Problems with Acetyl L-Carnitine?

[Ocean]

I tried this recently at a low dose, 125 mg, and had strong side effects for a day or two. I took in the morning at about 9 but had serious trouble sleeping all night that night. It seemed to get me fairly wired. I fell asleep at night but woke up repeatedly and then couldn't get back to sleep. It also caused me to urinate a lot. It also had some positive effects and for that I'd really like to try to find a way to take it again. I read taking it before 3 pm should prevent sleep troubles but that did not work for me obviously.

Has anyone else had trouble with this before, or know why it affected me so much at a low dose, or if there's anything I can do to be able to tolerate it, like maybe it needs another supplement to take along with it or, I don't know. Thanks.

 

[heapsreal]

I tried this recently at a low dose, 125 mg, and had strong side effects for a day or two. I took in the morning at about 9 but had serious trouble sleeping all night that night. It seemed to get me fairly wired. I fell asleep at night but woke up repeatedly and then couldn't get back to sleep. It also caused me to urinate a lot. It also had some positive effects and for that I'd really like to try to find a way to take it again. I read taking it before 3 pm should prevent sleep troubles but that did not work for me obviously.

Has anyone else had trouble with this before, or know why it affected me so much at a low dose, or if there's anything I can do to be able to tolerate it, like maybe it needs another supplement to take along with it or, I don't know. Thanks.

what about just trying normal carnitine at first, i dont think its as stimulating or effects the brain as much. Maybe after awhile on this u may be able to use acetyl version. just a thought.
Also maybe q10 to also help with mitochondria.

 

[Ocean]

what about just trying normal carnitine at first, i dont think its as stimulating or effects the brain as much. Maybe after awhile on this u may be able to use acetyl version. just a thought.
Also maybe q10 to also help with mitochondria.

Thans Heapsreal. I thought of that but was a little scared after my night of bad sleep. In a few days I think I will try it and will look into the q10, thank you.

 

[alex3619]

Hi Ocean, one possibility is that it is WORKING and boosting your energy even if you don't notice it but just the impact on sleep. Reducing the dosage or pulse dosing (skipping days) might be a way around this. Another issue might be the time of day you are taking it. Try taking it at 9 at night instead - is that better or worse? Bye, Alex

 

[adreno]

Don't know if it'll help, but you could try taking it with some choline and B5.

 

[justy]

Hi Ocean i've had problems acetyl l carnatine as well - even though i have quite a marked deficiency. It makes me feel very jittery and wired. I would suggest starting with a smaller amount -even a speck to see at what point the side effects stop. My carnitine was prescribed at 2 grammes per day, but i could only tolerate a fraction of that. I also had trouble with the COQ10 at first - although it is very rare to have a wired reaction to it. Now i am feeling a bit better i can tolerate supplements more- althouhg i still go in at a low dose to see first.

I hope this helps a bit, Justyx

 

[Ocean]

Adreno, are those more calming vs. stimulating (the choline and B5)? Thanks.

Justy, sorry you had trouble too but it's good to hear you've had improvement in your tolerance. I think trying a tiny dose is a good idea, next time I get up the nerve to try it. Right now my sleep is so bad I can't afford to have it messed up even more. I seem to be overstimulated very easily so anything that has the potential for that I have to be very careful I guess.

 

[adreno]

Adreno, are those more calming vs. stimulating (the choline and B5)? Thanks.

ALCAR increases acetylcholine levels. Choline and B5 are acetylcholine cofactors. Acetylcholine activates the parasympathic nervous system. This should have a calming, though not sedating, effect.

 

[justy]

Hi Ocean, i understand how you feel. At one point i couldnt tolerate more than 3 supplements without getting wired problems and being horribley overstimulated. Thankfully for me this has got better.
Lots of mediation, relaxatiohn, resting, pacing, magnesium and B12 injections seem to have got me here (oh, and had 8 months of McTimony chiropractor - which was amazingly helpful) and now can start a good supplement regime.

I agree that when this happens the only thing to do is to stop altogether and if you feel like it try again in the future.

Take care, Justy.x

 

[Tally]

I am taking
L carnitine fumarat - 3450 mg
Acetyl L Carnitine - 1000 mg
CO Q10 - 40 mg
divided into two doses that I take twice a day. I haven't had any side effects.
Ocean, how long have you been taking it? It is possible that something else caused your inability to sleep because it happens randomly to all of us sometimes.

 

[Ocean]

Tally, no it's not random it was definitely related to the ACL.

Update: I just tried a tiny bit of L-carnitine today and it caused the same effects only slightly milder. I guess I just can't tolerate these supplements, at least for now. It's too bad because the ACL seemed to be the only thing to reduce my facial swelling that I've had daily for more than a year. The L-carnitine did not have that same benefit but had the same negative side effects including increased urination and inability to sleep. A friend told me how things that are meant to give energy make her wired and I think it may be the case for me also. I think I need calming supplements rather than energizing, if these two are any indication. It's too bad I can't just keep the anti-inflammatory effects of the ACL though without the accompanying side effects.

