About Acetyl L-carnitine Overdose

Acetyl L-carnitine is a popular supplement among athletes and bodybuilders who hope it will increase endurance and lean muscle, and promote weight loss. Other people take the supplement for its ability to promote mental clarity and focus. However, too much acetyl-L-carnitine can have the opposite effect and cause symptoms that actually inhibit both physical and mental performance.

Identification

Acetyl L-carnitine, also known as L-carnitine or carnitine, is a nutrient your body produces in the liver and kidneys, and stores in muscles, the heart, brain and sperm. It converts fat into energy and reduces oxidative stress that happens when harmful free radicals damage cell walls and DNA. Carnitine-rich foods include red meat, dairy, fish, poultry, tempeh, wheat, asparagus, avocados and peanut butter. Supplements are usually found in tablets or capsules ranging in doses from 100 mg to 1,000 mg, but powdered and liquid formulas are also available.

Benefits

Carnitine has been used to treat a variety of conditions, including heart disease, fatigue among multiple sclerosis patients, pain in people with diabetic neuropathy, alcohol damage to organs, male infertility and mild depression. Although research is mixed, carnitine might also play a beneficial role in treating Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. Incidentally, research has been the least positive regarding carnitine and its effects on athletic ability.

Dosage Recommendations

A typical dosage is between 250 to 500 mg once a day a few times a week, according to author and physician Ray Sahelian. However, recommended doses can vary depending on the condition being treated and might involve 600 mg to 1,500 mg daily for heart disease patients and up to 4,000 mg per day to treat peripheral vascular disease, male infertility, chronic fatigue syndrome and hyperthyroidism. Currently, no recommended doses for children exist.

Moderate Overdose Symptoms

A study published in the "Journal of Clinical Endocrinology Metabolism" in 2001 found that women given 2,000 to 4,000 mg daily of a carnitine supplement for six months had very few adverse effects, and the problems that did occur weren't severe enough to cause the subjects to discontinue the supplements. Short-term doses of 5,000 mg or more per day have been shown to cause increased appetite, nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps, diarrhea, rashes and a fishy body odor.

Rare Overdose Symptoms

A study on lab rats that used intracerebral injections of carnitine caused epileptic seizures. Although doctors sometimes give intravenous carnitine to patients, it doesn't usually involve this type of procedure. For people who already have a seizure disorder, carnitine might increase frequency and severity of episodes. Carnitine also has been reported to increase agitation in some Alzheimer's patients. No studies on carnitine supplements in pregnant and breastfeeding women have been done, nor have any long-term studies regarding side effects been conducted. Check with your doctor before taking carnitine supplements.