Acetyl-L-Carnitine Dr. Lynch Product Q&AUpdated 5 days ago
| Question | Answer |
| My son (Autism- non verbal) is taking L-carnitine 500mg every morning. Is it better to switch to Acetyl-L-Carnitine? | Hi Ruby - I prefer the acetyl form yes as it supports the brain better than the other form. Additionally, when Kids Optimal Focus comes out, consider giving 1 to 2 chewables to your son a few days a week to daily. In health, |
| Hello Dr. Lynch. I'm hoping you can help me out. I have been dealing with what seems to be hyperthyroid for a month or so no. This happened shortly after taking a sea vegetable extract for several days. I'm assuming the iodine has thrown my thyroid off. Now I'm experiencing numerous symptoms that really line up with hyper. Being overly wired at night and getting a few hours of sleep if not no sleep at all, which has happened too. I have gotten hot flashes in my face which has lasted for several minutes at a time, at least. Increased hair thinning, loose stools/diarrhea and definitely a faster heartrate. Anyway, I have read that supplementing with l carnitine could help bring my thyroid back to a normal state. I wanted to get a professional opinion on this, though, before I play doctor. If it were a good option, how much should I take to begin with? I should point out I'm on a vegan diet, so I'm likely not getting as much as one should. Also, there's a strong chance I have the double mthfr gene, so I have poor detox. Not sure if that's something to be concerned about as well with taking this supplement. I would greatly appreciate the help. I'm pretty desperate to get this at least somewhat controlled. If I could just go back to sleeping better, that would take a load off of me. | Hi Anthony - I've read that research, too. I am not sure as I've not tried it on an patient before. I believe you nailed it in terms of what's going on. I'd also add that sea veggies can be quite high in heavy metals so I'd ask the company to send you the Certificate of Analysis of their product so you can see if it's clean of metals. If they say we don't have it, then that's a very suspect company and never work with them again. A vegan diet will make this worse due to low protein and nutrient density. Few people can pull off a vegan diet. Djokovic certainly can. I wish I had more insight for you but I don't. I'd talk with your family doctor or an endocrinologist on what to do. In health, |
| Couple of questions: 1. Will this help with fatigue and brain fog from long COVID or other factors? 2. Can you take it if you’re taking PQQ and will it raise BP levels? I tried liposomal glutathione but I think it’s affecting my nursing baby’s digestion. | Hi Cally - Acetyl-L-Carnitine is a great supplement to choose. Consider:
The Brain Nutrients has some PQQ in it. These nutrients all support healthy blood pressure and healthy cognition.* In health, |
| Hi Dr. Ben, I have an elevated Thyroid THS score of 8, my research is indicating if I take Acetyl-L-Carnitine it might be an issue... (my question) is this correct, and if so is there a substitute, that can achieve the same...I wanted to use it to add additional support for my waking in the middle of the night, low rem, low deep Sleep issue, I'm also taking Serotonin Nutrients, every 3rd day to help support my sleep ...Ty Nick | Hi Nicholas - Acetyl L Carnitine may contribute to a higher TSH but it may be not because of a negative effect but rather a result of a healthier functioning metabolism.* That said, I do not see Acetyl L Carnitine supporting sleep that much. Instead, consider:
In health, |
| Can you take this if you have hypothyroid? I am on Levothyroxine 50mg. Thank you. | Hi Kris - Research is conflicting. My wife has hypothyroidism at times and she does well with this supplement. She prefers taking it immediately upon waking up in the morning to support the day's healthy energy and cognition levels.* In health, |
| Can you take this with food at Breakfast or Lunch? | Hi Becca - Yes, you may. Either breakfast or lunch. I do not recommend dinner. In health, |
| Hi Dr Lynch, My daughter's blood carnitine levels are very low , her ND prescribed Acetyl-L-carnitine (5oomg) but she gets a panic attack whenever she takes it, so we have to stop. Would L-carnitine still be a good option for increasing carnitine levels? and do you think it would be less likely to cause panic attack? Thank you. | Hi Gemma - I suspect she should consider more antioxidants before pushing the mitochondria. Consider 1/2 a lozenge of Glutathione Plus Lozenge in the morning upon waking. I would talk with her doctor about using a lower amount of Acetyl-L-Carnitine - say 100 mg. You may find it in bulk powder or just open the capsule and use 1/4 of it. L-carnitine can be useful as well but may contribute the same side effects - but less likely to do so. Be sure to communicate with your doctor. In health, |
