It can be confusing to find information about gluten and prescription drugs. You can find a wealth of ingredient information by reviewing both a drug manufacturer's website and the National Library of Medicine's ingredient lists, searching for ingredients that are defined by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as glutenous. By using these authoritative sources, it is possible to determine whether the drug Doryx contains gluten.
FDA Definition of Gluten
The FDA defines gluten-free foods as those that do not contain wheat, barley, rye or a crossbreed of those grains. Exceptions to this would be the use of these grains after the gluten is removed, such as gluten-free wheat flour. The use of "gluten-free" on labels is voluntary, thus many foods which are gluten-free are not actually labeled as such. Due to the fact that wheat is considered a common allergen and therefore a health risk to some, the FDA requires that all products containing wheat be labeled with warnings about the wheat content.
What is Doryx?
Doryx is a brand name for the prescription drug doxycycline. Doxycycline is in the tetracycline antibiotic category and is used for bacterial infections such as pneumonia, Lyme disease, acne, urinary problems, malaria and anthrax inhalation. Doxycycline prevents the bacteria from growing and spreading. According to the National Center for Biotechnology Information, doxycycline will not work for colds, flus and other viral infections. The Doryx brand of doxycycline is manufactured by Warner Chilcott, LLC and comes in pill form. The pills contain 150 mg of delayed-release doxycycline hyclate, and it can be broken up and sprinkled into applesauce for consumption if necessary.
Gluten Intolerance or Celiac Disease
Many breads, cakes, cereals and pastas are made with wheat or added wheat gluten to improve texture and quality. It naturally occurs in all wheat products unless they have been specifically altered to eliminate gluten. Gluten can cause serious reactions in people who have celiac disease or gluten intolerance. MayoClinic.com reports that, while there are no typical symptoms of celiac disease, general complaints include diarrhea, bloating, abdominal and gastrointestinal pain, as well as anemia, joint and muscle pain, skin rashes, mouth sores, dental and bone disorders and tingling in the legs and feet.
Starch Wheat in Doryx
The U.S. National Library of Medicine DailyMed website lists starch wheat as one of the inert ingredients of Doryx. Because wheat is an allergen, it is required by law to be identified in the ingredient list, per the Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act of 2004. One of the grains which cannot be present in drugs and food products which are labeled "gluten-free" according to FDA guidelines is wheat. The wheat starch in Doryx indicates that it contains gluten.
