US Brand Names: Carnitine, Carnitor
Description
Levocarnitine is used to prevent and treat a lack of carnitine. It is used to prevent and treat this condition in patients with kidney disease on dialysis. It is given to people whose body cannot properly use carnitine from their diet. Lack of carnitine can lead to liver, heart and muscle problems. Your doctor may treat lack of carnitine by prescribing levocarnitine for you.
Carnitine comes in two forms. Levocarnitine (L-carnitine) should not be confused with the D, L-carnitine form (labeled as "vitamin B T"). Only the L-form of carnitine is used by the body to treat serious carnitine deficiency. The D, L-form does not help the body use fat and can actually interfere with and cause a lack of levocarnitine.
Certain levocarnitine products have been specifically approved by the U.Ss Food and Drug Administration for medical use and are available only with your doctor's prescription.
Once a medicine has been approved for marketing for a certain use, experience may show that it is also useful for other medical problems. Although this use is not included in product labeling, levocarnitine is used in certain patients with the following medical condition:
- Carnitine deficiency that results from treatment with valproic acid
Along with its needed effects, a medicine may cause some unwanted effects. Although not all of these side effects may occur, if they do occur they may need medical attention.
Check with your doctor as soon as possible if any of the following side effects occur:
More common
- High blood pressure
- Fast hearthbeat
- Fever
- Seizures
More common
- Abdominal or stomach cramps
- Diarrhea
- Headache
- Nausea or vomiting
- Abdominal discomfort
- Body odor
- Depression
- Dizziness
- Impaired vision
- Loss o appetite or weight
- Swelling in hands, lower legs, and feet
- Tingling sensation
- Weakness
Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects.