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Limited human dataFDA 503A Category 1

Glutathione

Also known as: GSH · L-glutathione · Reduced glutathione · L-glutathione reduced · Gluta · Glutathione peptide · gamma-Glu-Cys-Gly

Updated 56 sources

Glutathione is the antioxidant tripeptide every cell makes from glutamate, cysteine and glycine. People inject it for skin glow and liver support, and clinics drip it for skin lightening. Home users run 100 to 200 mg subQ or IM two to three times a week, a dose no trial has tested; trials used 600 to 1,400 mg IV or IM, 250 to 1,000 mg a day by mouth. It clears blood in about 14 minutes. Not FDA approved; on FDA's 503A Category 1 list.
Calculate with GlutathioneDosage chart

Quick facts

Half-life
  • About 14 minutes in blood after a high IV dose (2 g/m2) in 10 healthy volunteers.
  • About 11 minutes after 50 mg/kg IV over 10 minutes in 7 volunteers; levels were back to baseline at 30 minutes.
Routes
  • Subcutaneous injection
  • Intramuscular injection
  • Intravenous (IV)
  • Oral
  • Nasal
Forms
  • Vial (powder)
  • Ready-to-use vial (200 mg/mL, 30 mL)
  • Capsule
  • Oral solution
  • Nasal spray
Reported dose ranges
  • 100 to 250 mg (subcutaneous injection)
  • 200 to 600 mg (intramuscular injection)
  • 600 to 1,400 mg (intravenous (iv))
  • 250 to 1,000 mg (oral)
Vial sizes
  • 200 mg, 600 mg, 750 mg, 1,000 mg, 1,200 mg, 1,500 mg
Chemistry
  • 307.33 g/mol · C10H17N3O6S · CAS 70-18-8
FDA status
  • FDA 503A Category 1
WADA
  • Not confirmed

What people use Glutathione for

  • Brighter, more even skin, the most common reason on r/Peptides and the reason IV clinics sell drips
  • Liver support, including fatty liver and raised liver enzymes during weight loss
  • Energy, recovery and a general antioxidant top-up, often next to NAD+ or MOTS-c
  • Hangover and detox claims, which have little direct evidence
  • Parkinson's disease, studied as a nasal spray and IV infusion without beating placebo

How it is thought to work. Glutathione donates electrons from its cysteine to neutralize free radicals, then gets recycled by glutathione reductase. The liver makes most of it. Cells do not take it in whole: an enzyme on the cell surface splits it, so injected glutathione mostly delivers cysteine for cells to rebuild their own. In skin it pushes pigment cells toward lighter pheomelanin. Swallowed glutathione is largely broken down in the gut, which is why trial results on oral use conflict.

Glutathione dosing

19 protocols from studies, guides and community reports, grouped by goal. Tap a source badge to see where a number came from.

Skin lightening2

Skin lightening (IV trial)

Amount
1,200 mg
How often
Twice a week
Route
Intravenous (IV)
Cycle
6 weeks
Timing and details

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Skin lightening (oral trial)

Amount
250 mg
How often
Twice daily (500 mg a day)
Route
Oral, capsule
Cycle
4 weeks
Timing and details

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Other protocols: injected8

Starter (subQ or IM)

Amount
100 mg
How often
Twice a week, at least 48 hours apart
Route
SubQ, vial (powder)
Cycle
4 weeks, then reassess
Timing and details

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Standard (subQ or IM, the common home dose)

Amount
200 mg
How often
2 to 3 times a week
Route
SubQ, vial (powder)
Cycle
8 to 12 weeks
Rest
4 weeks off
Timing and details

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Daily titration (subQ)

Amount
100 to 200 mg
How often
Once daily, stepping 100 then 150 then 200 mg
Route
SubQ, vial (powder)
Cycle
4 to 8 weeks
Rest
Optional 2 to 4 weeks off
Titration (3 steps) and details

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Maintenance (subQ)

Amount
200 mg
How often
Once or twice a week
Route
SubQ, vial (powder)

Injection range (IM or subQ)

Amount
200 to 600 mg
How often
1 to 3 times a week
Route
IM, vial (powder)
Cycle
4 to 12 weeks

