acetyl-L-carnitine

Reported Uses

• NOTE: see Herb & Supplement Effectiveness Rating Definitions table
• ADHD [Insufficient Evidence]
• age-related cognitive decline [Possibly Effective]
• alcohol withdrawal symptoms [Possibly Effective]
• Alzheimer disease [Possibly Effective]
• amenorrhea [Insufficient Evidence]
• amyotrophic lateral sclerosis [Insufficient Evidence]
• atherosclerosis [Insufficient Evidence]
• athletic performance [Insufficient Evidence]
• Bell palsy [Insufficient Evidence]
• bipolar disorder [Insufficient Evidence]
• carpel tunnel syndrome [Insufficient Evidence]
• cataracts [Insufficient Evidence]
• chronic fatigue syndrome [Insufficient Evidence]
• depression [Possibly Effective]
• diabetes mellitus [Insufficient Evidence]
• diabetic neuropathy [Possibly Effective]
• Down syndrome [Insufficient Evidence]
• dyslipidemia [Insufficient Evidence]
• fatigue, age-related [Possibly Effective]
• fatigue, cancer-related [Insufficient Evidence]
• fatigue, multiple sclerosis-related [Insufficient Evidence]
• fibromyalgia [Insufficient Evidence]
• fragile X syndrome [Insufficient Evidence]
• frailty [Insufficient Evidence]
• hepatic encephalopathy [Insufficient Evidence]
• hepatotoxicity, toxin-induced [Insufficient Evidence]
• HTN [Insufficient Evidence]
• infertility in patients of childbearing potential [Insufficient Evidence]
• Lyme disease [Insufficient Evidence]
• male infertility [Possibly Effective]
• obesity [Insufficient Evidence]
• peripheral neuropathy [Insufficient Evidence]
• peripheral neuropathy, antiretroviral-associated [Insufficient Evidence]
• peripheral neuropathy, chemo-induced [Possibly Ineffective]
• Peyronie disease [Insufficient Evidence]
• polycystic ovary syndrome [Insufficient Evidence]
• schizophrenia [Insufficient Evidence]
• sciatica [Insufficient Evidence]
• skin aging [Insufficient Evidence]
• stroke [Insufficient Evidence]
• testosterone deficiency, age-related [Insufficient Evidence]

Reported Doses

Safety/efficacy may not be established; reported doses may be derived from limited or potentially inadequate studies with variable regimens, multi-ingredient products, or where concentration of active ingredients may vary widely

Effectiveness Ratings

[see Herb & Supplement Effectiveness Rating Definitions table]

age-related cognitive decline

[Possibly Effective]

Dose: 1500-2000 mg PO qd; Info: may give in divided doses

alcohol withdrawal symptoms

[Possibly Effective]

Dose: 1-3 g IV infusion over 3-4h/day x10 days, then 3 g PO qd

Alzheimer disease

[Possibly Effective]

Dose: 1500-3000 mg PO qd; Info: may give in divided doses

amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

[Insufficient Evidence]

Dose: 1000 mg PO tid; Info: used with riluzole

atherosclerosis

[Insufficient Evidence]

Dose: 500 mg PO tid; Info: used with gamma-linolenic acid and grape extract

chronic fatigue syndrome

[Insufficient Evidence]

Dose: 2000 mg PO qd; Info: may give in divided doses

depression

[Possibly Effective]

Dose: 1000-4000 mg PO qd; Info: may give in divided doses

diabetic neuropathy

[Possibly Effective]

Dose: 1500-3000 mg PO qd; Alt: 1000 mg PO bid-tid; 500 mg PO tid; Info: may give doses >1500 mg/day in divided doses

fatigue, age-related

[Possibly Effective]

Dose: 2 g PO bid

fatigue, multiple sclerosis-related

[Insufficient Evidence]

Dose: 1000 mg PO bid

fibromyalgia

[Insufficient Evidence]

Dose: 1000 mg PO qd plus 500 mg IM qd x14 days, then 1500 mg PO qd; Alt: 500 mg PO bid-tid; Info: may give doses >1500 mg/day in divided doses

frailty

[Insufficient Evidence]

Dose: 1500 mg PO bid

hepatotoxicity, toxin-induced

[Insufficient Evidence]

Dose: 250 mg PO bid; Info: used with coenzyme Q10 and alpha-lipoic acid

infertility, abacterial prostatovesiculoepididymitis-associated

[Possibly Effective]

Dose: 500 mg PO bid; Info: used with L-carnitine

male infertility

[Possibly Effective]

Dose: 50-1000 mg PO qd; Alt: 500 mg PO bid; Info: used with L-carnitine

peripheral neuropathy, antiretroviral-associated

[Insufficient Evidence]

Dose: 1000-1500 mg PO bid; Alt: 500-1000 mg IV/IM qd

Peyronie disease

[Insufficient Evidence]

Dose: 1000 mg PO bid

polycystic ovary syndrome

[Insufficient Evidence]

Dose: 1500 mg PO bid; Info: used with antidiabetic tx

schizophrenia

[Insufficient Evidence]

Dose: 1000 mg PO qd; Info: used with clozapine

sciatica

[Insufficient Evidence]

Dose: 1180 mg PO qd

stroke

[Insufficient Evidence]

Dose: 1000 mg PO/NG tid x3 days; Start: within 24h of symptom onset; Info: used with standard tx in patients who were not candidates for reperfusion therapy

testosterone deficiency, age-related

[Insufficient Evidence]

Dose: 2000 mg PO qd; Info: used with propionyl-L-carnitine; may give in divided doses