Re: Carnitor and fishy body odor

[Guest guest]

> I am not sure if it is the pills itself or the bodies reaction to

the carnitine. Maybe someone else can help with this. When I

mentioned the odor problem others had to my GP she said that makes

sense because body builders who take a lot of carnitine often have a

fishy odor about them.

>

> I only experience the odor once. I stopped taking the pills

then. I also tended to stop taking them because of the difficulty

swallowing them.

>

> Anyhow, I believe it has been mentioned that if you take the CoQ10

and the Carnitor together they work together and you do not get the

smell.

Re fishy body odor.

http://www.mynchen.demon.co.uk/The%20ketogenic%20diet/Supplements%

20for%20the%20ketogenic%20diet/Carnitine.htm#Abstracts%20of%20papers%

20on%20carnitine

Carnitine supplements may cause a fishy breath odor. The odor

results from excess growth of intestinal flora in the gut which is

promoted by carnitine. The odor may be reduced by increasing the

bedtime dose and by spreading the other carnitine doses more

regularly through the day. Diminishing the carnitine dose should

also eliminate the odor, but it may be better to treat with a broad

based antibiotic, so that the carnitine level can be maintained.

http://www.fodsupport.org/carnitine_therapy.htm

Complications of long term or short-term carnitine treatment

reported have been few and not serious. The body odor due to

trimethylamines can be treated by taking a low dose of an

antibacterial substance such as metronidazole to kill off the

bacteria making the trimethylamines. The gastrointestinal upset and

diarrhea is often short lived and usually improves if the dose is

lowered or given with food or more frequently. With IV carnitine,

the medication may burn if infused too quickly and may cause

reversible pain and irritation if it gets under the skin

(interstitial). From an article by Winter, M.D.