Recently we received an email from a customer with milk allergies. She was traveling to Costa Rica and asked for some specific food allergy translations in addition to some drug warnings – in particular, a warning against ingesting medications containing lactose and milk derivatives. Many people don't know this but often pharmaceutical companies to mix lactose powder as filler in their capsules or hard tablet medications. Even some asthma inhalers contain lactose as dry powder combining it with the actual asthma medication. Some reports mention that more than 20 percent of prescription drugs have a lactose component to them.
If you are sensitive to dairy products, please read the over-the-counter pharmaceuticals label carefully and if you are prescribed a medication from your doctor, ask them about lactose in the capsule or pill.