Always discuss with a healthcare provider to find suitable alternatives that don’t pose a risk of hemolysis. Several commonly used medications should be avoided by those with G6PD deficiency. These medications increase the risk of red blood cells breaking down, which can lead to serious health problems. Ask your healthcare provider for information to help you manage the impact G6PD deficiency has on your life. This may mean steering clear of fava beans and other triggers. Your healthcare provider can best explain what to expect based on your diagnosis.
The most common sign is jaundice, which appears within the first few days of birth. Infants rarely develop obvious G6PD deficiency symptoms. Seek emergency care if you’re experiencing signs of a hemolytic crisis. Sometimes, newborns with G6PD deficiency have severe jaundice.
Understanding Drug Triggers
Drugs like primaquine and dapsone should be avoided. In some cases, alternative medications can be used safely for those with G6PD deficiency. These include antibiotics like sulfamethoxazole and anti-malarial drugs like chloroquine. Understanding which drugs can cause these reactions is essential for prevention. It may mean developing healthy habits, like getting enough rest and not smoking. A G6PD deficiency diagnosis means different things for different people.
To manage their condition, individuals with G6PD deficiency need to be aware of drugs that can potentially exacerbate their condition. Individuals with G6PD deficiency have a reduced ability to defend RBCs against oxidative stress, resulting in hemolysis (the destruction of red blood cells) when exposed to certain triggers. Michel M. Autoimmune and intravascular hemolytic anemias. If you have G6PD deficiency, you can usually follow a standard diet so long as they avoid fava beans and other trigger foods. Always discuss health information with your healthcare provider.
In rare case, kidney failure or death may occur following a severe hemolytic event. People with this condition do not display any signs of the disease until their red blood cells are exposed to certain chemicals in food or medicine. This enzyme helps red blood cells work properly.
Medical
There’s no cure for G6PD deficiency, but most people don’t experience issues if they avoid triggers. If you have severe hemolytic anemia, you may need a blood transfusion. When someone with a G6PD deficiency eats fava beans and experiences hemolytic anemia, it’s called favism. It is critical to test individuals for G6PD deficiency before administering certain therapies to avoid severe adverse outcomes.
Alternative Names
But there are ways to get diagnosed before major health issues arise. Still, not everyone with this condition experiences it the same way. If your newborn has jaundice, their provider may treat it with phototherapy (a natural or artificial light treatment). Healthcare providers use different treatments based on the situation. They might ask if you’ve recently changed medications or had an infection. This leads to oxidative stress that strains your red blood cells.
Review Date 3/31/2024
But sometimes, triggers like certain medicines can cause serious problems, like hemolytic anemia. However, it’s generally advisable for healthcare providers to exercise caution when prescribing these drugs or consider alternative treatments. Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency is among the most common human enzyme defects, present in about 400 million people across the globe1.
- Below is a list of the different classes of drugs with warnings or contra-indications for G6PD Deficiency
- In rare case, kidney failure or death may occur following a severe hemolytic event.
- Episodes are longer and more severe than in the other types of the disorder.
- Talk to your healthcare provider if you have G6PD deficiency and need to take antibiotics or malaria medications, as they can tell you what’s safe.
- But others experience life-threatening events like a hemolytic crisis when they encounter a trigger.
- Understanding which medications are safe is crucial for managing G6PD deficiency.
What can I expect if I have this condition?
G6PD deficiency is a genetic disorder that affects your red blood cells.
Medications to Avoid in Patients with G6PD Deficiency Due to Risk of Hemolysis
This is not a complete list of items you should avoid if you have G6PD deficiency. Screening for G6PD is recommended before taking these medications, including testing breastfeeding infants whose mothers take primaquine. Having G6PD deficiency doesn’t mean you can’t take any medications. Doctronic is not a doctor, does not provide medical advice, does not practice medicine, and does not provide patient care. This article has been reviewed for accuracy by one of the licensed medical doctors working for Doctronic. Understanding which medications are safe is crucial for managing G6PD deficiency.
When should I see my healthcare provider?
As a result, your red blood cells don’t have enough G6PD. Cleveland Clinic is a non-profit academic medical center. G6PD prevents harmful substances from damaging your red blood cells. It happens when your body doesn’t have enough G6PD enzyme.
Seek immediate medical help if your symptoms are severe and come on quickly (signs of a hemolytic crisis). See your healthcare provider any time you develop G6PD deficiency symptoms. The compounds that can trigger hemolytic anemia can travel through breast milk. Ask your healthcare provider about the foods and medicines you should avoid.
Symptoms
G6PD deficiency occurs when a person is missing or does not have enough of an enzyme called glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase. In the current review we aimed, by thorough search of the medical literature, to collect evidence on which to base decisions either to prohibit or allow the use of various medications in patients with G6PD deficiency. Although drug-induced haemolysis is considered the most common adverse clinical consequence of G6PD deficiency, significant confusion exists regarding which drugs can cause haemolytic anaemia in patients with G6PD deficiency. However, you should know which ones to avoid to protect your red blood cells. If you have G6PD deficiency, you need to avoid certain medications, foods, dyes, and other substances.
A licensed medical professional should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. People with G6PD deficiency must strictly avoid things that can trigger an episode. Contact G6PD medications your provider if you have been diagnosed with G6PD deficiency and symptoms do not disappear after treatment.
- Although drug-induced haemolysis is considered the most common adverse clinical consequence of G6PD deficiency, significant confusion exists regarding which drugs can cause haemolytic anaemia in patients with G6PD deficiency.
- Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency is among the most common human enzyme defects, present in about 400 million people across the globe1.
- When these symptoms develop fast and are severe, it’s called a hemolytic crisis.
- Individuals with G6PD deficiency have a reduced ability to defend RBCs against oxidative stress, resulting in hemolysis (the destruction of red blood cells) when exposed to certain triggers.
- Additionally, research into G6PD deficiency and its interactions with medications continues, and new findings may lead to updates in treatment guidelines.
In fact, early insight into the biology of G6PD deficiency came from research on hemolysis caused by antimalarial drugs observed only in certain populations14. Some individuals may not be aware of their G6PD status11. G6PD deficiency is an inherited genetic disorder that affects red blood cells (RBCs)3. A.D.A.M. is among the first to achieve this important distinction for online health information and services. Genetic counseling or testing may be available to those who have a family history of the condition. Talk to your provider about your medicines.
Free radicals are usually harmless substances found in all kinds of places, like the environment, fava beans and medicines. G6PD is important because it prevents too many “free radicals” from building up in your red blood cells. Having the variant means that your red blood cells are low on G6PD. Left untreated, infants with severe jaundice can develop brain damage (kernicterus).