Key facts
- Over 30 people across Texas, Washington, Florida, and New York have been poisoned by bacterial toxins from IV glutathione drips.
- The IV drips contained glutathione graded for dietary supplements, not for sterile injectable drugs.
- Symptoms of endotoxin exposure include fever, chills, severe headache, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, rapid heartbeat, and changes in blood pressure.
- At least three people were hospitalized, with one requiring intensive care for shock and abnormal blood clotting.
- Medisca Inc. provided the glutathione, which was labeled as dietary supplement grade.
- The FDA issued a similar warning about glutathione IVs in 2019, which also led to endotoxin poisonings.
Over 30 individuals across four states have been poisoned by bacterial toxins after receiving intravenous (IV) drips containing glutathione at wellness clinics, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
The glutathione, promoted for various benefits like detoxification and skin brightening, was sourced from Medisca Inc. and was labeled as dietary supplement grade. The FDA stated that this grading is not appropriate for sterile injectable drugs, leading to elevated bacterial endotoxins in the products. Injected use of these products has resulted in illnesses consistent with endotoxin exposure.
Symptoms reported include fever, chills, severe headache, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, rapid heartbeat, changes in blood pressure, body aches, pain, malaise, allergic reaction-like symptoms, and signs of shock and sepsis. At least three people have been hospitalized, with one requiring intensive care for shock and abnormal blood clotting.
Three compounding pharmacies in Texas—Victory Medical Center Pharmacy, Optimal Balance Pharmacy, and Centric Compounding—have recalled glutathione products sold as injectable liquids. The FDA noted that this is not the first instance of dietary supplement-grade glutathione in IVs causing illness, with a similar warning issued in 2019 that also resulted in hospitalizations.