L-glutamine
Sickle cell disease agents
Sickle cell disease agents
An amino acid given as an oral powder to reduce pain crises and other acute complications of sickle cell disease from age 5.
Quick facts
- Group
- Sickle cell disease agents
- Target
- Redox balance of sickle red cells (NAD and reduced glutathione)
- Used for
- Reduction of acute complications
- Key effects
- Constipation · Headache · Cough
- Monitor
- Frequency of pain crises
- ATC
- A16AA03
No doses: the clinician sets them by the current guideline.
Mechanism of action
How L-glutamine helps in sickle cell disease is not fully understood. It is thought to improve the NAD redox potential of sickle red cells by increasing reduced glutathione, so the cells resist oxidative damage better and crises become less frequent.
- Sickle red cells suffer high oxidative stress
- Extra glutamine supports NAD and reduced glutathione in the cell
- Better-protected red cells mean fewer acute crises
Indications
- Reduction of acute complications (pain crises) of sickle cell disease, adults and children from 5 years Sickle cell disease →
Adverse effects
- Constipation, nausea, abdominal pain
- Headache
- Cough
- Pain in the back, chest or limbs
Contraindications
- No contraindications are listed on the label
- Not studied in kidney or liver impairment: used with care there
Key interactions
- Other medicines and supplements
- No specific interactions are listed; the full medicine list is still reviewed
What is monitored
- Frequency of pain crises and hospital visits
- Kidney and liver function in people with known impairment
Administration and safety
- Powder mixed right before use with a cold or room-temperature drink or soft wet food; it does not need to dissolve fully
- Taken at about the same times each day
- It is added to, not a replacement for, hydroxycarbamide and usual care
Pregnancy and breastfeeding
There are no data on L-glutamine in pregnant women to assess drug-related risk; a pregnancy is reported to the doctor.
Nursing care
- Teach how to mix the powder
- Ask about constipation and abdominal pain
- Keep a crisis diary to judge benefit
- Reinforce hydration and crisis warning signs
Pharmacokinetics
- Absorption
- Oral; peak in about 30 minutes to 1 hour
- Metabolism
- Mostly used by the body's own metabolism
- Elimination
- Very little appears in urine
- Half-life
- About 1 hour
Test yourself
Think of the answer, then tap the question to see it.
What is the proposed mechanism of L-glutamine in sickle cell disease?
Better red-cell redox balance (NAD, reduced glutathione), less oxidative damage.
How is it taken?
As an oral powder mixed with a drink or soft food.
Which adverse effect is most common?
Constipation.
Connections
← Back to the class: Sickle cell disease agents
Educational content on how drugs work; not a prescribing guide and no substitute for a health professional's advice. No doses are given.
Sources: DailyMed - L-GLUTAMINE powder, for solution (DailyMed (U.S. National Library of Medicine), 2026); L-glutamine: MedlinePlus Drug Information (MedlinePlus (U.S. National Library of Medicine), 2025); ATCDDD - ATC/DDD Index (WHO Collaborating Centre for Drug Statistics Methodology, 2026).
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Representative model, for educational purposes only.