IM as reported on r/Peptides

Amount
200 to 600 mg
How often
Once a week to every other day
Route
IM, vial (powder)
Timing and details

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SubQ as reported on r/Peptides

Amount
100 to 250 mg
How often
3 to 5 times a week
Route
SubQ, vial (powder)
Timing and details

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Chemotherapy nerve protection (IM, trial)

Amount
600 mg
How often
On days 2 to 5 of each weekly chemo cycle
Route
Intramuscular injection
Timing and details

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Other protocols: intravenous (iv)2

Clinic IV sessions

Amount
600 to 1,200 mg
How often
Once or twice a week
Route
Intravenous (IV)
Timing and details

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Parkinson's disease (IV trial)

Amount
1,400 mg
How often
3 times a week
Route
Intravenous (IV)
Cycle
4 weeks
Timing and details

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Other protocols: iv, ready-to-use vial1

Compounded injection (pharmacy page)

Amount
600 to 1,400 mg
How often
2 to 3 times a week
Route
IV, ready-to-use vial
Timing and details

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Other protocols: oral, capsule4

Body stores (oral trial)

Amount
250 to 1,000 mg
How often
Daily
Route
Oral, capsule
Cycle
6 months
Timing and details

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Skin (lower oral dose, trial)

Amount
250 mg
How often
Once daily
Route
Oral, capsule
Cycle
12 weeks
Timing and details

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Fatty liver (oral pilot)

Amount
300 mg
How often
Daily
Route
Oral, capsule
Cycle
4 months
Timing and details

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Oral twice daily (trial, no effect)

Amount
500 mg
How often
Twice daily
Route
Oral, capsule
Cycle
4 weeks
Timing and details

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Other protocols: oral1

Liposomal (oral pilot)

Amount
500 to 1,000 mg
How often
Daily
Route
Oral
Cycle
1 month
Timing and details

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Other protocols: nasal, nasal spray1

Intranasal (Parkinson's trial)

Amount
100 to 200 mg
How often
3 times a day
Route
Nasal, nasal spray
Cycle
3 months
Timing and details

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Doses shown are what sources report, labelled by origin. Not medical advice.

Full Glutathione dosage guideEvery titration step in syringe units, missed doses and how to mix.

Vial strengths and syringe units

Every Glutathione vial size with the water volumes sources use. Units are what to draw on a U-100 insulin syringe, worked out exactly.
Glutathione: concentration and U-100 syringe units for each vial size and water volume
WaterStrength100 mgdose, units200 mgdose, units600 mgdose, units
200 mg vial
2 mLCompetitor guide100 mg/mL1001 mL2002 mL2 draws6006 mL6 draws
600 mg vial
2 mLCompetitor guide300 mg/mL33.30.333 mL66.70.667 mL2002 mL2 draws
3 mLCompetitor guide200 mg/mL500.5 mL1001 mL3003 mL3 draws
1,200 mg vial
3 mLCompetitor guide400 mg/mL250.25 mL500.5 mL1501.5 mL2 draws
5 mLCommunity-reported240 mg/mL41.70.417 mL83.30.833 mL2502.5 mL3 draws
All 6 vial sizes on the dosage chart (3 more)
Units are on a U-100 insulin syringe (100 units = 1 mL). U-50 and U-30 barrels read the same units.† Water volume sourced for a different vial size. The math is exact either way.Water volumes from

Doses shown are what sources report, labelled by origin. Not medical advice.

Calculate with this peptideYour vial, your water, your dose: Glutathione in syringe units, with the math shown.

If you miss a dose

Take the next scheduled dose and carry on. With a plasma half-life of about 14 minutes there is no level to catch up on. After a gap of more than two weeks, one guide restarts at the starter dose.

Glutathione side effects

What trials and labels report, kept apart from what users and guides report. Frequencies are worded as each source states them.

Reported in studies and labels5

From clinical trials and regulatory documents.

