G6PD deficiency and allergies: what to know

An allergy involves an immune response to a substance. G6PD deficiency means red blood cells have less protection from oxidative stress. Certain medicines, chemicals, foods, or infections can increase that stress and cause haemolysis, meaning red blood cells are destroyed faster than the body replaces them.

A person can have both G6PD deficiency and ordinary allergies, but the conditions are managed differently. A rash, wheeze, or facial swelling may suggest allergy; dark urine, unusual tiredness, yellowing of the eyes, or pale skin can signal red blood cell breakdown. Symptoms do not always appear immediately after a trigger.

Keep a written record of your G6PD diagnosis and show it before starting a prescription, over-the-counter medicine, or supplement. Do not stop an essential treatment without medical advice; ask the prescriber to check whether an alternative is needed. Avoid known triggers identified for you, and tell clinicians about previous reactions.

If a new medicine or illness is followed by dark urine or marked weakness, contact a healthcare professional promptly. A blood test may help assess red blood cells and haemoglobin when haemolysis is suspected.

Seek urgent medical help for breathlessness, fainting, confusion, chest discomfort, severe weakness, rapidly worsening yellow skin or eyes, or urine that becomes very dark. These signs can reflect significant anaemia or red blood cell breakdown and need assessment rather than home observation.

Ask which medicines, foods, and household chemicals you should avoid; whether family members should be tested; how to recognise haemolysis; and what to do if you develop an infection or need emergency treatment.