Ketogenic Diet and Over-the-Counter Medicine

If your child has been prescribed a ketogenic diet, it is important to make sure that any over-the-counter (OTC) medicines you may give them are ketogenic diet-friendly. Here are some things to consider before giving OTC medicines to your child on the keto diet.

If you have questions or need help finding a low-carbohydrate over-the-counter medicine, ask a pharmacist.

To find out whether an over-the-counter medicine has carbohydrates, check the nutrition label as well as the ingredients list.

Sugar is a common carbohydrate in OTC medicines, but it is not the only one. Look for other carbohydrates such as starch, maltodextrin, and ingredients that end in “-ose” (like glucose, sucrose, lactose, or fructose—cellulose is OK). Also look out for alcohols ending in “-ol" (like polyethylene glycol, sorbitol, or erythritol).

If you don't know or can't access the carbohydrate content of a medicine, always choose regular, unflavored tablets or capsules.

Chewable tablets, gummies, and liquids contain sugar and/or sugar alcohols for taste, and are not keto-friendly.

Sugar-free liquid medicines are not keto diet-friendly. They contain other carbohydrates like sugar alcohol and starch.