Patient's question:
I have G6PD (Glucose-6-Phosphate Dehydrogenase deficiency), and yesterday I accidentally ate over a dozen of them without knowing they were broad beans. At night, my skin started itching, but it didn't last long. When I woke up, the itching had almost stopped. I'm not sure if I should take any medication. I heard that people with G6PD can develop symptoms a few days after eating broad beans—is that true?Doctor's answer:
Sickle cell disease is a disease caused by a deficiency of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G-6-PD), characterized by sudden recurrence of acute intravascular hemolysis after consuming fresh fava beans in the presence of hereditary glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G-6-PD) deficiency. The disease manifests with early symptoms such as chills, slight fever, dizziness, fatigue, loss of appetite, and abdominal pain, followed by jaundice, anemia, and hemoglobinuria, with urine appearing the color of soy sauce. Based on your symptoms, it appears you may have a condition caused by an allergic reaction, and it may be advisable to wait and see for now.