The Question
Hello,
I recently developed an allergy to ALL of my prescription medications. I take several of them and they are medications that I desperately need. Everytime I take them I have itching. I researched all of the ingredients and found that they all contain the same fillers & inactive ingredients. The common ingredient is magnesium stearate, but I’m not sure if it is the specific culprit. There are so many. I am having trouble finding substitutes that do not have all of the same exact fillers or any fillers for that matter! This is so frustrating! I don’t know what to do. Even OTC meds have all the same crap. I have prescriptions that need to be filled right now, but I am afraid to. My pharmacist thinks I’m crazy and we got into an argument over it. I live in a rural area where there aren’t any compounding pharmacies. Do you know of a reputable national compounding pharmacy that uses pure medication without fillers? I am going to an allergist next week. I hope she believes me & is will to try a REPUTABLE compounding pharmacy that uses pure medication without using crushed pills. Please I would appreciate any suggestions.
Thank you!
Sheri
Some Background: There’s Corn In Medications?
If you look at the inactive ingredients of just about any prescription medication, chances are you will find at *least* one item from the corn allergens list, very likely corn starch. What to do then? Sometimes you may be able to find a version of the medication that is either corn free or has little enough corn that you can tolerate it. If not, you may need to have some of your meds custom-made for you with ingredients you tolerate. There are pharmacies called compounding pharmacies that can do this for you.
My Response to the Question
I have been exactly here and it’s scary and frustrating.
First, are you on the Facebook Corn Allergy group and/or the Delphi Avoiding Corn Forums? If not, join one or both of them immediately. You need some support, and there may even be a member of one of those groups who is in your state and already has a pharmacy they are working with.
There are a couple of reputable national compounding pharmacies. College Pharmacy is one. However the “big guys” that can ship to every single state rarely use custom filler, and I find it highly likely that you will need to provide your pharmacy with a custom filler you know you tolerate. If not now, you probably will later. So rather than go for a national compounding pharmacy, it would be better if you can find someone more local to you via the Pharmacy Compounding Accreditation Board.
If I were you, I would use that registry to find someone near you, either in your state or in a neighboring state, and ask them:
1) Do they make their custom prescriptions out of the pure drug, without fillers, and mix in their own fillers on site if fillers are needed? (Some “compounding” pharmacies get the drug already diluted with corny fillers, and this will not work for us.)
2) If fillers are required, are they able to use a filler that YOU provide, if you are unable to tolerate any of the fillers they stock?
3) If you do not tolerate the soap they use to clean the capsule machine (many use Dawn which is corny), would they be able to use a different soap for you?
4) If you do not tolerate the gloves they use to handle the meds, are they able to switch to a different type?
The answers to all of the above should be yes in order for you to do business with a pharmacy. Even when they answer all your questions correctly, be prepared that the first time you fill a script, it may not be successful, so don’t go ordering a 90-day supply to begin with.
Note that I personally do not need to have them use a custom soap on their capsule machines, however my pharmacy is willing to do so if needed and that is comforting to me. At the time of writing I have them use Karlin’s Finest Baking Soda for a filler and Letco brand gelatin capsules. They don’t use custom soap on their capsule machines but they do refrain from stuffing their bottles with cotton and I have asked them to not use packing peanuts when mailing my prescriptions.
Getting Medications Compounded on News for Corn Avoiders
My Additional Notes on Getting Medications Compounded
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