Lead Compounding Pharmacist
If you’ve spent any time walking along Bank Street when the pollen count is high, you know Ottawa can be a tough place for anyone with allergies. But for many of the people I talk to at our counter, the “reaction” isn’t just coming from the trees outside—it’s actually coming from their own medicine cabinet.
At Whole Health Compounding Pharmacy Glebe, I hear the same story all the time: someone is taking a medication to get healthy, but the pill itself is triggering an allergic response. Maybe it’s a sudden stomach ache, a skin rash that won’t go away, or just feeling “off” every time they take their dose.
Often, it isn’t the actual medicine that’s the problem. It’s the extra “stuff” used to hold the pill together.
The Problem with “Invisible” Allergens in Prescriptions
When a drug company makes millions of tablets at once, they use a lot of extra ingredients to make the process faster and keep the pills shelf-stable. These are called excipients, but you probably know them as fillers, binders, and dyes.
In our lab, we often find that patients are reacting to things like:
- Lactose and Gluten: These are incredibly common in standard pills. If you are Celiac or dairy-sensitive, even a tiny amount taken every day can keep your gut in a state of constant irritation.
- Artificial Dyes: We see many people—especially children—who are sensitive to colors like Red #40 or Yellow #5.
- Preservatives and Coatings: These help a pill last for years on a shelf, but they can be hard on a sensitive stomach or reactive skin.
Making Medicine Fit Your Body, Not the Other Way Around
I like to tell my patients that medicine shouldn’t be a trade-off. You shouldn’t have to choose between treating a condition and dealing with an allergic reaction to your treatment.
Because we make medications from scratch right here in our Glebe lab, we can strip away everything you don’t need.
Working with your doctor, we can recreate your necessary treatments to be:
- Strictly Gluten and Lactose-Free: We use clean, hypoallergenic alternatives so your digestive system stays settled.
- Completely Clear: No dyes, no artificial colors, and no unnecessary preservatives. This is a game-changer for children and anyone with chronic skin issues.
- Easier to Take: If a hard tablet is causing you grief, we can often formulate that same medicine into a topical cream or a liquid that bypasses your digestive system entirely.
Specialized Support: HRT Real Solutions for Ottawa Life Skin Care
We focus a lot on areas where these sensitivities pop up the most:
- Hormone Health: Many commercial hormone creams contain irritants. We compound ours in “clean” bases that won’t make your skin itch or flare up.
- Skin Conditions: For neighbors dealing with eczema or rosacea, we make medicated creams without the harsh alcohols or fragrances found in big-brand versions.
- Health for Children: We can take the artificial dyes and sugars out of medications for children, making it much easier (and safer) for parents to manage their care.
Come Chat With Us
At the end of the day, your medicine should support your body, not give it more work to do. If you’ve been feeling like your prescriptions are a bit of a gamble because of your allergies, come see us at our store at 857A Bank Street.
We’re right here in the neighborhood, and we’d love to help you find a cleaner way to get the treatment you need.
Common Questions We Get
Can you really just take the lactose out of my pill?
Yes! Since we start with the pure medicinal powder, we choose exactly what goes in as the “filler.” We can use options like cellulose that are much gentler on the body.
Does my doctor need to do anything special?
We handle the heavy lifting there. If you’re worried about an ingredient, we can reach out to your physician to discuss a custom-made, allergen-free version of your prescription.
Is this only for rare allergies?
Not at all. A lot of our regular customers just have sensitive systems and find they feel much better when they switch to a formula that doesn’t have all the extra additives in it.