Gluten-Free Allergy and Sinus Medicine

It's not unusual for people who have celiac disease or non-celiac gluten sensitivity to also suffer from seasonal allergies or allergy symptoms like hives. When you follow a gluten-free diet, you need to make sure that everything that you put in your body—including medication—is gluten-free.

Fortunately, there are plenty of gluten-free allergy and sinus medications that are available over-the-counter.

Advil Allergy and Sinus

No gluten ingredients. The manufacturers state, "We cannot guarantee that Advil is gluten-free. Although gluten isn't added to our products during manufacturing, we can't control whether or not trace amounts of it end up in the raw materials we get from suppliers."

There is no gluten-free-labeled, store-brand equivalent for Advil Cold & Sinus products. However, there are two products that you can substitute, each of which includes the two of the active ingredients in Advil Allergy Sinus. Both of these medications are labeled gluten-free.

• Target Up & Up ibuprofen tablets (200mg ibuprofen)
• Target Up & Up Sinus PE tablets (30mg pseudoephedrine HCI)

Allegra

No gluten ingredients

Allegra (formerly a prescription medication_ is billed as "24-hour allergy relief." It comes in:

• Allergy and congestion formula (Allegra D)
• Children's liquid and tablets
• Gelcaps
• Tablets

The active ingredient in Allegra adult tablets and Allegra gelcaps is fexofenadine HCI (an antihistamine). The active ingredients in Allegra allergy and congestion are fexofenadine HCI and pseudoephedrine HCI (a nasal decongestant).

According to Chattem (the product's manufacturer), Allegra does not contain any gluten ingredients. However, Chattem is not willing to call the product "gluten-free." The manufacturer states that:

Benadryl

One gluten-free product

Benadryl comes in three adult formulas. Only one is considered gluten-free:

• Allergy Dye-Free Liquigels (25mg diphenhydramine HCl)

The other two formulations are not considered gluten-free:

• Allergy Plus Congestion Ultratab tablets (25mg diphenhydramine HCl, 10mg phenylephrine HCl)
• Allergy Ultratab tablets (25mg diphenhydramine HCl)

Some people who have celiac disease and non-celiac gluten sensitivity swear by Benadryl as an over-the-counter remedy for some of the symptoms they experience if they accidentally ingest gluten. However, there is little evidence that Benadryl can help alleviate these gluten-related symptoms.

Claritin

All gluten-free products

Claritin (formerly a prescription medication) is available in several formulations. All of the formulations are considered gluten-free:

• 12-hour relief (reditabs)
• 24-hour relief (tablets, reditabs, and liquigels)
• 12-hour and 24-hour allergy plus congestion (tablets)
• Children's Claritin

All of these Claritin products contain the active ingredient loratadine (5mg or 10mg, depending on the product), an antihistamine. Claritin-D also contains a nasal decongestant (pseudoephedrine sulfate, either 120mg or 240mg, depending on the product).

Products prominently marked as gluten-free store-brand substitutes for Claritin include:

• Target Up & Up loratadine 10mg tablets
• Walgreens Wal-Itin loratadine 10mg tablets

Vick's Sinex

Some gluten-free products

Sinex decongestants are made by Vicks.

Gluten-free Sinex products include:

• Sinex Moisturizing Ultra Fine Mist (oxymetazoline HCl 0.05%)
• Sinex Scent Free Ultra Fine Mist (oxymetazoline HCl 0.05%)
• Sinex Severe VapoCOOL Nasal Spray (oxymetazoline HCl 0.05%)

Xyzal

No gluten ingredients

This 24-hour allergy medication is a relative newcomer to the over-the-counter allergy medications market. Xyzal contains the active ingredient levocetirizine dihydrochloride, which is an antihistamine. The product comes in adult and children's formulations.

For consumers with allergies, it's also important to note that the allergen information on Xyzal states that it contains lactose monohydrate from processed milk.

Xyzal is similar to the allergy medication Zyrtec, which does have gluten-free alternatives (see below).

Zyrtec

Some gluten-free products

Zyrtec (formerly a prescription medication) is marketed as a 24-hour allergy medication. There are two gluten-free formulations:

• Liquid gels
• Zyrtec-D Allergy & Congestion

The following Zyrtec formulations are not gluten-free:

• Adult tablets
• Dissolve tablets

The active ingredient in Zyrtec's formula is an antihistamine called cetirizine hydrochloride. Zyrtec-D (the allergy plus congestion formula) adds the nasal decongestant pseudoephedrine HCl.

Regarding the other two products (Adult and dissolve tabs) the manufacturer states that they contain no gluten ingredients: "We do not knowingly use gluten-containing ingredients in any of our Zyrtec products."

Possible gluten-free store-brand substitutes for Zyrtec include:

• Target Up & Up cetrizine hydrochloride 10mg tablets
• Walgreens Wal-Zyr cetirizine hydrochloride 10mg tablets

A Word From Verywell

If you suffer from allergies, you'll be relieved to find that it's not difficult to find over-the-counter allergy medications that are gluten-free. There are gluten-free options for every brand-name allergy medication (and almost every formulation) on the market.

However, be careful when taking any over-the-counter allergy medicines. Some may cause drowsiness, which could affect your driving or other activities.

Additionally, be aware that some over-the-counter allergy medications contain the same active ingredients as gluten-free cold and flu medications. Never take more than the recommended dose, and do not take more than one product at the same time without talking to your doctor first.