  • Abnormal liver tests with IV glutathione

    FDA's 2022 review counted 8 cases of deranged liver tests across 5 IV studies, plus one FAERS report of liver injury on 1,200 mg once a week

    How people manage it

    • In the FAERS case, liver injury resolved within 2 months of stopping the medicines

  • Allergic and infusion reactions, including anaphylaxis

    FAERS 2000 to 2021: 2 anaphylaxis, 7 infusion-reaction and 3 hypersensitivity reports with IV glutathione

    How people manage it

    • Facial or throat swelling, wheeze or collapse is an emergency

  • Fever, chills and vomiting from contaminated powder

    Seven clinic patients reacted within minutes of one compounded IV batch in 2019; one went to hospital

    How people manage it

    • FDA traced it to endotoxin in powder labelled as a dietary supplement; injectable product should be made from ingredients meant for sterile use

  • Bronchospasm when inhaled

    Nebulized 600 mg cut FEV1 by 19% in 8 people with mild asthma; 4 coughed and 3 got breathless

    How people manage it

    • Do not nebulize glutathione with asthma or reactive airways

  • Cardiomyopathy (single case, intranasal)

    One participant on the high intranasal dose in a 45-person trial

    How people manage it

    • FDA's review notes it resolved when glutathione was stopped

Reported by users and guides5

From community reports and dosing guides. Not measured rates.

  • Sting or burn during the injection

    Commonly reported on r/Peptides; one poster says it burns more than anything else they inject

    How people manage it

    • Inject very slowly; posters say speed matters more than needle size

  • Lumps, knots or welts at subQ sites

    Commonly reported on r/Peptides; some say lumps last 2 to 3 days, a few say weeks

    How people manage it

    • Switch to IM; several posters say the welts stopped

  • Soreness after IM shots

    Reported on r/Peptides, mostly with thigh injections

    How people manage it

    • Posters prefer the delt or ventrogluteal site over the thigh

  • Sulfur or metallic taste or smell

    Commonly reported by guides shortly after a dose; never formally measured

    How people manage it

    • Harmless on its own; liposomal oral products are said to mask the taste better

  • Bloating, gas or loose stools with oral glutathione

    Mild and occasional in oral trials and guides

    How people manage it

    • Take with a little food, though guides note empty-stomach dosing is the usual convention
All 10 Glutathione side effects and how people manage themEvery management tip, who should not use it, and side-effect questions.

Who should avoid it

  • Asthma or reactive airway disease (inhaled glutathione)Condition

    Nebulized glutathione caused clear bronchoconstriction in people with mild asthma, likely from sulfite formation.

  • Supplement-grade or non-sterile glutathione powder for injectionSubstance

    FDA linked 2019 IV reactions to endotoxin in powder labelled for dietary supplement use, which should never have gone into a sterile injectable.

  • Platinum chemotherapy without the oncologist's approvalSubstance

    In one 27-patient study cited by FDA, the glutathione group had lower levels of the chemo drug, which could affect how well it works.

  • Pregnancy or breastfeedingCondition

    No safety data for injected glutathione in pregnancy or lactation.

Storage

Powder (before mixing)

Dry and dark. Guides split between -20 C for the long haul and 2 to 8 C or room temperature; an r/Peptides reply says freezer for powder, fridge once mixed. Glutathione oxidizes easily, so keep it sealed.

Mixed vial

Temperature
2 to 8 °C
Use within
28 days

Fridge at 2 to 8 C, out of light, never frozen. Guides use 28 days, borrowed from a pharmacy's preserved vial; one says 30. A self-mixed vial has no stability data, so treat 28 days as the outer limit. Bin anything cloudy, dark or with particles.

As supplied

Temperature
2 to 8 °C
Use within
28 days

Pharmacy premixed 200 mg/mL vials: fridge at 2 to 8 C, protected from light, never frozen. Discard 28 days after the first puncture. The solution should be clear to pale yellow.

As supplied

Capsules and liposomal liquids: room temperature, dry and sealed. Many liposomal liquids need the fridge after opening, so follow the label.

Mixed with: Bacteriostatic water (some users prefer bacteriostatic saline)

Mixing. Plan around volume: at 200 mg/mL a 200 mg dose fills a whole 1 mL syringe, and larger doses will not fit. Strong mixes near 300 mg/mL turn thick and sting more, so posters dilute back to 200 mg/mL. Good reduced glutathione dissolves clear, sometimes after sitting a while; powder that turns milky and settles is a red flag.

