Pharmacist Sonja Keizers answers
I have severe lactose intolerance. Recently I needed amitriptyline and diazepam, but neither were available without lactose. What now?
Many medicines contain lactose (milk sugar) as an excipient. Excipients are needed to get the active ingredient in a ready-to-use form, such as a tablet. People with lactose intolerance are often afraid of getting gastrointestinal complaints from medicines containing lactose as an excipient. Fortunately, this turns out to be very easy in practice. This is because the amount of lactose in medicines is low. Problems with lactose intolerance usually only occur with a few grams of lactose (like in a glass of milk) and not with milligrams (like in a tablet). You write that you have a severe lactose intolerance. If you really need a lactose-free medicine, talk to your pharmacist or doctor about an alternative.
Also send in your medicine request. You can do that here.
Sources):
- Plus Magazine
