L-Carnitine

L-carnitine is a compound that occurs naturally in the body — it's also available as a supplement.

Although it's often classified as an amino acid, a building block of protein, the chemical structure of L-carnitine differs slightly from that of a true amino acid.

Your kidneys and liver produce L-carnitine, which your body needs to shuttle fatty acids in and out of cells and produce energy.

Many people take L-carnitine supplements for its alleged antioxidant activity. There are claims that it neutralizes free radicals that damage DNA, the genetic material in your cells.

L-carnitine was once promoted as a supplement to support heart health, especially for people who have angina or heart failure or have had a heart attack.

However, recent studies suggest that high concentrations of L-carnitine may actually damage the heart.

Using L-carnitine to treat certain conditions is controversial and is not supported by medical studies.

These conditions include Alzheimer's disease and other disorders that affect memory, Peyronie's disease, nerve damage caused by diabetes, low sperm count, and erectile dysfunction.

L-Carnitine and Weight Loss

Many weight loss supplements contain L-carnitine as an active ingredient, but there are no well-conducted studies to support this use.

Nor is there research to confirm that the supplement improves exercise endurance, which is another claim.

L-Carnitine Warnings

Experts caution people not to take L-carnitine supplements if they have certain health conditions.

Talk to your doctor before taking L-carnitine if you have:

• Peripheral vascular disease (PVD)
• High blood pressure
• Kidney disease
• Liver disease or if drinking alcohol has damaged your liver
• Diabetes
• Seizures or a history of seizures

Pregnancy and L-carnitine

Whether or not L-carnitine affects a developing baby or passes into breast milk isn't known.

Talk to your doctor if you're pregnant, planning to become pregnant, or are breastfeeding.

Seek emergency medical attention or call the Poison Help line at 1-800-222-1222.

If someone has overdosed and has serious symptoms such as passing out or trouble breathing, call 911. Otherwise, call a poison control center right away. US residents can call their local poison control center at 1-800-222-1222. Canada residents can call a provincial poison control center.

Notes

Missed Dose

Consult your pharmacist.

Storage

Consult your pharmacist.

Do not flush medications down the toilet or pour them into a drain unless instructed to do so. Properly discard this product when it is expired or no longer needed. Consult your pharmacist or local waste disposal company for more details about how to safely discard your product.

Information last revised July 2016. Copyright(c) 2016 First Databank, Inc.