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Carnitine is low in LD patients

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Posted 7/30/2023 1:01 PM (GMT 0)
Lyme borreliosis patients exhibit a significant decrease of their serum carnitine concentrations.


https://greenmedinfo.com/article/lyme-borreliosis-patients-exhibit-significant-decrease-their-serum-carnitine-c

Abstract Title:

Serum carnitine concentration is decreased in patients with Lyme borreliosis.
Abstract Source:

Postepy Hig Med Dosw (Online). 2016;70(0):180-185. Epub 2016 Mar 4. PMID: 26943315

Abstract Author(s):

Alina Kępka, Sławomir A Pancewicz, Roman M Janas, Renata Świerzbińska
Article Affiliation:

Alina Kępka
Abstract:

BACKGROUND: Lyme borreliosis (LB) is a serious infectious disease. Carnitine plays a crucial role in metabolism and inflammatory responses. Carnitine may be important in improving neuronal dysfunction and loss of neurons.

AIM: To evaluate serum carnitine concentration in adult patients with various clinical types of LB.

MATERIAL/METHODS: Groups: 1) patients with erythema migrans (EM, n=16), 2) neuroborreliosis (NB, n=10), 3) post-Lyme disease (PLD, n=22) and healthy controls (HC, n=32). Total (TC) and free (FC) carnitine were determined with the spectrophotometric method.

RESULTS: TC levels (44.9±10.4, 28.0±8.4, 35.9±15.6 μmol/L) in the EM, NB and PLD patients were lower than in HC (54.0±11.4 μmol/L), p<0.001. FC levels (32.7±7.7, 23.6±6.8, 26.3±11.2 μmol/L) in the EM, NB and PLD patients were lower than in HC (40.5±7.6 μmol/L), p<0.001. AC levels (12.2±5.2, 4.4±2.6, 9.6±7.4 μmol/L) in the EM, NB and PLD patients were lower in the NB and PLD patients than in HC (13.5±8.40 μmol/L), p<0.001. AC/FC ratio was 0.31±0.14, 0.18±0.09, 0.39±0.33 in the EM, NB and PLD patients.

CONCLUSIONS: LB patients exhibit a significant decrease of their serum carnitine concentrations. The largest changes were in the NB and PLD patients. To prevent late complications of the disease a possibility of early supplementation with carnitine should be considered. Further studies are required to explain the pathophysiological significance of our findings.
Posted 7/30/2023 1:06 PM (GMT 0)
The Term Post Lyme disease makes my toenails Roll Up and my head bald of Stress. I hate it.

But other than that interesting information, thank you!
Posted 7/30/2023 1:18 PM (GMT 0)

BlazerGermany said...
The Term Post Lyme disease makes my toenails Roll Up and my head bald of Stress. I hate it.

But other than that interesting information, thank you!

Don't get too hung up on terms, my friend. Review Carnitine:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carnitine

It is an essential element that is found to be naturally depleted in Lyme Disease patients. It may be good to supplement this in your diet if you have been diagnosed with LD.
Posted 7/30/2023 2:46 PM (GMT 0)
Carnitine biosynthesis requires trimethyllysine, vitamin C, and vitamin B6, so possibly one of these is being depleted in patients with Lyme disease.

Carnitine deficiency causes a really distinctive symptom of a very greasy smell. This occurs because carnitine is required for fat metabolism, and without this the lipids just kind of ooze out.
Posted 7/30/2023 4:06 PM (GMT 0)
i supplement with Acetyl-Carnitine - a bioavailable form of carnitine - i have been for a year or so now - 500mg 3x a day
its involved in the energy transport chain -and often depleted in fatiguing illnesses - so can help people with long lasting fatigue

i think it has also been shown to help raise the master anti-oxidant that protects mitochondria - Glutathione

my glutathione markers were very low on OAT tests - as was my vitamin C ( a downstream antioxidant in the antioxidant cascade - that helps recycle glutathione - and gets used up when glutathione is depleted ) showing overall elevated oxidative stress

this situation is expected with ongoing chronic infections due to ongoing inflammation - so i suspect many here will have the same
Posted 7/31/2023 12:01 AM (GMT 0)
Interesting gfields, thanks for sharing this!

Garzie: that's great that the ALCAR is helping!

In regards to the glutathione, I've been nebulizing glutathione lately, I think it's also helping although it's only been a few days. I bought a cheap nebulizer ( ~$30 ) and some pure glutathione powder that I already had laying around.

Then the only other thing that was needed was a bit of 0.9% sodium chloride water (sterile saline water).
Posted 8/1/2023 1:06 PM (GMT 0)

Garzie said...
i supplement with Acetyl-Carnitine - a bioavailable form of carnitine - i have been for a year or so now - 500mg 3x a day
its involved in the energy transport chain -and often depleted in fatiguing illnesses - so can help people with long lasting fatigue

i think it has also been shown to help raise the master anti-oxidant that protects mitochondria - Glutathione

my glutathione markers were very low on OAT tests - as was my vitamin C ( a downstream antioxidant in the antioxidant cascade - that helps recycle glutathione - and gets used up when glutathione is depleted ) showing overall elevated oxidative stress

this situation is expected with ongoing chronic infections due to ongoing inflammation - so i suspect many here will have the same

Thanks Garzie - I didn't realize that we should supplement with the bioavailable form of Carnitine. I just picked up a huge bottle of Carnitine, not Acetyl-Carnitine. I guess I'll invest in some Acetyl-Carnitine. Thanks!
Posted 8/1/2023 3:47 PM (GMT 0)
in the studies i read - Carnitine helps too - its just takes much longer for the effects to be seen - so its not a total waste
Posted 8/12/2023 11:01 PM (GMT 0)
I've been using NAC and ALCAR more or less for years now.

Don't know the exact mechanism of action, except that NAC N-Acetyl-Cysteine is a precursor to Glutathione, the universal antioxidant given even to chemo patients...in large doses from what I understand...(glutathione IV)...

And ALCAR Acetyl-L-Carnitine if I vaguely remember also detoxifies the liver ...?

Reminds me, I have some, I gotta go take it.

https://www.neuroborreliosis.com
Posted 8/14/2023 12:30 PM (GMT 0)
the main reason i take Acetyl-L-Carnitine is because its important for the function of the Krebs cycle in the mitochondria - where it performs the function of an energy transport molecule - helping get fatty acids into the mitochondria where they can be used as fuel

my symptoms were biased towards severe fatigue - which improved when i switched to eating a ketogenic diet and getting most of my energy from fats

this effect is common in fatiguing illnesses like CFS, Lyme etc and is thought to be to do with the body burning ketones from fat cleaner than when burning glucose from carbohydrates ( less free radicals = less free radial damage = less inflammation ).

so burning fats is important to me - and ALCAR seems to help

its also been shown to help with several other conditions - like degenerative brain conditions and mental health issues as well as peripheral neuropathy, most likely through this mitochondria improving mechanism.

its possible it has some benefits in the liver also - but i haven't looked into that
Posted 8/15/2023 5:14 PM (GMT 0)
Think I'm really going to go for it and try some. I've heard low carnitine can cause anxiety and panic attacks.
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