Does Pepcid contain wheat or gluten as an excipient?

We cross-check each Pepcid 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, 8 are clean, 0 are confirmed gluten-free by the maker, and 2 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 Pepcid 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 Pepcid 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 Pepcid gluten-free?

By Ned Walsch

Founder and maintainer of Gluten Screen

Updated October 13, 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 10 product labels we checked, 8 are clean, 0 are confirmed gluten-free by the maker, and 2 contain an inactive ingredient (typically a source-ambiguous starch) whose botanical origin isn't fully disclosed. None contained confirmed gluten.

Drug context

About Pepcid

Pepcid is a brand name for famotidine — the brand-name H2 blocker famotidine for heartburn. 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 Pepcid 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

Shield Pharmaceuticals Corp worth a call to confirm

US label (DailyMed) · HEARTBURN RELIEF (FAMOTIDINE) TABLET, FILM COATED [SHIELD PHARMACEUTICALS CORP] · label dated Sep 28, 2026

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

Inactive ingredients HYDROXYPROPYL CELLULOSE, UNSPECIFIED · HYPROMELLOSES · MAGNESIUM STEARATE · MICROCRYSTALLINE CELLULOSE · POLYETHYLENE GLYCOL 4000 · SODIUM STARCH GLYCOLATE TYPE A · STARCH, CORN · TALC · TITANIUM DIOXIDE · TRIACETIN
View source label →
02

CVS WOONSOCKET PRESCRIPTION CENTER, INCORPORATED worth a call to confirm

US label (DailyMed) · COMPLETE ACID REDUCER (FAMOTIDINE, CALCIUM CARBONATE, MAGNESIUM HYDROXIDE) TABLET, CHEW… · label dated Sep 10, 2026

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

Inactive ingredients ANHYDROUS LACTOSE · ASPARTAME · DEXTRATES · FERRIC OXIDE RED · GLYCERYL MONOSTEARATE · LACTOSE MONOHYDRATE · MAGNESIUM STEARATE · MICROCRYSTALLINE CELLULOSE · POLYSORBATE 80 · POVIDONE, UNSPECIFIED · SODIUM STARCH GLYCOLATE TYPE A · TALC
View source label →
03

NorthStar Rx LLC nothing flagged on the label

US label (DailyMed) · FAMOTIDINE POWDER, FOR SUSPENSION [NORTHSTAR RX LLC] · label dated Oct 01, 2026

Inactive ingredients ACETIC ACID · ALCOHOL · CITRIC ACID MONOHYDRATE · METHYLPARABEN SODIUM · POWDERED CELLULOSE · PROPYLENE GLYCOL · PROPYLPARABEN SODIUM · SODIUM BENZOATE · SUCROSE · TRIETHYL CITRATE · WATER · XANTHAN GUM
View source label →
04

Shield Pharmaceuticals Corp nothing flagged on the label

US label (DailyMed) · HEARTBURN RELIEF (FAMOTIDINE) TABLET, FILM COATED [SHIELD PHARMACEUTICALS CORP] · label dated Sep 28, 2026

Inactive ingredients HYDROXYPROPYL CELLULOSE, UNSPECIFIED · HYPROMELLOSES · MAGNESIUM STEARATE · MICROCRYSTALLINE CELLULOSE · POLYETHYLENE GLYCOL, UNSPECIFIED · STARCH, CORN · TALC · TITANIUM DIOXIDE · TRIACETIN
View source label →
05

Kesin Pharma Corporation nothing flagged on the label

US label (DailyMed) · FAMOTIDINE POWDER, FOR SUSPENSION [KESIN PHARMA CORPORATION] · label dated Sep 23, 2026

Inactive ingredients ANHYDROUS CITRIC ACID · METHYLPARABEN SODIUM · POWDERED CELLULOSE · PROPYLPARABEN SODIUM · SODIUM BENZOATE · SUCROSE · XANTHAN GUM
View source label →
06

Amazon.com Services LLC nothing flagged on the label

US label (DailyMed) · AMAZON BASIC CARE ACID REDUCER (FAMOTIDINE) TABLET, FILM COATED [AMAZON.COM SERVICES LLC] · label dated Sep 21, 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

Aphena Pharma Solutions - Tennessee, LLC nothing flagged on the label

US label (DailyMed) · FAMOTIDINE TABLET [APHENA PHARMA SOLUTIONS - TENNESSEE, LLC ] · label dated Sep 21, 2026

Inactive ingredients CELLULOSE, MICROCRYSTALLINE · MAGNESIUM STEARATE · POLYDEXTROSE · SODIUM STARCH GLYCOLATE TYPE A POTATO · STARCH, CORN · TALC · TITANIUM DIOXIDE · TRIACETIN
View source label →
08

Redpharm Drug nothing flagged on the label

US label (DailyMed) · FAMOTIDINE TABLET, FILM COATED [REDPHARM DRUG] · label dated Sep 14, 2026

Inactive ingredients CARNAUBA WAX · HYDROXYPROPYL CELLULOSE, UNSPECIFIED · HYPROMELLOSE 2910 (15 MPA.S) · HYPROMELLOSE 2910 (5 MPA.S) · MAGNESIUM STEARATE · MICROCRYSTALLINE CELLULOSE 101 · MICROCRYSTALLINE CELLULOSE 102 · SODIUM STARCH GLYCOLATE TYPE A POTATO · STARCH, CORN · TALC · TITANIUM DIOXIDE
View source label →
09

Amazon.com Services LLC nothing flagged on the label

US label (DailyMed) · ACID REDUCER (FAMOTIDINE) TABLET, FILM COATED [AMAZON.COM SERVICES LLC] · label dated Sep 10, 2026

Inactive ingredients CARNAUBA WAX · FERRIC OXIDE RED · FERRIC OXIDE YELLOW · HYPROMELLOSE, UNSPECIFIED · MAGNESIUM STEARATE · MICROCRYSTALLINE CELLULOSE · POLYDEXTROSE · POLYETHYLENE GLYCOL, UNSPECIFIED · TALC · TITANIUM DIOXIDE · TRIACETIN
View source label →
10

Aurohealth LLC nothing flagged on the label

US label (DailyMed) · FAMOTIDINE TABLET, FILM COATED [AUROHEALTH LLC] · label dated Sep 07, 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 →

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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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