 

[perchance dreamer]

Hi, Ocean. Regular ACL has a bad effect on my sleep, too.

My nutritionist suggested a different form: GPLC, which is Glycine Propionyl L-Carnitine. It has a glycine part, which is inhibitory. I use the Jarrow brand.

I really like it. I do have to take it as soon as I wake up, though, so it won't affect my sleep.

When I do take it on waking, I have a little better energy during the day and slightly improved sleep at night. I do really well with all forms of glycine.

If you want to read reviews, you can search on Amazon and IHerbs.

 

[Tally]

I am really surprised that you can feel wired from any form of L - carnitine. As far as I understood it is simply a compound that helps transport fatty acids in our body, not some drug that we can have side effect from. Wikipedia states that 100g of beef has 95 mg of L - carnitine and I can't imagine someone not being able to sleep because they ate a stake for lunch.

I am obviously wrong so could someone please explain where am I making a mistake in my thinking about L - carnitine? Thanks

 

[Ocean]

Thank you Perchance Dreamer. When I am feeling brave again I will try that form. I hope it will work for me. I was up all night from the L-Carnitine and it really derails me when I lost two days and a whole night to trying something, so I'll wait a bit and try that.

Tally, a known side effect of Acetyl L Carnitine is restlessness, and if taken too late in the day insomnia, so I don't think it's odd it gave me insomnia and made me wired. Although granted I took it early and took a small dose. I'm not sure but I thought L-Carnitine turns into ALC in the body, so if that is true, it doesn't seem odd that it had the same effect on me that the ALC did. I don't eat meat so I'm not sure about the steak, but I also don't think taking something in supplement form and food form produce the same results necessarily, even if the actual amount of the supplement in each is the same.

From webmd "The body can convert L-carnitine to other amino acids called acetyl-L-carnitine and propionyl-L-carnitine. "
http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-suppl...026&activeIngredientName=L-CARNITINE&source=2

 

[Tally]

Thanks. Please don't misunderstand, I am not trying to convince you that you don't have side effects, I am just trying to understand how it works, because right now I am taking a lot of L - carnitine and Acetyl L Carnitine.

 

[Ocean]

Thanks. Please don't misunderstand, I am not trying to convince you that you don't have side effects, I am just trying to understand how it works, because right now I am taking a lot of L - carnitine and Acetyl L Carnitine.

Oh no I didn't think that. I'm not sure how almost anything scientific/medical really works, but that's the best explanation I could find with limited searching. It does make sense to me. Also ALC is supposed to help with energy (I think many take it for just that purpose), so again, that energy could translate to too much energy, which is exactly what seemed to have happened to me.

 

[Mij]

Ocean,

I also have problems taking supplements that "boost energy" but l acetyl carnitine works well for me. I take it with R+lipoic acid.

I don't know if you have borderline or a low functioning thyroid but I know it's countraindicated to take carnitine if you do.

 

[Ocean]

Ocean,

I also have problems taking supplements that "boost energy" but l acetyl carnitine works well for me. I take it with R+lipoic acid.

I don't know if you have borderline or a low functioning thyroid but I know it's countraindicated to take carnitine if you do.

Mon ame, I wish I could tolerate it too. It really had a great side effect that I've not found anywhere else. So far my thyroid tests have been normal but I am waiting on some results of retests. Thank you!

 

[Sparrow]

I reacted really strongly to the same kind of tiny dose you did. I was supposed to take 1000mg, I think, and thought I was starting low by only taking one pill out of the 6 I was supposed to... Heh... Still too high for me!

I got really wired and extra lightheaded, and started having bad overstimulation problems from things that were totally fine before. I like the benefits it's supposed to have, though, so I've ended up staying on a very small dose. I don't really notice any negative side effects from it (though to be honest, not any positive either). Maybe eventually my body will be able to tolerate more. In the mean time, for whatever reasons, clearly this is one of those supplements/drugs that is just super potent for me. ...Which is fine by me. It's a lot cheaper that way, at least.

Anyway, you're definitely not alone in being sensitive to it.

 

[Ocean]

I reacted really strongly to the same kind of tiny dose you did. I was supposed to take 1000mg, I think, and thought I was starting low by only taking one pill out of the 6 I was supposed to... Heh... Still too high for me!

I got really wired and extra lightheaded, and started having bad overstimulation problems from things that were totally fine before. I like the benefits it's supposed to have, though, so I've ended up staying on a very small dose. I don't really notice any negative side effects from it (though to be honest, not any positive either). Maybe eventually my body will be able to tolerate more. In the mean time, for whatever reasons, clearly this is one of those supplements/drugs that is just super potent for me. ...Which is fine by me. It's a lot cheaper that way, at least.

Anyway, you're definitely not alone in being sensitive to it.

So, Sparrow since you reacted strongly but you say now you notice neither good or bad does that mean over time the overstimulation effect went away? I really would like to try it again because I did notice a positive effect, but it definitely overstimulated me too. Almost to the point where I felt, not manic, but a mild version of that. Something like being on drugs.