Fibromyalgia is a chronic rheumatoid disease characterized by muscle pain and stiffness, headaches, disrupted sleep patterns, mood disturbances and fatigue. According to a July 2007 "American Family Physician" review, fibromyalgia affects approximately 3.5 percent of women and 0.5 percent of men in the United States, and it has been diagnosed in children, adolescents and adults. Fibromyalgia sufferers often resort to dietary supplements and alternative treatments to alleviate their symptoms.
Cause
The underlying cause of fibromyalgia has not been identified. Genetic factors may play a role, since fibromyalgia seems to occur in family clusters. The April 2011 issue of "Current Pharmaceutical Biotechnology" alludes to disorders in signaling within the serotonin and dopamine networks in your nervous system as potential causes. A 2007 review in "Clinical and Experimental Rheumatology" suggested that a deficit of carnitine could be among the metabolic disorders contributing to fibromyalgia symptoms in some patients.
Carnitine
L-carnitine is an amino acid that is intimately involved in cellular lipid metabolism. Although it can be obtained from your diet -- red meats are a particularly rich source -- it is also produced in your liver and kidneys from the amino acid L-lysine, with the help of vitamin C, niacin, iron, pyridoxine and methionine. According to nutritionist Elson Haas, most of the carnitine in your body is stored in your muscles and heart, where it is needed to transfer fatty acids into mitochondria so they can be oxidized for energy.
Carnitine for Fibromyalgia
In 2007, Italian scientists demonstrated that treatment with acetyl-L-carnitine, a highly absorbable form of carnitine, reduced muscle pain, stiffness and fatigue and improved mood in 102 test subjects who met American College of Rheumatology criteria for fibromyalgia. The experimental protocol involved a two-week period of both oral and injectable acetyl-L-carnitine -- 1,000 mg orally and 500 mg intramuscularly each day -- followed by eight weeks of oral dosing at 1,500 mg daily.
Considerations and Recommendations
Although carnitine supplementation might prove beneficial for some people with fibromyalgia, carnitine has not been shown to prevent, improve or cure fibromyalgia. Haas recommends daily L-carnitine doses ranging from 1,000 to 2,000 mg for improving lipid metabolism and muscular performance, which is in keeping with doses administered to fibromyalgia patients in a study conducted at the University of Verona in Italy and appearing in "Clinical and Experimental Rheumatology" in 2007. Doses up to 4 g daily are used for some conditions, such as coronary artery disease. Carnitine supplementation is not recommended for people with diabetes or active liver or kidney disease. If you have fibromyalgia, ask your doctor if carnitine is appropriate for you.
References
- "American Family Physician"; Fibromyalgia; S. Chakrabarty, R. Zoorob; July 2007
- "Current Pharmaceutical Biotechnology"; Fibromyalgia: Mechanisms, Current Treatment, and Animal Models; J.D. Brederson, et al.; April 2011
- "Clinical and Experimental Rheumatology"; Double-Blind, Multicenter Trial Comparing Acetyl-L-Carnitine with Placebo in the Treatment of Fibromyalgia Patients; M. Rossini, et al.; March-April 2007
- "Staying Healthy with Nutrition: Carnitine"; Elson M. Haas, M.D.; 2006
