Drug Database - Glutamine

Generic Name: glutamine (GLOO-ta-meen)

Other Names: 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-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.

Classification: Amino Acid (a building block for proteins), found naturally in the body.

• Effectiveness
• Before Using
• Proper Use

• Precautions
• Side Effects
• Drug Interactions

Effectiveness

Possibly Effective for:

• Improving recovery after surgery.
• Soreness and swelling inside the mouth, caused by chemotherapy treatments.
• Improving well-being in people with traumatic injuries.
• Treating weight loss and intestinal problems in people with HIV disease (AIDS).

Possibly Ineffective for:

• A urinary problem called cystinuria.
• An intestinal condition called Crohn's disease.
• Improving exercise performance.
• Rehydrating infants with severe diarrhea.

Insufficient Evidence to Rate Effectiveness for:

• Nutrition problems after major gut surgery (short bowel syndrome)
• depression, moodiness, irritability, anxiety
• attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
• insomnia
• stomach ulcers
• ulcerative colitis
• sickle cell anemia
• muscle and joint pains caused by the drug paclitaxel (Taxol, used to treat cancer)
• treating alcoholism
• reducing damage to the immune system during cancer treatment, and other conditions

Before Using

Glutamine seems safe for most adults and children when taken by mouth, but the potential side effects of glutamine are not known.

Avoid using more than 40 grams of glutamine daily.

Do not use glutamine if:

• You are pregnant or breast-feeding.
• You have severe liver disease with difficulty thinking or confusion.
• You are allergic to monosodium glutamate (MSG)
• You have mania, a mental disorder.
• You have seizures.

In deciding to use a medicine, the risks of taking the medicine must be weighed against the good it will do. This is a decision you and your doctor will make. For this medicine, the following should be considered:

Allergies

Tell your doctor if you have ever had any unusual or allergic reaction to this medicine or any other medicines. Also tell your health care professional if you have any other types of allergies, such as to foods, dyes, preservatives, or animals. For non-prescription products, read the label or package ingredients carefully.

Pediatric

Studies on this medicine have been done only in adult patients, and there is no specific information comparing use of glutamine in children with use in other age groups.

Geriatric

Many medicines have not been studied specifically in older people. Therefore, it may not be known whether they work exactly the same way they do in younger adults or if they cause different side effects or problems in older people. There is no specific information comparing use of glutamine in the elderly with use in other age groups. However, elderly patients are more likely to be sensitive requiring the need for dosage adjustment.

Pregnancy

Animal studies have shown an adverse effect and there are no adequate studies in pregnant women OR no animal studies have been conducted and there are no adequate studies in pregnant women.

Breastfeeding

There are no adequate studies in women for determining infant risk when using this medication during breastfeeding. Weigh the potential benefits against the potential risks before taking this medication while breastfeeding.

Drug Interactions

Although certain medicines should not be used together at all, in other cases two different medicines may be used together even if an interaction might occur. In these cases, your doctor may want to change the dose, or other precautions may be necessary. Tell your healthcare professional if you are taking any other prescription or nonprescription (over-the-counter [OTC]) medicine.

Other Interactions

Certain medicines should not be used at or around the time of eating food or eating certain types of food since interactions may occur. Using alcohol or tobacco with certain medicines may also cause interactions to occur. Discuss with your healthcare professional the use of your medicine with food, alcohol, or tobacco.

Other Medical Problems

The presence of other medical problems may affect the use of this medicine. Make sure you tell your doctor if you have any other medical problems, especially:

• Liver disease—May be worsened by glutamine.

Proper Use

The dose of this medicine will be different for different patients. Follow your doctor's orders or the directions on the label. The following information includes only the average doses of this medicine. If your dose is different, do not change it unless your doctor tells you to do so.

The amount of medicine that you take depends on the strength of the medicine. Also, the number of doses you take each day, the time allowed between doses, and the length of time you take the medicine depend on the medical problem for which you are using the medicine.

• For oral dosage form (powder for oral solution):
• For short bowel syndrome
• Adults-30 grams per day in divided doses (5 grams taken 6 times a day) for up to 16 weeks. Taken with meals or snacks, 2 to 3 hours apart while awake.


• Children-Use and dose must be determined by your doctor.

Missed Dose

If you miss a dose of this medicine, take it as soon as possible. However, if it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and go back to your regular dosing schedule. Do not double dose.

Storage

Store the medicine in a closed container at room temperature, away from heat, moisture, and direct light. Keep from freezing.

