Alpha-Gal (Red Meat Allergy) Medication Checker

Alpha-gal syndrome is best known as the red meat allergy that follows a tick bite, but the same molecule that is in meat also hides in some medications. Type a drug name and we check the official label of every company's version for ingredients that come from mammals, like the gelatin in capsules and heparin from pigs, plus inactive ingredients that might come from animals or plants, where the label does not say which.

This tool tells you what is in each product. It cannot tell you how your body will react: many people with alpha-gal tolerate ingredients that others do not. Use what you find here to have a better conversation with your allergist and pharmacist.

Sensitivity settings optional · stored in this browser only

I also react to dairy foods (lactose flags will be raised for attention)I react to trace exposures or consider myself highly sensitive (all nuanced flags will be raised for attention)

These settings change how prominently certain flags are shown. They never hide a flag, never change what an ingredient is, and never make anything look safer.

Try: · · · ·

Confused by a result? Ask in plain English

Our AI assistant knows this tool's full ingredient dictionary and nothing else. It will not tell you a drug is safe; it will explain what a flag means and what to ask your pharmacist.

Vaccines and gelatin, at a glance

Vaccine ingredients come from the CDC's vaccine excipient summary rather than label scanning. Gelatin is the main alpha-gal concern in vaccines; formulations change, so confirm against the current package insert with your provider.

MMR (M-M-R II)Contains gelatinHydrolyzed gelatin stabilizer.

MMRV (ProQuad)Contains gelatinAbout 11 mg hydrolyzed gelatin per dose.

Varicella (Varivax)Contains gelatinAbout 12.5 mg porcine hydrolyzed gelatin per dose.

Influenza, live nasal spray (FluMist)Contains gelatinPorcine hydrolyzed gelatin; most injected flu shots are gelatin-free.

Yellow fever (YF-VAX)Contains gelatinGelatin stabilizer.

Rabies (RabAvert)Contains gelatinPolygeline (processed bovine gelatin). Discuss product choice with your provider.

Zoster, live (discontinued in US) (Zostavax)Contains gelatinLargely replaced by Shingrix, which is gelatin-free.

Zoster, recombinant (Shingrix)Gelatin-free

Influenza, injected (most brands)Gelatin-freeCheck the specific brand's insert; the vast majority are gelatin-free.

COVID-19 mRNA (Pfizer, Moderna)Gelatin-free

Tdap (Adacel, Boostrix)Gelatin-free

Hepatitis A and B (Havrix, Engerix-B, others)Gelatin-free

HPV (Gardasil 9)Gelatin-free

Polio, inactivated (IPOL)Gelatin-free

Medications and ingredients this checker screens for

The full dictionary behind the tool, with the same notes it shows in results. Every entry is sourced from the CDC, the peer-reviewed AGS literature, or FDA records.

Known mammalian-derived

Gelatin

Made from collagen in cattle and pig hides, bones, and connective tissue. Gelatin contains alpha-gal. It is the shell of most softgel and many hard capsules, and a stabilizer in several vaccines. Not every AGS patient reacts to oral gelatin, but it is the most common hidden exposure in medications. Vegetable-capsule (HPMC) versions of many drugs exist. (Marine collagen, from fish, does not carry alpha-gal; pharmaceutical gelatin is essentially always bovine or porcine.)

Heparin (unfractionated)

Derived from porcine intestinal mucosa and contains alpha-gal. The most important hidden alpha-gal exposure in hospital medicine: it appears in IV flushes, surgery, dialysis, and cardiac procedures, often without being named to the patient. Synthetic or non-porcine alternatives (argatroban, bivalirudin, fondaparinux) exist; the choice belongs to your care team.

Low-molecular-weight heparins

Enoxaparin, dalteparin, and tinzaparin are made from porcine intestinal mucosa, like unfractionated heparin, and contain alpha-gal. Fondaparinux is a fully synthetic alternative in the same drug family.

Pancreatic enzymes

Pancreatic enzyme replacement products are extracted from porcine pancreas and contain alpha-gal. There is currently no non-porcine enzyme replacement with equivalent evidence, so AGS patients who need these face a real trade-off to work through with their gastroenterologist and allergist together.

Desiccated thyroid

Natural desiccated thyroid products are made from porcine thyroid glands. Synthetic levothyroxine and liothyronine are non-animal alternatives, though their capsule or tablet excipients still deserve a check.

Conjugated estrogens (equine)

Premarin (conjugated estrogens, USP) is derived from pregnant mares' urine, and horses are non-primate mammals, so it is an alpha-gal concern. Important distinction: SYNTHETIC conjugated estrogens products (Cenestin, Enjuvia) are plant-derived and are different products; if your label says 'synthetic conjugated estrogens,' this flag does not apply to the estrogen itself, though the tablet's excipients still deserve a look.

Ingredient labeled with a mammalian source

This label names an ingredient's animal source directly (porcine, bovine, ovine, equine, or caprine all denote non-primate mammals). Whatever the ingredient is, a mammalian source term on the label makes it an alpha-gal question worth raising with your pharmacist and allergist.

Lung surfactants (neonatal)

Beractant and calfactant are bovine-derived; poractant alfa is porcine-derived. Relevant for NICU care of infants of mothers managing AGS decisions, and for documentation completeness.