Stacks people report

Combinations from guides and community posts, with the reason given.
  • NAD+

    The most common pairing on r/Peptides for energy and longevity. Users inject them in separate syringes, often on the same days, and app users co-log them.

  • GHK-Cu

    Paired for skin. App users co-log GHK-Cu with glutathione more than anything else, but r/Peptides posters advise against mixing the two in one vial or syringe.

  • N acetylcysteine

    NAC and glycine supply the cysteine and glycine cells use to build their own glutathione, which a guide argues targets the real bottleneck better than a bigger injection.

  • MOTS-c

    Co-logged by app users as part of mitochondrial and longevity stacks.

Compare Glutathione

Evidence and legal status

Evidence: limited human data

Plenty of small human trials, few solid answers. Oral glutathione raised blood levels over 6 months in one RCT but did nothing in another 4-week RCT. Oral and IV trials show modest skin lightening that fades after stopping. IV and nasal trials in Parkinson's did not beat placebo. No trial has tested subQ glutathione or the 100 to 200 mg home doses. FDA's 2022 review found effectiveness unsupported for all 24 uses it checked.

FDA and WADA

FDA 503A Category 1

On FDA's list of bulk substances under evaluation for compounding.

Not FDA approved as a drug. Glutathione is in Category 1 (under evaluation) of FDA's 503A bulk list updated May 14, 2026, so 503A pharmacies can compound it. FDA staff proposed keeping it off the bulks list in 2022; the advisory committee voted 8 to 5, with 1 abstention, to add it. No final rule yet. Oral glutathione is sold as a supplement.

WADA does not name glutathione. S0 covers only substances with no approval anywhere, and a 2018 review says injectable glutathione is approved for severe liver disease and chemo nerve protection, so S0 likely does not apply; WADA has not ruled, so we mark it unknown. IV infusions or injections over 100 mL in 12 hours are prohibited outside hospital treatment, surgery or diagnostics, which covers most clinic drips. In 2019 FDA warned compounders after endotoxin reactions to IV glutathione, and its 2022 review flagged liver injury, anaphylaxis and inhaled bronchospasm.

WADA: Not confirmed

Glutathione questions

Is glutathione a peptide?

Yes, a tripeptide of glutamate, cysteine and glycine. It behaves unlike signalling peptides such as BPC-157: the glutamate is joined by an unusual gamma bond, your liver makes it in bulk, and cells split it at the surface instead of importing it whole.

What is the usual glutathione injection dose per week?

Guides put the home dose at 200 mg two to three times a week (400 to 600 mg a week), starting at 100 mg twice a week. On r/Peptides people run 200 to 600 mg IM anywhere from once a week to every other day. Clinics give 600 to 1,200 mg IV once or twice a week. No trial has tested the 100 to 200 mg home doses.

How much glutathione should you take a day by mouth?

Oral trials used 250 to 1,000 mg a day. 250 mg a day lightened skin a little over 12 weeks, 500 mg a day over 4 weeks, and 250 or 1,000 mg a day raised blood levels over 6 months. Supplement labels commonly suggest one to three capsules a day.

What is the maximum glutathione dose per day?

No maximum has been set. The highest repeated oral dose in a long trial was 1,000 mg a day for 6 months, and a single 3 g oral dose was tested for absorption. IV trials used 1,400 mg three times a week. One compounding pharmacy says risks rise above 5 grams.

SubQ or IM: which is better for glutathione?

Many r/Peptides users who tried both prefer IM into a delt or glute, saying subQ burns more and leaves lumps that last days. Others inject subQ very slowly without trouble. No study compares the two. The only IM trial data is 600 mg in chemo patients.

Why does glutathione sting so much?

Glutathione dissolved in plain bacteriostatic water is acidic. Pharmacy injections are adjusted to about pH 6 to 7 first. Slow pushes, IM sites and smaller volumes help.

How do you reconstitute a 600 mg or 1,500 mg glutathione vial?

