G6PD Safety
Hemolyzing?

Emergency Warning Signs

Seek urgent medical care — call emergency services (911 in the US, or your local emergency number outside the US) or go to the ER — if you or your child shows any of the signs below, especially after a known or suspected trigger.

  1. Dark brown, red, or cola-colored urine

    Active hemolysis releasing hemoglobin into urine

  2. Yellow skin or yellow whites of the eyes (jaundice)

    Buildup of bilirubin from broken red blood cells

  3. Very pale skin, lips, or nail beds

    Anemia — low red blood cell count

  4. Fast or pounding heartbeat, shortness of breath

    Body trying to compensate for low oxygen

  5. Extreme tiredness, confusion, fainting

    Severe anemia or low blood pressure

  6. Belly or lower back pain

    Possible kidney involvement

  7. Reduced or no urine output

    Possible acute kidney injury

  8. In newborns: deepening yellow color, poor feeding, very sleepy, high-pitched cry, arching back

    Severe neonatal jaundice — risk of brain injury (kernicterus)

What to tell the medical team

Say clearly: “I (or my child) have G6PD deficiency.” This changes which medications and treatments are safe.

Ask them to check for: hemolysis labs (CBC, reticulocyte count, LDH, haptoglobin, bilirubin), kidney function, and to avoid sulfa antibiotics, nitrofurantoin, rasburicase, methylene blue, and phenazopyridine unless reviewed.

I think I'm hemolyzingOpen Medical Alert CardSearch a substance

What to tell the ER team

A pre-written, copyable message for the triage nurse or doctor.

I have G6PD deficiency and may be having hemolysis after a possible trigger exposure. Please review medications for G6PD safety and consider checking CBC, reticulocyte count, bilirubin, LDH, haptoglobin, kidney function, and urine. Please avoid high-risk triggers such as rasburicase, pegloticase, primaquine, tafenoquine, dapsone, methylene blue, nitrofurantoin, sulfamethoxazole, phenazopyridine, nalidixic acid, and high-dose IV vitamin C unless a specialist determines otherwise.

Last reviewed: May 2026 (next review: May 2027) • Sources include CPIC pharmacogenetic guidelines, NIH/MedlinePlus, WHO, AAP, NCBI Bookshelf, and peer-reviewed literature.

This resource is educational and does not replace care from a licensed clinician or pharmacist.