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The most common enzyme deficiency and why it took me so long to figure things out
On G6PD Deficiency
This is a different kind of article than the ones I usually write, but I thought it was important to write it. It will have some technical details at the end about a relevant side project, but it is definitely not technical in content. I wrote this in hope that it will be helpful to someone, because my experience could have been avoided with a little bit of more information.
What is Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) Deficiency
Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency (G6PDD) is an inborn error of metabolism that predisposes to red blood cell breakdown.[1] Most of the time, those who are affected have no symptoms.[3] Following a specific trigger, symptoms such as yellowish skin, dark urine, shortness of breath, and feeling tired may develop.[1][2] Complications can include anemia and newborn jaundice.[2] Some people never have symptoms.[3]
Taken right from wikipedia.
It passes from mother to son and from father to daughter and it seems to affect males the most. You might be partially or fully deficient. This might play a role in how the triggers affect you, but it is really not that clear to me. You can read more on inheritance…
