Re: Carnitine?

[Guest guest]

Elise,

Depakote can cause carnitine deficiency and there are also many

inborn disorders that cause it as well. Carnitine is extremely

important for fat metabolism and getting toxic wastes out of our

bodies. You can ask your pharmacist for more information on

deficiency linked to and ask your doc to have him tested to see if

this may be behind his low energy and other symptoms. One abstract

from PubMed is below.

Zoe

1: Curr Pharm Biotechnol. 2003 Jun;4(3):211-9.

Carnitine metabolism and deficit--when supplementation is necessary?

Evangeliou A, Vlassopoulos D.

Neurology Dept., Creta's Medical School, A. Fleming Hospital, Athens,

Greece.

Carnitine is an ammo acid derivative found in high energy demanding

tissues

(skeletal muscles, myocardium, the liver and the suprarenal glands).

It is

essential for the intermediary metabolism of fatty acids. Carnitine is

indispensable for beta-oxidation of long-chain fatty acids in the

mitochondria

but also regulates CoA concentration and removal of the produced acyl

groups.

AcylCoAs act as restraining factor for several enzymes participating

in

intermediary metabolism. Transformation of AcylCoA into acylcarnitine

is an

important system for removing the toxic acyl groups. Although primary

deficiency

is unusual, depletion due to secondary causes, such as a disease or a

medication

side effect, can occur. Primary carnitine deficiency is caused by a

defect in

plasma membrane carnitine transporter in muscle and kidneys.

Secondary carnitine

deficiency is associated with several inborn errors of metabolism and

acquired

medical or iatrogenic conditions, for example in patients under

valproate and

zidovuline treatment. In cirrhosis and chronic renal failure,

carnitine

biosynthesis is impaired or carnitine is lost during hemodialysis.

Other chronic

conditions like diabetes mellitus, heart failure, Alzheimer disease

may cause

carnitine deficiency also observed in conditions with increased

catabolism as in

critical illness. Preterm neonates develop carnitine deficiency due

to impaired

proximal renal tubule carnitine re-absorption and immature carnitine

biosynthesis. Carnitine stabilizes the cellular membrane and raises

red blood

cell osmotic resistance but has no metabolic influence on lipids in

dialysis

patients. L-Carnitine has been administered in senile dementia,

metabolic nerve

diseases, in HIV infection, tuberculosis, myopathies,

cardiomyopathies, renal

failure anemia and included in baby foods and milk.

Publication Types:

Review

Review, Tutorial

PMID: 12769764 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

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[Guest guest]

>

> Any brand that has been used that's been most effective?

I use NOW brand, which is usually not the best brand, but for

carnitine it works well here.

Dana

[Guest guest]

Cathi, I don't know if this applies to you, but we are on prescription

L-Carnitine because DS test low in blood testing. We used Carnitor for

the first few months and then switched to the generic version (saving

$30/month). I just had DS's level checked again after 7 months and his

carnitine levels have normalized. Anyway, the generic l-carnitine

version works just as well as the Carnitor.

(Max's Mom)

>

> Any brand that has been used that's been most effective?

> Thanks in advance.

>

> Cathi

>

>

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