L-carnitine, a compound naturally present in the cell, facilitates fat metabolism and toxin removal. Carnitine supplements also use L-carnitine because it is the only form of carnitine that is biologically active. Carnitine is most concentrated in the skeletal muscles and the heart, where fats are used as the primary fuel. Humans make carnitine in the liver and kidneys from the amino acids lysine and methionine and with the help of vitamin C, vitamin B6, niacin and iron. This process usually produces enough carnitine to meet your body's needs. But in some disease conditions, carnitine can be depleted, and carnitine supplementation might be necessary.
Primary Carnitine Deficiency
Primary carnitine deficiency, or PCD, is a genetic disorder in which the body can't move carnitine to where it is needed. Affected children can develop muscle weakness, low blood sugar, brain dysfunction and an enlarged, weakened heart. Primary carnitine deficiency usually manifests within the first five years of life, but can go asymptomatic and unnoticed. Fasting and viral infection might pull the trigger of PCD, causing heart failure, coma, liver disease and sudden death. Carnitine supplements are usually prescribed to treat PCD, says Oregon State University.
Kidney Disease Patients
Your kidneys excrete, but also reabsorb carnitine to maintain a constant level of carnitine in the body. Your kidneys also make carnitine. If you have chronic kidney disease, you might produce less carnitine while losing more in urine, especially if you undergo hemodialysis. This, coupled with poor appetite commonly associated with end-stage kidney disease, depletes carnitine stores in the body. Symptoms include anemia, fatigue, muscle weakness and heart problems, most of which can be reversed by carnitine supplements, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center.
Use of Antibiotics
Chronic use of pivalate-conjugated antibiotics can deplete your carnitine stores as your body uses carnitine to detoxify and excrete the drug. Oregon State University says the loss of carnitine through the urine is 10 times greater with these drugs. Carnitine supplements might help correct the deficiency.
Cardiovascular Disease and Peripheral Vascular Disease Patients
Carnitine supplements might reduce the symptoms of angina or chest pain when used as an adjunct to conventional therapies. According to the Office of Dietary Supplements, a study in Italy showed reduced heart failure and death in people supplemented with L-carnitine after the first heart attack. And two multicenter studies demonstrated that carnitine supplements improve the walking distance and overall well-being of people afflicted with peripheral vascular disease, a condition with impaired blood circulation, leg pain and reduced physical activity.
Cancer Patients, Diabetics and HIV Patients
Cancer patients who receive chemotherapy and radiation often experience fatigue, depression, and poor appetite and sleep. Carnitine supplements might help reduce these symptoms. Carnitine might also be helpful in diabetic and HIV patients as it lessens the risk of nerve damage and abnormal fat storage associated with these diseases, says the Office of Dietary Supplements.
Sexual Dysfunction and Infertility in Males
Although the evidence is not conclusive yet, some studies cited by the Office of Dietary Supplements and the University of Maryland Medical Center suggest that carnitine supplements increase sperm quantity and quality, improve the responsiveness to Viagra for diabetics, and reduce pain in people with Peyronie's disease, in which blocked blood flow leads to pain during intercourse.
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