| Is it ok to take this product if taking prescription meds for high blood pressure, low thyroid, and cholesterol? I read that L-carnitine interferes with blood pressure meds. Since I mostly eat plant based and I don't have a steady source of carnitine in my diet, and I'm wondering if I should take some. I'm 53 years old. Thanks in advance. | Hi Timothy - Yep. This is fine. The interaction of carnitine and blood pressure medications may be because carnitine itself may support healthy blood pressure. Monitor your blood pressure and adjust your medications as needed with your health professional. I'd also consider Glutathione Plus Lozenge each morning upon waking up to support healthy glutathione levels. Low glutathione is associated with high blood pressure and overall plethora of health issues. In health, |
| ur 14 year old son has been taking 500 mg of Acetyl L-carnitine daily since he was young to keep his plasma levels in range (they were in the single digits when he was a toddler). The carnitine deficiency cause is still unknown - endocrinology said it's not metabolic, and genetics said it's not a primary deficiency. However, his plasma carnitine levels fell out of range last September after being in range for many years. And his levels are still out of range even after increasing to 750 mg/day. We recently ordered this product since we heard great things about the seeking health brand for people with MHTFR, which he has. - May he take (2) pills of your Acetyl-L Carnitine for 1000 mg total at the same time in the morning on an empty stomach, and could doing so cause any issues since he is sensitive to methyls? His Dr. suggested increasing dose to 1,000 mg/day to increase levels. We are not sure if carnitine is a methyl donor, but even if it is and even though he is sensitive to methyls, he has to take it. - Do you have any other products that could aid in increasing his carnitine levels? He eats red meat twice per week, and he does not drink milk. He is on the spectrum. - Do you have any thoughts on what could cause a drop in carnitine levels if dosage of supplement and diet did not change? We are wondering if anything in the methylation process may be involved or if you know of any other deficiencies that could be related to low plasma carnitine levels. He also has high lp(a) levels of unknown cause. | Hi George - It is fine for your son to take as much carnitine as he needs. It is a safe and supportive ingredient. My guess is there is a mitochondrial dysfunction going on which is requiring him to burn fat as fuel vs glucose. I'd add a couple things: 1/2 lozenge of Glutathione Plus Lozenge upon waking up in the morning. I'd also repeat this in the afternoon no later than 2 pm. This supports healthy mitochondrial function. It tastes great. Ideally he will enjoy the taste and let it dissolve in his mouth before he swallows it. I recommend you try it as well so you can see how it makes you feel. Start with 1/2. For breakfast, focus on something like goat whey protein. This is a high quality protein that is often well tolerated for those who are intolerant to cow dairy. Myself included. I'd give him 1/2 to 1 chewable of Kids Multivitamin Chewable MF. This is a methyl-free kids multivitamin that is quite comprehensive. He needs to get B's and trace minerals in him. He takes this with breakfast. Start with 1/2 of 1 chewable. Work up if needing more support. ProBiota HistaminX after dinner supports healthy histamine levels in the gut. As he continues to grow and enter into puberty, he's going to likely require higher and higher amounts of carnitine. I'd up his red meat to daily consumption not twice a week. I know you're concerned about the Lp(a) but the need for carnitine and whole food overrides that at the moment. I'd use grass-fed lean meat. My gut is telling me to have him also take a capsule of Optimal CoQ10 with breakfast. I am hearing from many parents of ASD kids that Optimal Focus is really supporting them. Do the above recommendations first. Introduce one new supplement per day at time. See how it performs for him and how he responds to it. Maybe only introduce a new supplement once every few days. When giving Optimal Focus, just use 1 capsule or even 1/2 capsule mixed in a bite of food like organic applesauce. In health, |
| Has this been shown to help individuals with nerve damage? | Hi Amanda - There are many things to support nerves. Acetyl-L-Carnitine and Alpha R Lipoic Acid are both supportive of healthy nerves. I'd also recommend highly the Brain Nutrient Lozenges and take in the morning upon waking. This combines many important nerve supportive ingredients all in one. In health, |
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