Is Advil PM Gluten-Free?

Celiac.com 04/03/2021 - We get a lot of questions from people wondering which brands of over the counter drugs are gluten-free and safe for people with celiac disease.

We especially get a lot of questions about Advil PM. Specifically, is Advil PM gluten-free and safe for people with celiac disease or gluten intolerance?

Celiac.com Sponsor (A12):
Advil PM does not advertise their product as gluten-free. They also make certain products that contain gluten, so it's important to read labels carefully.

Advil PM Not Labeled Gluten-Free
About Advil PM, the company website says that the company "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."

They may still be fine for those with gluten sensitivity and not celiac disease, but for those with celiac disease you might want to avoid Advil PM Caplets in favor of a different product that is guaranteed to be gluten-free. Their Advil PM Liqui-Gels, are NOT gluten-free, so be sure to avoid those.

Advil PM Caplets contain:
200 mg Ibuprofen (NSAID)*
38 mg Diphenhydramine citrate
*Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug

Inactive Ingredients:
calcium stearate, carnauba wax, colloidal silicon dioxide, corn starch, croscarmellose sodium, FD&C blue no. 2 aluminum lake, glyceryl behenate, hypromellose, lactose monohydrate, microcrystalline cellulose, pharmaceutical ink, polydextrose, polyethylene glycol, pregelatinized starch, sodium lauryl sulfate, sodium starch glycolate, stearic acid, titanium dioxide

Advil PM Caplets Unlikely to Contain Gluten
That said, the caplet form of Advil PM Caplets contain no gluten ingredients, and declare no gluten allergens on the label. Unfortunately Advil PM Caplets, according to their Web site, could possibly contain gluten.

Advil PM Liqui-Gels Contain Gluten
Advil PM Liqui-Gels contain a wheat derivative, and are not gluten-free. 

As always, read labels and choose products carefully. If you're not sure, check with your doctor. Do you have celiac disease? Have you had any issues with Advil PM or other over the counter drugs? Share your thought in the comments below.