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Glutamine Info

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Glutamine is an amino acid (a building block for proteins), found naturally in the body.

Glutamine is taken by mouth for sickle cell disease, to improve nutrition and help people recover from surgery, injuries, burns, bone marrow transplant, complications of HIV/AIDS, radiation, and cancer chemotherapy, and for many other uses. Glutamine is given intravenously (by IV) for improving recovery after surgery and other conditions.

Glutamine is commercially available as capsules or in packets as a powder form. Endari (Emmaus Medical, Inc) is a prescription glutamine product approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Natural Medicines rates effectiveness based on scientific evidence according to the following scale: Effective, Likely Effective, Possibly Effective, Possibly Ineffective, Likely Ineffective, Ineffective, and Insufficient Evidence to Rate.
  • Sickle cell disease.  A specific oral glutamine powder (Endari, Emmaus Medical, Inc) is approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to reduce acute complications of sickle cell disease.
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No data available.
  • Burns.  Oral glutamine seems to improve healing in patients with severe burns and may also reduce the risk for burn wound infections.
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  • Critical illness (trauma).  Oral and intravenous glutamine seem to reduce infectious complications in critically ill adults. However, glutamine does not seem to reduce mortality in this population.
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  • HIV/AIDS-related wasting.  Oral glutamine seems to attenuate weight loss related to HIV/AIDS.
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  • Postoperative recovery.  Oral or intravenous glutamine seems to reduce the duration of hospitalization and improve postoperative nutritional status in adults. However, it does not seem to reduce postoperative mortality.
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Info

Glutamine is the most abundant free amino acid in the body. Amino acids are the building blocks of protein. Glutamine is produced in the muscles and is distributed by the blood to the organs that need it. Glutamine might help gut function, the immune system, and other essential processes in the body, especially in times of stress. It is also important for providing "fuel" (nitrogen and carbon) to many different cells in the body. Glutamine is needed to make other chemicals in the body such as other amino acids and glucose (sugar).

After surgery or traumatic injury, nitrogen is necessary to repair the wounds and keep the vital organs functioning. About one third of this nitrogen comes from glutamine.

If the body uses more glutamine than the muscles can make (i.e., during times of stress), muscle wasting can occur. This can occur in people with HIV/AIDS. Taking glutamine supplements might keep the glutamine stores up.

Some types of chemotherapy can reduce the levels of glutamine in the body. Glutamine treatment is thought to help prevent chemotherapy-related damage by maintaining the life of the affected tissues.

When taken by mouth: Glutamine is LIKELY SAFE for most adults when taken by mouth in doses up to 40 grams daily. Side effects are generally mild and may include bloating, nausea, dizziness, heartburn, and stomach pain. Some people find the grittiness of glutamine in water to be unpleasant when taken by mouth.

When given by IV: Glutamine is LIKELY SAFE for most adults when given by IV in doses up to 600 mg/kg of body weight daily.

Special Precautions & Warnings:

Children: Glutamine is LIKELY SAFE when taken by mouth in doses up to 0.7 grams/kg body weight daily or when given by IV in doses up to 400 mg/kg body weight daily. Not enough information is known about the safety of higher doses of glutamine in children.

Pregnancy and breast-feeding: Not enough is known about the use of glutamine during pregnancy and breast-feeding. Stay on the safe side and avoid use.

Liver disease: Glutamine can increase the risk for reduced brain function in people with advanced liver disease (hepatic encephalopathy). Do not use it.

Bipolar disorder: Glutamine might increase the risk for mania or hypomania in people with this condition.

Monosodium glutamate (MSG) sensitivity: If you are sensitive to MSG, you might also be sensitive to glutamine, because the body converts glutamine to glutamate.

Seizures: There is some concern that glutamine might increase the likelihood of seizures in some people. Avoid use.

Lactulose

Interaction Rating=Moderate Be cautious with this combination.

Lactulose helps decrease ammonia in the body. Glutamine is changed into ammonia in the body. Taking glutamine along with lactulose might decrease the effectiveness of lactulose.

Medications for cancer (Chemotherapy)

Interaction Rating=Moderate Be cautious with this combination.

There is some concern that glutamine might decrease the effectiveness of some medications for cancer. But it is too soon to know if this interaction occurs.

Medications used to prevent seizures (Anticonvulsants)

Interaction Rating=Moderate Be cautious with this combination.

Medications used to prevent seizures affect chemicals in the brain. Glutamine may also affect chemicals in the brain. By affecting chemicals in the brain, glutamine may decrease the effectiveness of medications used to prevent seizures.

Some medications used to prevent seizures include phenobarbital, primidone (Mysoline), valproic acid (Depakene), gabapentin (Neurontin), carbamazepine (Tegretol), phenytoin (Dilantin), and others.

There are no known interactions with herbs and supplements.

There are no known interactions with foods.

The following doses have been studied in scientific research:

ADULTS

BY MOUTH:

  • For burns: 0.35-0.5 grams per kilogram body weight each day or 4.3 grams every four hours.
  • For critical illness (trauma): Glutamine has been given in a liquid feed at 0.2-0.6 grams per kilogram body weight each day or at a dose of 20 grams per day has been used. It is usually given for at least 5 days.
  • For sickle cell disease: 5-15 grams of prescription glutamine taken twice daily for 48 weeks in people with sickle cell disease 5 years of age or older has been used with or without the conventional medication hydroxyurea.
  • For involuntary weight loss in people with HIV/AIDS: 14-40 grams of glutamine per day has been used in combination with other nutrients.
BY IV:
  • For burns: 0.57 grams of glutamine per kilogram body weight each day has been used for 30 days.
  • For critical illness (trauma): 0.3-0.5 grams per kilogram or 18-21 grams of glutamine compounds have been given daily, sometimes with hormones.
  • For recovery after surgery: 0.57 grams of glutamine per kilogram body weight has been used after bone marrow transplantation. Also, 20 grams of glutamine per day or 0.3-0.4 grams per kilogram body weight has been used in people undergoing surgery. Sometimes glutamine is given in the form of glutamine dipeptide. Typically, 18-30 grams of glutamine dipeptide is used. This amount is equivalent to 13-20 grams of glutamine.
CHILDREN

BY MOUTH:
  • For critical illness (trauma): 0.3 grams per kilogram has been given daily.
  • For sickle cell disease: 5-15 grams of prescription glutamine taken twice daily for 48 weeks in children 5 years of age or older has been used.

Acide Glutamique, Acide Glutamique HCl, Acide L-(+)-2-Aminoglutaramique, Acide L-Glutamique, Acide L-Glutamique HCl, Alanyl-L-Glutamine Dipeptide, Éthyle Ester de Glutamine, Éthyle Ester de Glutamine HCl, GLN, Glutamate, Glutamic Acid, Glutamic Acid HCl, Glutamina, Glutaminate, Glutamine Ethyl Ester, Glutamine Ethyl Ester HCl, Glutamine Methyl Ester, Glutamine Peptides, Levoglutamide, Levoglutamine, L-(+)-2-Aminoglutaramic Acid, L-Alanyl-L-Glutamine, L-Glutamic Acid, L-Glutamic Acid HCl, L-Glutamic Acid Hydrochloride, L-Glutamic Acid 5-Amide, L-Glutamine, N-Acetyl-L-Glutamine, Peptides de Glutamine, Q, (S)-2,5-Diamino-5-oxopentanoic Acid.

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