Drug & supplement interaction

Glutathione + Theophylline

Theophylline brand names: T-Phyl, Duraphyl, Aerolate JR, Aerolate SR, Theo-Dur, and others.

No Known Interaction
The bottom line No known interaction

We found no known interaction between Glutathione and Theophylline in our sources. Absence of a documented interaction is not the same as proven safety, and does not guarantee one does not exist. Do not start, stop, or change a medication or supplement based on this page; confirm with your pharmacist or doctor first.

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Interaction report

Glutathione and Theophylline

We checked these two against our interaction database. Here is what we found.

No Known Interaction Found

We did not find a documented interaction between Theophylline and Glutathione in our sources. This does not guarantee that the combination is completely free of risk — there is often limited research on supplements and herbal products, especially around drug interactions.

Worth understanding: our licensed dataset holds no drug-interaction record for Glutathione at all — not against Theophylline, and not against any other medication we track. This verdict therefore rests on the absence of any recorded data, not on research that looked at this combination and found nothing. We cannot rule an interaction out.

If you decide to take both, the practical routine is simple: add one new thing at a time and note the date you started it. If the combination is going to disagree with you, it usually shows in the first days to a couple of weeks — and a start date turns “I’ve been feeling off” into something a pharmacist can actually work with. Do not stop a prescribed medicine on your own.

Always talk with your pharmacist or doctor before making changes to your medications or supplements, particularly if you take several medications or have an ongoing health condition.

Glutathione safety at a glance

Glutathione overall Use caution Oral forms appear generally well tolerated short-term, but long-term safety and the safety of IV and inhaled forms are less clear.
Pregnancy Avoid There is not enough reliable safety information, so it is best avoided during pregnancy unless your doctor advises otherwise.
Breastfeeding Avoid There is not enough reliable safety information during breastfeeding, so caution and avoidance are advised.

Safety guidance is general; always confirm with your pharmacist or doctor for your situation.

Still wondering about combining Theophylline and Glutathione? Ask Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS directly ›
What to actually watch for

What Glutathione Itself Has Been Linked To

This is not an interaction — nothing below involves Theophylline. It is the side-effect record for Glutathione on its own, from the licensed Natural Medicines monograph. If something new turns up after you add Glutathione, this list is the first place to look. One entry is worth acting on rather than waiting out — marked below.

  • Wheezing / Shortness of breath Worth acting on Additional detail

    “Inhaled (nebulized) glutathione can cause airway narrowing and bronchoconstriction resulting in shortness of breath and cough in patients with asthma.”

    Glutathione · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in asthma.

    1 source cited
    1. 5372. Marrades RM, Roca J, Barbera JA, et al. Nebulized glutathione induces bronchoconstriction in patients with mild asthma. Am J Respir Crit Care Med 1997;156(2 Pt 1):425-30. PubMed
  • Cough Additional detail

    Recorded for Glutathione in the same Natural Medicines adverse-effect record shown under Wheezing / Shortness of breath above.

Everything above comes from the Natural Medicines adverse-effect record for Glutathione — expand a row for the licensed statement it rests on. We read the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of Theophylline’s FDA label too, and the two lists don’t meaningfully overlap — which is why no Theophylline column appears here.

From our Q&A

Questions About Glutathione or Theophylline

These are real questions from readers, answered by the pharmacists at HelloPharmacist — written by a person, not generated from a database. Each one covers Glutathione or Theophylline, not necessarily both, but if one is close to what you were about to ask it will usually go further than a database entry can:

Not quite your question? Ask our pharmacists directly — it is free, there is no account required, and answers usually come back within 24 hours.

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Theophylline

This page covers Glutathione only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Theophylline page lists 126 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Ephedra (major), Sida Cordifolia (major), Adrafinil (moderate) and African Wild Potato (moderate).

By severity: 3 major · 89 moderate · 34 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Theophylline page

“Stop ephedra before anything else if you take theophylline (Theo-Dur, Slo-Bid, and others) for asthma or COPD. Both are stimulants, and together they raise the risk of serious heart and nervous system effects; Sida cordifolia, an herb that contains ephedrine, carries the same major rating.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Theophylline interaction page

One more smart check

Taking Glutathione as Part of a Dietary Supplement Product? Check It for Interactions

We hold 1,212 real supplement products containing Glutathione, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Glutathione. Even though Glutathione itself has no known interaction with Theophylline, another ingredient on your label might. Find your product and we’ll check every ingredient on its label:

How much people look this up

Where Glutathione and Theophylline Sit Against Everything Else

Out of every supplement and medication people look up on HelloPharmacist, here is where these two land this week — and which way each has been moving.

Supplement Glutathione
Top 25%

#212 of 1,452 supplements looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today
Medication Theophylline
Top half

#869 of 2,830 medications looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today

Position among everything looked up on this site, not a measure of how commonly either one is used or how important it is. A supplement can climb this list because of a news story. It counts every request to the page, automated ones included, and nothing here identifies anyone.

Where does our data come from?
  • Source: the Natural Medicines (TRC Healthcare) clinical database — the evidence-graded professional reference for herb & supplement interactions.
  • Citation library: 103,510 references behind our interaction content, 65,311 of them resolved to verified PubMed/DOI sources. See every Glutathione reference on this page ↓
  • Freshness: we automatically re-check this combination every week — this pair was last verified September 20, 2026. The Glutathione and Theophylline records this page draws on were last updated July 10, 2026.
  • What “no known interaction” means: no documented interaction in the sources above — not a guarantee of safety. Supplements are studied far less than prescription drugs, so we say exactly what the evidence supports, and nothing more.
Data structure & sourcing designed and verified by .
Supplement

About Glutathione

What is Glutathione?

Glutathione
  • Antioxidant support
  • Skin lightening or brightening
  • Detoxification support
  • Immune support
  • Liver health
  • Anti-aging

Glutathione is a powerful antioxidant your body makes naturally, and many people take it as a supplement hoping for skin, detox, or anti-aging benefits. However, strong human evidence is limited for most uses, and oral glutathione is poorly absorbed. Talk to your pharmacist or doctor before starting, especially if you are considering IV or inhaled forms.

Not applicable (a compound made of three amino acids: cysteine, glutamic acid, and glycine) · Oral capsules and tablets, liposomal liquid, lozenges, intravenous (IV) injections, nebulized (inhaled) forms, topical creams

An interaction check asks whether these two react with each other — it does not ask whether Glutathione is a good idea for someone in your situation. Here is what our Glutathione record says about it on its own.

Glutathione: dosing

There is no official, standardized dose of glutathione for any health condition. Supplement products vary widely in their form and amount.The best advice is to follow the directions on the product label and not exceed them. Because oral glutathione is poorly absorbed, taking more does not necessarily mean more benefit.IV and inhaled forms should only be used under the care of a healthcare provider.

From our Glutathione monograph — the full record covers uses, side effects and every documented interaction.

Read the full Glutathione monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Theophylline

What Is Theophylline Used For?

Brand names: T-Phyl, Duraphyl, Aerolate JR, Aerolate SR, Theo-Dur, Slo-Bid, Theo-24, Uniphyl, Slo-phyllin Gyrocaps, Theolair, Theolair SR, Quibron-T/SR, Quibron-T, Aerolate III, Theo-X, Bronkodyl, Theoclear LA-130, Constant-T, Theoclear LA-260, Elixophyllin, Theovent, Theobid Jr Duracap, Respbid, Theobid Duracap

Theophylline — available as extended-release capsules (Theo-24), extended-release tablets, and oral solution (Elixophyllin) — is used to treat symptoms and reversible airflow obstruction caused by chronic asthma, emphysema, and chronic bronchitis.

All supported formulations share these indications. Theophylline is intended for patients with ongoing or recurring symptoms, not for sudden (acute) breathing attacks, which need faster-acting treatments.

Most-Reported Side Effects for Theophylline

From FAERS, the FDA’s public side-effect reporting system (12,323 reports, all brands). Reports are voluntary and are not proof the drug caused the effect.

Dyspnea 2,441 reports
Asthma 2,097 reports
Pneumonia 1,466 reports
Wheezing 1,417 reports
Vomiting 1,230 reports
See full Theophylline drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Glutathione

Browse every other medication we’ve checked against Glutathione — both the ones with a known interaction and the ones without. Select any drug for the full detail.

0Major
0Moderate
0Minor
2,829No known interaction
No interaction 2,829 drugs checked — show the list
Evidence & sources

Glutathione References

The 1 references that drive our Glutathione monograph and interaction data, from the evidence-graded Natural Medicines (TRC Healthcare) database. Citations with a link open the study on PubMed or the publisher’s site.

  1. Marrades RM, Roca J, Barbera JA, et al. Nebulized glutathione induces bronchoconstriction in patients with mild asthma. Am J Respir Crit Care Med 1997;156(2 Pt 1):425-30. PubMed

Medication overviews come from MedlinePlus (NIH); supplement label data from the NIH Dietary Supplement Label Database. Content is written and reviewed by licensed HelloPharmacist pharmacists — see our data sources and editorial standards.

Pharmacist Counseling Corner

Taking Glutathione and Theophylline Together: Common Questions

Is it safe to take Glutathione with Theophylline?
We do not list a known interaction between Glutathione and Theophylline. That does not guarantee the combination is risk-free, so confirm with your pharmacist or doctor — especially if you take other medications or have a health condition.
Does Theophylline interact with any supplements?
Yes. Theophylline has documented interactions with 126 supplements in our database — Glutathione is not one of them. The Theophylline interaction page linked on this page lists every one, ranked by severity.

Written and reviewed by the HelloPharmacist editorial staff. Our editorial policy

Still Have a Question About Theophylline and Glutathione?

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This information is for education only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always check with your pharmacist or doctor before starting, stopping, or combining supplements and medications.