Are glutathione injections safe?

The 2026 FDA report

In August 2026, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reported the following:^[2]

• At least 30 patients had adverse events after glutathione was given into a vein, alone or mixed with other ingredients.^[2]
• The reactions included fever, chills, pain, dizziness, signs of shock and symptoms like sepsis. Some people needed hospital care.^[2]
• These symptoms fit exposure to too much endotoxin, a toxin from bacteria.^[2]
• Pharmacies made the injections from one batch of glutathione labelled as dietary supplement grade. Two pharmacies in Texas recalled glutathione injections because of high endotoxin levels.^[2]

The FDA says that ingredients made for supplements may contain impurities, including endotoxins, that can cause harm when injected. It had already raised concerns in 2019 about the use of supplement-grade glutathione for injections.^[2]

Injections for lighter skin

Glutathione injections for lighter skin are popular, but there is no evidence that they work.^[3] Their side effects led the Food and Drug Administration of the Philippines to warn against this use.^[3] A 2025 review found only one placebo-controlled trial of glutathione into a vein: 6 of 16 people responded with glutathione and 3 with placebo, a difference that was not statistically significant.^[1] The review wrote that glutathione into a vein should not be used for this, because it lacks effect and causes side effects.^[1]

Injections in medical trials

Glutathione into a vein has been tested in medical trials:

• In 52 people with advanced bowel cancer, glutathione given before each dose of the chemotherapy drug oxaliplatin led to less nerve damage. After 8 cycles, 2 people in the glutathione group and 11 in the placebo group had nerve damage of grade 2 or higher. The cancer responded to treatment in 26.9% of the glutathione group and 23.1% of the placebo group, so glutathione did not weaken the chemotherapy.^[4]
• In 21 people with Parkinson's disease, 1,400 mg 3 times a week for 4 weeks was well tolerated, with side effects like those of placebo.^[5]
• In 90 people with hepatitis B, side effects occurred in 9% of those who got glutathione into a vein and in 20% of those who did not. This difference was not statistically significant.^[6]

For nerve damage from platinum chemotherapy, a Cochrane review included 7 glutathione trials with 387 people. On doctors' grading scales, glutathione lowered the risk of nerve damage (relative risk 0.29). The review still concluded that the data are not enough to show that any tested medicine prevents nerve damage from platinum drugs.^[7]

Who should ask first

The FDA asks people with concerns to talk to their health care professional, and asks health care professionals to check where their glutathione for injections comes from.^[2]