DOH: IV gluta 'not safe'

The Department of Health (DOH) on Wednesday warned about the hazards of using intravenous (IV) glutathione which has not yet been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

“IV glutathione will whiten your skin and make you look really like caucasian, but it can damage your kidneys and kill you,” said Health Secretary Ted Herbosa at the Kapihan forum. 

Herbosa emphasized that IV glutathione is not safe to be used in clinics and is rather designed for hospitals because it is being used as a rescue medicine for chemotherapeutic complications of cancer. 

“I’m telling you from the Department of Health. It is not safe. The FDA has not registered it for skin whitening. If there’s someone using it, it is illegal,” said Herbosa. 

He also cited a report of a woman who died after allegedly receiving glutathione and stem cell intravenous infusion from a Quezon City clinic. 

“The point is a 36-year-old woman died when she shouldn't have died. This is a preventable death and we need to act on this,” the Health chief said.

Herbosa said he already asked the regional office to check if the clinic was licensed to conduct the procedure. 

The FDA has repeatedly warned the public about the dangers posed by the use of injectable lightening agents such as glutathione, stressing that it is only approved as an adjunct treatment in cisplatin chemotherapy.

The FDA said it is alarming that some health and beauty salons, wellness spas, and beauty clinics offer services like intravenous drip or infusion using skin lightening agents including reduced glutathione, vitamin C, and other injections.

“To date there are no published clinical trials that have evaluated the use of injectable glutathione for skin lightening. There are also no published guidelines for appropriate dosing regimens and duration of treatment. The FDA has not approved any injectable products for skin lightening,” the agency said. 

According to the FDA, the side effects of using injectable glutathione for skin lightening include toxic effects on the liver, kidneys, and nervous system. 

There is also a risk of transmission of HIV and hepatitis C and B if a non-medical practitioner is the one administering the procedure or if it is done in a non-sterile facility. —VAL, GMA Integrated News