A little note about carnitine and CFS

I just wanted to drop a quick line.

Yesterday I posted about my trying to fix my problem with being addicted to steak, an addiction that every single doctor I've spoken to has ignored, by taking L-Carnitine.

Well, guess what?

I got an email today from the Fibromyalgia and Fatigue Center, titled "Acetyl-L-Carnitine for CFS and Fibromyalgia". It appears that the Center has discovered that supplementing one's diet with Carnitine is great for people suffering from chronic fatigue because they're usually low on Lysine.

Fancy that.

However, they go on to say that acetyl-L-Carnitine form is much more effective to take than just L-Carnitine (which is what I've been trying). So I am going to go pick some up tomorrow-- along with some taurine and CoQ10 (other really useful aminos in high concentrations in meat) just in case.

Just thought you might be interested, and I guess I wanted to give myself a bitter pat on the back-- seeing as I was on the way to discovering that I might be addicted to steak because of carnitine all by myself. Where were these people when I have been needing this info for years?

(speaking of bitter-- it turns out that carnitine and taurine are often added to energy drinks. If I didn't already have reactive hypoglycemia, I might've discovered an alternative to steak long ago...)


I am copying and pasting a lot of what they have to say from the fibromyalgia and fatigue center's newsletter (their website is: http://www.fibroandfatigue.com/index.php) so you can see what I'm talking about:


"Acetyl-L-Carnitine for CFS and Fibromyalgia By: Jacob Teitelbaum, FFC Medical Director

Low levels of the carnitine compound acylcarnitine in the blood or muscles of people with CFIDS/FMS have been found by two different research centers.9 Carnitine plays many roles in the body. It has the critical function of preventing the mitochondria from being shut down when the system backs up. It does this by keeping a substance called acetyl coenzyme A from building up and shutting down the TCA cycle and the electron transport system, the cell's effective energy burning systems. (More about the electron transport system later in this chapter. [callahan-- what chapter?! Is this taken from some book? and if so, which frickin' one?!]) Also, without sufficient carnitine, the body cannot burn fat (and, in fact, makes excess fat), resulting in large weight gains.

L-Carnitine is a naturally occurring form of carnitine that is only found in animal flesh. Beef is high in carnitine. Carnitine can also be synthesized in the body. This process requires adequate amounts of the amino acid lysine, which is low in rice-based vegetarian diets (which also have no carnitine).10 I suspect that the real reason many CFIDS patients who take lysine to prevent herpes outbreaks see their symptoms improve may be that this increases the body's carnitine production.

In my experience, and that of other clinicians, taking supplemental L-carnitine has not been very helpful, and D-L-carnitine can actually worsen symptoms.11 Taking 500 milligrams of acetyl-L-carnitine 500 milligrams 2-3 times a day, however, can be very helpful. It has no side effects except for its cost, usually $1.00 for 1,000 milligrams. Adding 500 to 1,000 milligrams of L-lysine, which is cheaper, can decrease the amount of acetyl-L-carnitine you need to take by helping your body to make its own carnitine. The body also requires vitamin C (I recommend 200+ milligrams a day) and B-complex vitamins to make carnitine.12 Lysine, B Complex and Vitamin C are all present in the Energy Revitalization System vitamin powder. I suspect that most people can lower their dose of acetyl-L-carnitine after 12-16 weeks-for example, to 500 milligrams a day-or even stop it. Any brand is fine as long as it is pure acetyl-L-carnitine.


References:
9. A. V. Plioplys and S. Plioplys, "Amantadine and L-Carnitine Treatment of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome," Neuropsychobiology 35 (1) (1997): 16-23. H. Kuratsune, K. Yamaguti, M. Takahashi, et al., “Acylcarnitine Deficiency in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome,” Clinical Infectious Disease 18 (3 Supplement 1) (January 1994): S62–S67.
10. V. Tanphaichitr and P. Leelahagul, "Carnitine Metabolism and Human Carnitine Deficiency," review article, Nutrition 9 (3) (May-June 1993): 246-252.
11. R.E. Keith, "Symptoms of Carnitine Like Deficiency in a Trained Runner Taking DL-Carnitine Supplements," letter, Journal of the American Medical Association 255 (9) (7 March 1986): 1137.12. H.E.F. Davies, et al., "Ascorbic Acid and Carnitine in Man," Nutrition Reports International 36 (1987): 941.""