Does Zyrtec contain wheat or gluten as an excipient?

We cross-check each Zyrtec 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. Of 12 product labels we cross-checked, 1 list a gluten-derived ingredient outright. Generics from different manufacturers can differ — check which manufacturer's version your pharmacy dispensed before assuming any fill is safe.

Can different manufacturers' generic versions of Zyrtec 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 Zyrtec 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 · 12 product labels screened

Is Zyrtec gluten-free?

By Ned Walsch

Founder and maintainer of Gluten Screen

Updated October 13, 2026

Not clinically reviewed — verify with your pharmacist

Some formulations contain gluten. Of 12 product labels we cross-checked, 1 list a gluten-derived ingredient outright. Generics from different manufacturers can differ — check which manufacturer's version your pharmacy dispensed before assuming any fill is safe.

Drug context

About Zyrtec

Zyrtec is a brand name for cetirizine — the brand-name antihistamine cetirizine. 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 Zyrtec 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 12 we checked

01

Padagis / Perrigo contains gluten

Mangione 2024 · levocetirizine dihydrochloride 2.5 mg/5 mL oral solution [Padagis / Perrigo] · label dated 2025-06-09

Gluten on the label: Manufacturer-declared gluten content (Matson et al. 2025 (peer-reviewed): the manufacturer of this NDC confirmed that the product contains gluten.)
View source label →
02

(manufacturer not listed) worth a call to confirm

Mangione 2024 · levocetirizine dihydrochloride 2.5 mg/5 mL oral solution (no confirmed-GF version found) · label dated 2025-06-09

Worth a call to the maker: No confirmed gluten-free formulation available
View source label →
03

Granules Pharmaceuticals Inc. nothing flagged on the label

US label (DailyMed) · CETIRIZINE HYDROCHLORIDE - HIVES (CETIRIZINE HYDROCHLORIDE) TABLET, COATED [GRANULES PH… · label dated Oct 06, 2026

Inactive ingredients CELLULOSE, MICROCRYSTALLINE · CROSCARMELLOSE SODIUM · HYPROMELLOSE 2910 (5 MPA.S) · LACTOSE MONOHYDRATE · MAGNESIUM STEARATE · POLYETHYLENE GLYCOL 400 · SILICON DIOXIDE · TITANIUM DIOXIDE
View source label →
04

Granules India Ltd nothing flagged on the label

US label (DailyMed) · CETIRIZINE HYDROCHLORIDE TABLET, COATED [GRANULES INDIA LTD] · label dated Oct 06, 2026

Inactive ingredients CELLULOSE, MICROCRYSTALLINE · CROSCARMELLOSE SODIUM · HYPROMELLOSE 2910 (5 MPA.S) · LACTOSE MONOHYDRATE · MAGNESIUM STEARATE · POLYETHYLENE GLYCOL 400 · SILICON DIOXIDE · TITANIUM DIOXIDE
View source label →
05

BAJAJ MEDICAL, LLC nothing flagged on the label

US label (DailyMed) · CETIRIZINE HYDROCHLORIDE SOLUTION [BAJAJ MEDICAL, LLC] · label dated Oct 05, 2026

Inactive ingredients ACETIC ACID · GLYCERIN · METHYLPARABEN · PROPYLENE GLYCOL · PROPYLPARABEN · SODIUM ACETATE · SUCROSE · WATER
View source label →
06

BAJAJ MEDICAL, LLC nothing flagged on the label

US label (DailyMed) · CETIRIZINE HYDROCHLORIDE SOLUTION [BAJAJ MEDICAL, LLC] · label dated Oct 05, 2026

Inactive ingredients ACETIC ACID · GLYCERIN · METHYLPARABEN · PROPYLENE GLYCOL · PROPYLPARABEN · SODIUM ACETATE · SUCROSE · WATER
View source label →
07

First Nation Group, LLC nothing flagged on the label

US label (DailyMed) · CETIRIZINE HYDROCHLORIDE TABLET [FIRST NATION GROUP, LLC] · label dated Oct 05, 2026

Inactive ingredients HYPROMELLOSES · LACTOSE MONOHYDRATE · MAGNESIUM STEARATE · POLYETHYLENE GLYCOL 400 · POLYSORBATE 80 · POVIDONE K30 · STARCH, CORN · TITANIUM DIOXIDE
View source label →
08

Cabinet Health nothing flagged on the label

US label (DailyMed) · VALUMEDS CETIRIZINE 10MG (CETIRIZINE 10MG) TABLET [CABINET HEALTH] · label dated Oct 05, 2026

Inactive ingredients CELLULOSE, MICROCRYSTALLINE · CROSCARMELLOSE SODIUM · HYPROMELLOSE, UNSPECIFIED · LACTOSE MONOHYDRATE · MAGNESIUM STEARATE · POLYETHYLENE GLYCOL, UNSPECIFIED · SILICON DIOXIDE · TITANIUM DIOXIDE
View source label →
09

Cabinet Health P.B.C. nothing flagged on the label

US label (DailyMed) · GOODMEDS CETIRIZINE 10MG (CETIRIZINE 10MG) TABLET [CABINET HEALTH P.B.C.] · label dated Oct 05, 2026

Inactive ingredients CELLULOSE, MICROCRYSTALLINE · CROSCARMELLOSE SODIUM · HYPROMELLOSE, UNSPECIFIED · LACTOSE MONOHYDRATE · MAGNESIUM STEARATE · POLYETHYLENE GLYCOL, UNSPECIFIED · SILICON DIOXIDE · TITANIUM DIOXIDE
View source label →
10

Aldi Inc nothing flagged on the label

US label (DailyMed) · WELBY ALLERGY RELIEF (CETIRIZINE HYDROCHLORIDE) TABLET, FILM COATED [ALDI INC] · label dated Oct 02, 2026

Inactive ingredients FD&C BLUE NO. 1 ALUMINUM LAKE · HYPROMELLOSE, UNSPECIFIED · LACTOSE MONOHYDRATE · MAGNESIUM STEARATE · POLYDEXTROSE · POLYETHYLENE GLYCOL, UNSPECIFIED · POVIDONE, UNSPECIFIED · STARCH, CORN · TITANIUM DIOXIDE · TRIACETIN
View source label →
11

ESTEVE PHARMACEUTICALS, S.A. nothing flagged on the label

US label (DailyMed) · QUZYTTIR (CETIRIZINE HYDROCHLORIDE) INJECTION [ESTEVE PHARMACEUTICALS, S.A.] · label dated Sep 30, 2026

Inactive ingredients HYDROCHLORIC ACID · SODIUM CHLORIDE · SODIUM HYDROXIDE · WATER
View source label →
12

Sun Pharmaceutical Industries, Inc. nothing flagged on the label

US label (DailyMed) · CHILDRENS CETIRIZINE HYDROCHLORIDE (CETIRIZINE HYDROCHLORIDE) SOLUTION [SUN PHARMACEUTI… · label dated Sep 28, 2026

Inactive ingredients ACETIC ACID · GLYCERIN · PROPYLENE GLYCOL · SODIUM ACETATE ANHYDROUS · SODIUM BENZOATE · SUCRALOSE · WATER
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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