed gluten-free by the maker, and 1 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 naproxen 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 naproxen 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 naproxen gluten-free?

By Ned Walsch

Founder and maintainer of Gluten Screen

Updated August 20, 2026

Not clinically reviewed — verify with your pharmacist

Looks mostly clean — worth verifying with the maker. Mostly yes — but worth a quick call to the manufacturer for some generics. Of 11 product labels we checked, 9 are clean, 1 are confirmed gluten-free by the maker, and 1 contain an inactive ingredient (typically a source-ambiguous starch) whose botanical origin isn't fully disclosed. None contained confirmed gluten.

Drug context

About naproxen

Naproxen is a longer-acting NSAID for pain and inflammation, sold under brand names including Aleve, Naprosyn.

Why this matters

Different manufacturers, different ingredients

Generics of naproxen 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

Novapharm manufacturer-attested gluten-free

Plogsted list · Naproxen (Novapharm) · label dated 2017-04-28

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

Select Consumer Group worth a call to confirm

US label (DailyMed) · ALEVE CAPLETS (NAPROXEN SODIUM) TABLET [SELECT CONSUMER GROUP] · label dated Jul 06, 2026

Worth a call to the maker: SODIUM CARBOXYMETHYL STARCH

Inactive ingredients FD&C BLUE NO. 2 · HYPROMELLOSES · MAGNESIUM STEARATE · MANNITOL · POLYETHYLENE GLYCOL, UNSPECIFIED · SILICON DIOXIDE · SODIUM CARBOXYMETHYL STARCH · STEARIC ACID · TITANIUM DIOXIDE
View source label →
03

Harris Teeter nothing flagged on the label

US label (DailyMed) · NAPROXEN SODIUM TABLET, COATED [HARRIS TEETER] · label dated Aug 14, 2026

Inactive ingredients CROSCARMELLOSE SODIUM · FD&C BLUE NO. 2 · MAGNESIUM STEARATE · POLYETHYLENE GLYCOL, UNSPECIFIED · POLYVINYL ALCOHOL · POVIDONE · STARCH, PREGELATINIZED CORN · TALC · TITANIUM DIOXIDE
View source label →
04

Harris Teeter nothing flagged on the label

US label (DailyMed) · NAPROXEN SODIUM TABLET, COATED [HARRIS TEETER] · label dated Aug 14, 2026

Inactive ingredients CROSCARMELLOSE SODIUM · FD&C BLUE NO. 2 · MAGNESIUM STEARATE · POLYETHYLENE GLYCOL, UNSPECIFIED · POLYVINYL ALCOHOL · POVIDONE · STARCH, PREGELATINIZED CORN · TALC · TITANIUM DIOXIDE
View source label →
05

Zapotol Products Corp nothing flagged on the label

US label (DailyMed) · ARTRIDOL (NAPROXEN SODIUM) TABLET, FILM COATED [ZAPOTOL PRODUCTS CORP] · label dated Aug 10, 2026

Inactive ingredients CROSCARMELLOSE SODIUM · FD&C BLUE NO. 2 ALUMINUM LAKE · MAGNESIUM STEARATE · MICROCRYSTALLINE CELLULOSE · POLYETHYLENE GLYCOL, UNSPECIFIED · POLYVINYL ALCOHOL, UNSPECIFIED · POVIDONE, UNSPECIFIED · SILICON DIOXIDE · TALC · TITANIUM DIOXIDE
View source label →
06

Meijer Distribution Inc nothing flagged on the label

US label (DailyMed) · NAPROXEN SODIUM PM (DIPHENHYDRAMINE HYDROCHLORIDE, NAPROXEN SODIUM) TABLET, FILM COATED… · label dated Jul 16, 2026

Inactive ingredients CROSCARMELLOSE SODIUM · FD&C BLUE NO. 1 ALUMINUM LAKE · FD&C BLUE NO. 2 ALUMINUM LAKE · MAGNESIUM STEARATE · MICROCRYSTALLINE CELLULOSE · POLYETHYLENE GLYCOL, UNSPECIFIED · POLYVINYL ALCOHOL, UNSPECIFIED · POVIDONE, UNSPECIFIED · SILICON DIOXIDE · TALC · TITANIUM DIOXIDE
View source label →
07

CVS WOONSOCKET PRESCRIPTION CENTER, INCORPORATED nothing flagged on the label

US label (DailyMed) · BACK AND MUSCLE PAIN (NAPROXEN SODIUM) TABLET, FILM COATED [CVS WOONSOCKET PRESCRIPTION… · label dated Jul 15, 2026

Inactive ingredients CROSCARMELLOSE SODIUM · FD&C BLUE NO. 2 ALUMINUM LAKE · MAGNESIUM STEARATE · MICROCRYSTALLINE CELLULOSE · POLYETHYLENE GLYCOL, UNSPECIFIED · POLYVINYL ALCOHOL, UNSPECIFIED · POVIDONE, UNSPECIFIED · SILICON DIOXIDE · TALC · TITANIUM DIOXIDE
View source label →
08

H E B nothing flagged on the label

US label (DailyMed) · NAPROXEN SODIUM TABLET, FILM COATED [H E B] · label dated Jul 15, 2026

Inactive ingredients FD&C BLUE NO. 2 ALUMINUM LAKE · HYPROMELLOSE, UNSPECIFIED · MAGNESIUM STEARATE · MICROCRYSTALLINE CELLULOSE · POLYETHYLENE GLYCOL, UNSPECIFIED · POVIDONE, UNSPECIFIED · TALC · TITANIUM DIOXIDE
View source label →
09

EQUATE (Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.) (see also WAL-MART INC) nothing flagged on the label

US label (DailyMed) · NAPROXEN SODIUM CAPSULE, LIQUID FILLED [EQUATE (WAL-MART STORES, INC.) (SEE ALSO WAL-MA… · label dated Jul 13, 2026

Inactive ingredients ALCOHOL · FD&C BLUE NO. 1 · GELATIN · GLYCERIN · LACTIC ACID · LECITHIN, SOYBEAN · LIGHT MINERAL OIL · POLYETHYLENE GLYCOL, UNSPECIFIED · POVIDONE, UNSPECIFIED · PROPYLENE GLYCOL · SHELLAC · SORBITAN · SORBITOL · TITANIUM DIOXIDE · WATER
View source label →
10

ScieGen Pharmaceuticals, Inc. nothing flagged on the label

US label (DailyMed) · NAPROXEN SODIUM TABLET NAPROXEN SODIUM (NAPROXEN SODIUM) TABLET [SCIEGEN PHARMACEUTICAL… · label dated Jul 08, 2026

Inactive ingredients HYPROMELLOSE, UNSPECIFIED · MAGNESIUM STEARATE · MICROCRYSTALLINE CELLULOSE · POLYETHYLENE GLYCOL 400 · POVIDONE, UNSPECIFIED · TALC · TITANIUM DIOXIDE
View source label →
11

Reckitt Benckiser LLC nothing flagged on the label

US label (DailyMed) · MUCINEX DS 12HR COLD, FEVER AND SINUS (NAPROXEN SODIUM, PSEUDOEPHEDRINE HYDROCHLORIDE) … · label dated Jul 01, 2026

Inactive ingredients HYPROMELLOSE, UNSPECIFIED · LACTOSE MONOHYDRATE · MAGNESIUM STEARATE · MICROCRYSTALLINE CELLULOSE · POLYETHYLENE GLYCOL, UNSPECIFIED · POLYSORBATE 80 · POVIDONE · SILICON DIOXIDE · TALC · 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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