This is an example of how there are times when what you really need to know is not what's on the label, but what isn't. An autistic child with a highly sensitive reaction to local conditions was liable to sneeze uncontrollably to the point of a bloody nose and sore throat. The doctor prescribed Flonase (Fluticasone Propionate Nasal Spray made by Glaxo Smith Kline) which appeared to solve the problem. However this child was on a GFCF diet, and the mother noticed within two days a typical gluten reaction, a "drunk" effect that left the child unable to focus and constantly chattering to himself. He had to be removed from his school classroom. There had been no change to his diet, only the use of Flonase. The mother decided to ring the laboratory making the product (Roxane Laboratories,Columbus, Ohio), and ask about the possible presence of gluten/casein. The answer she received was that it was the company's 'legal obligation' to say that there was no gluten evident in the spray. The researcher talking to the parent had no idea what casein was.
But here's the thing: where there is alcohol present - as there is in this spray - there must be a question over the presence of gluten. The parent took away the medication and within 48 hours the child began to return to normal, although his seasonal allergies were still evident. The parent found that Singulair that had also been prescribed at the same time, and which is gluten-free, was effective enough by itself.
What was strange was that on researching celiac forums, the parent found that other people - celiac sufferers - had questioned and dismissed Flonase as a source of gluten, having been told the same thing by researchers at the laboratory that makes Flonase. The problem with labelling is that manufacturers are not under any obligation to reveal trace amounts of a substance, let alone have to provide the consumer with substances that may have been used in the preserving, treating or binding of its ingredients. For gluten/casein allergic sufferers, this can make the difference. At the very least, with the presence of phenylethyl alcohol, there has to be at least some investigative research into how this element does not trigger the gluten flag by the company, so that they can tell consumers the truth as opposed to the legal version of the truth.