Keep out of the reach of children.

Do not keep outdated medicine or medicine no longer needed.

Ask your healthcare professional how you should dispose of any medicine you do not use.

Precautions

Before you take glutamine, tell your doctor if you have liver or kidney disease. You may need a dose adjustment or special tests to safely use this medication.

FDA pregnancy category C. It is not known whether glutamine is harmful to an unborn baby. Before taking this medication, tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant during treatment. It is not known whether glutamine passes into breast milk or if it could harm a nursing baby. Do not use this medication without telling your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby

Side Effects

Get emergency medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction:

• hives
• difficulty breathing
• swelling of your face
• lips
• tongue
• throat

Check with your doctor immediately if any of the following LESS common side effects occur:

• Blood in urine
• Changes in skin color
• Chills
• Cold hands and feet
• Confusion
• Cough
• Difficulty swallowing
• Dizziness
• Fainting
• Fast heartbeat
• Fever
• Frequent and painful urination
• Headache
• Hives
• Itching
• Lightheadedness
• Lower back or side pain
• Pain, redness, or swelling in arm or leg
• Puffiness or swelling of the eyelids or around the eyes, face, lips or tongue
• Rapid, shallow breathing
• Shortness of breath
• Skin rash
• Stomach pain
• Sudden decrease in amount of urine
• Tightness in chest
• Unusual tiredness or weakness
• Wheezing

Some side effects may occur that usually do not need medical attention. These side effects may go away during treatment as your body adjusts to the medicine. Also, your health care professional may be able to tell you about ways to prevent or reduce some of these side effects. Check with your health care professional if any of the following side effects continue or are bothersome or if you have any questions about them:

MORE Common

• Cough or hoarseness
• Frequent urge to defecate
• Straining while passing stool

LESS Common

• Abnormal or decreased touch sensation
• Back pain
• Bacterial infection
• Bleeding after defecation
• Bleeding, blistering, burning, coldness, discoloration of skin, feeling of pressure, hives, infection, inflammation, itching, lumps, numbness, pain, rash, redness, scarring, soreness, stinging, swelling, tenderness, tingling, ulceration, or warmth at site
• Bloated full feeling
• Body aches or pain
• Breast pain, female
• Chest pain
• Change in the color, amount, or odor of vaginal discharge
• Congestion
• Constipation
• Crohn's disease, aggravated
• Dark urine
• Decreased urination
• Diarrhea
• Difficulty having a bowel movement (stool)
• Difficulty in moving
• Discoloration of fingernails or toenails
• Discouragement
• Dry mouth
• Dryness or soreness of throat
• Ear or hearing symptoms
• Excess air or gas in stomach or intestines
• Feeling sad or empty
• Feeling unusually cold shivering
• Flatulence
• Full or bloated feeling
• General feeling of discomfort or illness
• Increase in heart rate
• Indigestion
• Irritability
• Joint pain;
• Lack of appetite
• Light-colored stools
• Loss of appetite
• Loss of interest or pleasure
• Muscle aches and pains
• Muscle pain or stiffness
• Nausea
• Pain in joints
• Pain or burning while urinating
• Pains in stomach, side, or abdomen, possibly radiating to the back
• Passing gas
• Pressure in the stomach
• Rash
• Rectal bleeding
• Runny nose
• Shivering
• Sleeplessness
• Sneezing
• Sore throat
• Stomach bloating, burning, cramping, or pain
• Stuffy nose
• Sunken eyes
• Sweating
• Swelling of abdominal or stomach area
• Swelling of face
• Swelling of hands, ankles, feet, or lower legs
• Swollen joints
• Tender, swollen glands in neck;
• Thirst
• Trouble concentrating
• Trouble sleeping
• Trouble in swallowing
• Unable to sleep
• Uncomfortable swelling around anus
• Unpleasant breath odor
• Unusual tiredness or weakness
• Voice changes
• Vomiting
• Vomiting of blood
• Weight loss
• Wrinkled skin
• Yellow eyes or skin

Other side effects not listed may also occur in some patients. If you notice any other effects, check with your healthcare professional.

Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

Drug Interactions

• Lactulose

Be cautious with this combination. Talk with your health provider. 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)

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

• Anticonvulsants
• phenobarbital
• primidone (Mysoline)
• valproic acid (Depakene)
• gabapentin (Neurontin)
• carbamazepine (Tegretol)
• phenytoin (Dilantin)
• and others.

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.