How To: Remedy a Cold or Flu as a Celiac

You might not realize how difficult it can be to find medicines that are labeled gluten free until the first time you get a cold or stomach bug after your celiac diagnosis. Although the FDA issued a draft document outlining labeling recommendations to drug manufacturers in 2017, current pharmaceutical regulations do not require that gluten be disclosed in medications—leaving celiacs and those who care for them in the dark about whether or not certain drugs are safe for them to consume.

For this reason, we’ve scoured the internet for resources to confirm which cold and flu products are confirmed to be “gluten free” so that we could share it with you as midwinter settles in.

Please note that this is not an all-inclusive list. Always double-check package labeling or the company’s website to confirm a product’s gluten-free status, as this can change without warning. If you have any doubts or concerns about the gluten-free status of any drug, consult with your pharmacist and/or the manufacturer of the product. The last thing you want when you’re already not feeling well is to deal with the side-effects of gluten exposure!

Over-the-counter cold & flu medications

• For adults

  • Cabinet Health Daytime Severe Cold and Flu

  • Target up&up Daytime & Nighttime Cold & Flu Relief Softgels

  • Target up&up Daytime & Nighttime Cold & Flu Relief Liquid

  • Target up&up Severe Cold Day & Night Powder

  • Vicks DayQuil/NyQuil Hot Remedy Cold & Flu Relief drink powder

  • Wal-Flu Multi-Symptom Severe Cold & Nighttime Severe Cold & Cough Packets

  • Walgreens Daytime & Nighttime Cold & Flu Relief Liquid Combo Pack

• For infants and children

  • KinderMed Kids’ Cough & Congestion Relief Day & Nighttime Liquid

  • Target up&up Children’s Day & Night Cold Relief Liquid

  • Vicks DayQuil & NyQuil Kids Honey Combo

  • Zarabee’s Kid’s All-in-One Daytime Cough Syrup + Mucus, Throat, & Nasal

  • Zarabee’s Kid’s Cough Syrup + Mucus Day & Night

Homeopathic treatments

• ColdCalm

• Cold-Eeze (select products; check the box)

• Walgreens Zinc Cold Therapy Quick Dissolving Tablets

Symptom-specific relief

• Congestion

  • Nasal sprays

    • Afrin nasal spray

    • Beekeeper’s Naturals Xylitol Propolis Nasal Spray

    • Vicks Sinex Saline Ultra Fine Nasal Mist or Severe VapoCOOL Nasal Spray

  • Berkley Jensen Maximum Strength Mucus Relief

  • NeilMed Nasaflo Neti Pot

  • Target up&up Mucus Relief

  • Vicks VapoShower

  • Walgreens Nasal Decongestant PE

  • Walgreens Non-Medicated Vapor Inhaler

• Cough

  • Cough drops and lozenges

    • Beekeeper’s Naturals Propolis Soothing Lozenges (all flavors)

    • Walgreens cough drops (Honey Lemon, Sugar Free Honey Lemon, Sugar Free Menthol)

    • Walgreens Sore Throat and Cough Lozenges Mixed Berry

  • Cough syrups for adults

    • Beekeepers Naturals Daytime & Nighttime Propolis Cough Syrup

    • Berkley Jensen Tussin DM Cough & Chest Congestion Liquid Cough Medicine

    • Target up&up or Walgreens Cough DM Oral Suspension

    • Walgreens Nighttime Cough Liquid

  • Cough syrups for infants and children

    • Beekeepers Naturals Kids’ Daytime & Nighttime Propolis Cough Syrup

    • Burt’s Bees Kids’ Daytime & Nighttime Cough Syrup

    • Nature’s Way Kids Sambucus HoneyBerry Day and Nighttime Cough Syrup

    • Wellements Organic Day & Nighttime Baby or Children’s Cough Syrup

    • Zarabee’s Baby Cough Syrup

  • Vicks VapoRub Adult or Children’s Topical Cough Suppressant (not labeled gluten free, but all the ingredients appear to be naturally GF; plus, the product is not for consumption)

• Fever, headache, and/or body aches

  • For adults

    • Berkley Jensen Extra Strength, Extra Strength PM, or Rapid Release Acetaminophen

    • Berkley Jensen Ibuprofen

    • Cabinet Health Acetaminophen or Acetaminophen Nighttime

    • Target up&up Acetaminophen 8-hour, Extra Strength, or Extra Strength PM Caplets

    • Target up&up Regular Strength Tablets or Low Dose Chewable Aspirin

    • Target up&up Ibuprofen Caplets, Tablets, or PM Tablets

    • Target up&up Naproxen Sodium or Naproxen Sodium PM Tablets

  • For infants and children

    • Target up&up Infants’ Dye-Free or Children’s Acetaminophen

    • Target up&up Infants’ or Children’s Dye-Free Ibuprofen

    • Walgreens Infants’ Dye-Free Ibuprofen

• Nausea

  • Great Value or Reed’s ginger ale

  • GIN GINS Ginger Candy

  • Yogi Tea (Ginger, Purely Peppermint, Vanilla Peppermint, or Stomach Ease)

• Sore throat

  • Beekeeper’s Naturals Kid’s Throat Soothing Lollipops

  • Lolleez Children’s Organic Throat Soothing Pops

  • Ricola Sore Throat Oral Anesthetic

  • Ricola Throat Balm

  • Wedderspoon Organic Manuka Honey Drops

  • Yogi Throat Comfort Tea

• Multi-symptom

  • Sleep with a humidifier to help relieve congestion, cough, and sore throat

  • Yogi Cold Season Tea

Immune support

• For adults

  • Beekeeper’s Naturals Propolis Immune Support Throat Spray

  • Emergen-C (all products)

  • Garden of Life Dr. Formulated Adult Elderberry Gummies

  • Hyland’s Naturals Adult Immune Organic Vegan Elderberry Gummies

  • Nature’s Bounty Immune 24 Hour Softgels

  • Nature Made Vitamin C Tablets

  • Nature Made Wellblends ImmuneMAX Fizzy Drink Mix Stick Packets or Gummies

  • OLLY Active Immunity Gummies

  • up&up Immune Support Chewable or Effervescent Tablets, or Gummies

  • up&up Vitamin C Supplement Drops

  • Vitafusion Power C Gummies

  • Zarabee’s Daily Immune Support Gummies

• For infants and children

  • Beekeeper’s Naturals Propolis Immune Support Throat Spray

  • Emergen-C Kidz Fruit Punch Immune Support

  • Garden of Life Dr. Formulated Kids Elderberry Gummies

  • Hyland’s Naturals Kids’ Immune Organic Vegan Elderberry Gummies

  • L’il Critters Immune C Gummies

  • Nature Made Kids First Elderberry or Vitamin C Gummies

  • OLLY Kids Immunity Elderberry Gummies

  • Wellements Organic Baby Immune Support Syrup

  • Zarabee’s Kid’s Daily Immune Support Gummies