For 600 mg, guides use 3 mL (200 mg/mL, so 100 mg is 50 units) or 2 mL (300 mg/mL). For 1,500 mg, r/Peptides users report 3 to 6 mL. Run the water down the vial wall, swirl, and let it sit until clear. Stronger mixes get thick and sting more.

How long does mixed glutathione last in the fridge?

Guides say 28 days at 2 to 8 C, out of light. That figure comes from a pharmacy's preserved vial, and a self-mixed vial has no stability data, so some users finish a vial within a week or two. Discard it if it turns cloudy or dark.

Does oral glutathione work?

The trials disagree. A 6-month RCT found 250 and 1,000 mg a day raised blood glutathione, with levels falling back a month after stopping. A 4-week RCT of 500 mg twice daily found no change, and a single 3 g dose did not raise blood levels. Liposomal forms raised levels in a 12-person pilot.

What is the liposomal glutathione dosage?

The liposomal pilot used 500 or 1,000 mg a day for a month and saw no difference between doses. Consumer labels are lower: one lists 100 mg per 1 mL serving, held under the tongue.

Does glutathione lighten skin?

A little, and not for long. Oral trials at 250 to 500 mg a day lowered the melanin index versus placebo. The one placebo-controlled IV study (1,200 mg twice weekly for 6 weeks) lightened 37.5% of patients vs 18.7% on placebo, and the effect faded after stopping. A 2025 review called IV glutathione contraindicated.

Is IV glutathione safe?

It has the worst safety record of the routes. FDA's review found anaphylaxis and liver injury reports with IV glutathione, and in 2019 seven clinic patients reacted within minutes to an endotoxin-contaminated batch. The Philippines and Thailand have warned against IV glutathione for skin lightening.

Is glutathione FDA approved, and can pharmacies compound it?

It is not FDA approved for any use. It sits in Category 1 of FDA's 503A list, which lets 503A pharmacies compound it while FDA evaluates it. In 2022 FDA proposed leaving it off the permanent list, and the advisory committee voted 8 to 5 to add it anyway. FDA has not made a final decision.

Can I mix glutathione with NAD+ or GHK-Cu in one syringe?

Users who run these together on r/Peptides mostly keep them in separate syringes. Posters warn against combining glutathione and GHK-Cu, and NAD+ users dose it apart. No stability data exists for any mix.

What is the half-life of glutathione?

Minutes. After a high IV dose it cleared from blood with a half-life of about 14 minutes, and another study measured about 11 minutes. Cells take up the cysteine it breaks into rather than the intact molecule.

Is glutathione banned in sport?

WADA does not list glutathione by name. The catch-all S0 class covers only substances with no approval anywhere, and injectable glutathione is approved as a drug in some countries, so S0 likely does not apply; WADA has not said so, so we call it unclear. The method rule is clear: IV infusions over 100 mL in 12 hours are banned unless given during hospital treatment, surgery or a diagnostic workup, and a typical clinic drip qualifies.

Ask about Glutathione

Answers come from this site's pages only, with a link to each source.

Sources

56 sources, each checked by date. Record updated Oct 24, 2026. Numbers are restated in our own words and labelled by where they came from.

Reference work1

  1. Glutathione, CID 124886PubChem · checked Oct 24, 2026

Vendor guide3

  1. Glutathione InjectionEmpower Pharmacy · checked Oct 24, 2026
  2. Glutathione-SR supplement factsThorne · checked Oct 24, 2026
  3. Liposomal Glutathione supplement factsQuicksilver Scientific · checked Oct 24, 2026

Competitor guide7

  1. Glutathione dosage chartpeptidedeck.com · checked Oct 24, 2026
  2. Glutathione compound pagebodyhackguide.co · checked Oct 24, 2026
  3. Glutathione (600 mg vial) dosage protocolpeptidedosages.com · checked Oct 24, 2026

Community-reported25

  1. Anyone here doing Glutathione injection (comment: 1200 mg with 5 mL)r/Peptides · checked Oct 24, 2026
  2. Glutathione Reconstitution to 600mg (comment: 1500 mg in 5 mL)r/Peptides · checked Oct 24, 2026
  3. Anyone here doing Glutathione injection (comment: 1.5 g with 3 mL)r/Peptides · checked Oct 24, 2026