Carnitine Interactions

Interactions with Medications and Supplements

Carnitine has interactions with the following medications and supplements:

Allopurinol
People taking allopurinol for managing and preventing gout may benefit from taking carnitine supplements.
Anticonvulsants (Gabapentin, Phenobarbital, Valproic acid)
People taking anticonvulsant medications for managing and preventing seizures, may benefit from taking carnitine supplements, as they could reduce the possibility and severity of side effects from the anticonvulsant medications.
AZT
People taking AZT, an anti-viral medication normally given to people with HIV/AIDS normally have lowered levels of carnitine in the muscles and research suggests that the muscle damage caused by AZT medications can reduce carnitine levels. To prevent muscle damage in people taking AZT drugs, carnitine supplementation is necessary. People taking AZT need to seek the advice of their doctor to determine how much carnitine (as well as other nutrients) should be supplemented.
Chemotherapy drugs (Doxorubicin)
People taking chemotherapy drugs for treating cancers may need to be supplemented with carnitine, as research shows that it could could reduce the possibility and severity of side effects from the chemotherapy medications. People on chemotherapy need to seek the advice of their oncology specialist to determine how much carnitine (as well as other nutrients) should be supplemented.