What the heck is Cysteine Hydrochloride?

“Everybody’s going to be dead one day, just give them time.”-Neil Gaiman, Anansi Boys

There has been thousands to millions of research regarding mortality of humans. Anti-aging, anti-diabetic, antivirus, anti-cancer, blah-blah-blah. Well, those are a just a few of the human inventions in response to mortality. There’s this thing that caught my attention. It is the amazing discovery of antioxidants. It is like a cure to all illness. One of those is Cysteine which produces the known Glutathione.

Cysteine (abbreviated as Cys or C) is an amino acid with the chemical formula HO₂CCH(NH₂)CH₂SH. It is a semi- essential amino acid, which means that it can be biosynthesized in human. The Thiol side chain in cysteine often participates in enzymatic reactions, serving as a nucleophile. Oops! Talking alien language, sorry. Anyway, to better understand what cysteine hydrochloride is, I’ll speak like a real human here.

Cysteine, as an amino acid, is actually a byproduct of another amino acid called methionine. Consequently, cysteine is then converted to another amino acid called glutathione, which is one of the most powerful antioxidant which protects cells from being damaged. Damage of our body cells may lead to certain illness such as the common scary one--- CA (cancer). But as for some of the infants, they aren’t able to convert methionine to cysteine, which poses problems such as malnutrition and malabsorption. To treat such problems, physicians often administer cysteine hydrochloride.

It is often administered to the patient intravenously (inserted into the vein), especially for infants, to let the body absorb the supplement more effectively. Manufacturers often supply 10mL vials of solution, each containing 0.5 grams of cysteine hydrochloride. The solution is then combined with other amino acid solutions and an appropriate amount of dextrose. The vials should be stored in a controlled temperature of 68 to 77°F (around 20 to 25°C), and should not be frozen. Before administration, the solution should also be inspected if any discoloration and particles are present, as only a clear solution should be used. The supplement should be administered right away after it is diluted; otherwise, it may become insoluble and cannot be absorbed by the body.

Furthermore, side effects are the common questions asked when it comes to drugs. For cysteine hydrochloride, it is often safe and patients rarely suffer from an overdose, if not at all. However, problems occur on the site where the needle is inserted such as, redness and itchiness of the skin, inflammation of the vein, constipation and a blood clot. Other side effects may also occur such as shock, probably a result of blood clot, which can be fatal. Administering the supplement is not advisable for patients who have liver disorder or a metabolic conditions like diabetes as the solution may be toxic for the patient.

Thus the quote above explains this. We all are going to die, harsh reality. But we all are given our time. Thanks to science for giving us a longer time with these discoveries.

Live. Laugh. Love. Be Healthy.