Cetuximab

The drug that revealed hidden alpha-gal. Produced in mouse Sp2/0 cells, cetuximab carries alpha-gal residues, and first-dose anaphylaxis in patients with pre-existing alpha-gal IgE is documented in the New England Journal of Medicine. Oncologists in high-AGS regions often screen before prescribing.

Anti-thymocyte globulin (rabbit)

Produced in rabbits, a non-primate mammal. Used in transplant medicine; flag AGS to the transplant team so premedication or alternatives can be planned.

Antivenoms (ovine and equine)

CroFab is produced in sheep and Anavip in horses; both are mammalian-derived. In a true envenomation the antivenom is usually still given, with the team prepared to manage a reaction. The point of flagging it is informed, prepared use, not refusal.

Source not disclosed on labels (ask the pharmacist)

Magnesium stearate

The most common tablet lubricant in the pharmacy. It can be made from animal tallow or from vegetable sources, and the label does not say which. Excipient suppliers report that modern pharmaceutical magnesium stearate is usually plant-derived, but that is an industry norm rather than a guarantee, and it varies by manufacturer and lot.

Stearic acid

Stearic acid and its derivatives can come from animal tallow or plant oils; labels do not disclose the source.

Glycerin

Found in liquid medications, suppositories, and softgels. Can be produced from animal fats, plant oils, or synthetically; the label does not say which. Much US pharmaceutical glycerin is plant-based or synthetic, but it varies by product.

Bile acid products

Some bile acid products are animal-derived and some are synthetic, and it differs by specific product. Ursodiol is synthetic and is not an alpha-gal concern, but cholic acid and chenodeoxycholic acid products should be verified individually.

Nuanced cases worth reading in full

Lactose

Lactose is milk-derived, and milk comes from mammals, but lactose itself is a sugar that carries little to no alpha-gal protein. Most people with AGS tolerate lactose-containing medications without issue. A subset of highly sensitive patients who also react to dairy foods may choose to avoid it; if dairy bothers you, mention lactose-containing pills to your allergist.

Lanolin

Lanolin is the grease of sheep's wool, so it is mammalian in origin, and it appears in ointments, creams, and some suppositories. Documented alpha-gal reactions to topical lanolin are rare, and most AGS patients use lanolin-containing products without trouble. Highly sensitive patients who react to topical products should raise lanolin with their allergist.

Cholecalciferol (vitamin D3)

Most vitamin D3 is made from lanolin, the grease of sheep's wool. Documented alpha-gal reactions to lanolin-derived D3 are rare, and most AGS patients take it without trouble. Lichen-derived (vegan) D3 exists for those who prefer zero mammalian sourcing. The capsule around it (often gelatin) is usually the bigger question than the D3 itself.

Infliximab and Sp2/0-produced biologics

Biologics produced in mouse cell lines (Sp2/0, NS0) can carry more alpha-gal than those made in CHO cells, and there are case reports of reactions to infliximab and abciximab in AGS patients. This is a discuss-with-your-prescriber flag, not an avoid flag: many AGS patients receive these drugs uneventfully, biosimilars may use different cell lines, and the decision depends on your sensitivity and alternatives.

Frequently asked questions

Can the red meat allergy really be triggered by medications?

Yes. Alpha-gal syndrome, the red meat allergy that follows a Lone Star tick bite, is a reaction to a sugar molecule found throughout mammalian tissue, not just in meat. Gelatin capsules made from cattle and pig collagen, heparin derived from pigs, and several other medication ingredients carry the same molecule, and reactions to them are documented in the medical literature.

Which medications contain alpha-gal?

Known mammalian-derived medications include heparin and low-molecular-weight heparins (porcine), pancreatic enzymes like Creon (porcine), desiccated thyroid such as Armour (porcine), Premarin (equine), cetuximab, and any product with gelatin, including most softgel capsules and several vaccines. Many other excipients, like magnesium stearate and glycerin, can be animal- or plant-derived and require checking with the manufacturer.

Are gelatin capsules a problem for alpha-gal syndrome?

Gelatin is made from cattle and pig collagen and contains alpha-gal. Not every AGS patient reacts to oral gelatin, but it is the most common hidden exposure in medications. Many drugs are available in tablet or vegetable-capsule (HPMC) forms from specific manufacturers, which is why checking per manufacturer matters.

Does this checker tell me a medication is safe?

No. It reports what each manufacturer's FDA label contains and flags ingredients that are mammalian-derived or of undisclosed origin. Alpha-gal sensitivity varies widely between patients, so decisions about any medication belong with you, your allergist, and your pharmacist.

Get alpha-gal research news by email

One email when alpha-gal trials change or new research opens. No newsletter, no spam.

We never share your email. Unsubscribe anytime.

New to alpha-gal and medications? Our guide to medications, vaccines, and medical products to know about with AGS covers heparin in hospitals, surgical materials, and what to tell every doctor before a procedure. See also our alpha-gal syndrome page for current research and community resources, and our guide to the Lone Star tick and the diseases it carries if you are still working out how this started. Curious how this tool screens labels and why it never says "safe"? Read why and how we built the checker.