Levocarnitine (Systemic)
Brand Names : Carnitor, L-carnitine
Before Using This MedicineIn deciding to use a medicine,
the risks of taking the medicine must be weighed against the good it will
do. This is a decision you and your doctor will make. For levocarnitine, the
following should be considered:
Allergies - Tell your health care professional if you are allergic
to any substances, such as foods, preservatives, or dyes.
Pregnancy - Studies have not been done in humans. However, levocarnitine
has not been shown to cause birth defects or other problems in animal studies.
Breast-feeding - It is not known whether levocarnitine passes into
the breast milk. Carnitine normally is present in breast milk, even in women
not taking supplements of it, because it is obtained from the diet.
Children - Although there is no specific information comparing
use of levocarnitine in children with use in other age groups, this dietary
supplement is not expected to cause different side effects or problems in
children than it does in adults.
Older adults - There is no specific information comparing use of
levocarnitine in the elderly with use in other age groups; however, this medicine
is not expected to cause different side effects or problems in older people
than it does in younger adults.
Other medicines - Although certain medicines should not be used
together at all, in other cases they may be used together even if an interaction
might occur. In these cases, your doctor may want to change the dose, or other
precautions may be necessary. Tell your health care professional if you are
taking any other prescription or nonprescription (over-the-counter [OTC])
medicine.
Other medical problems - The presence of other medical
problems may affect the use of levocarnitine. Make sure you tell your doctor
if you have any other medical problems, especially:
-
Seizures - occur more often and are more severe in patients with
a history of seizure activity
-
Severe renal dysfunction - administration of high doses of oral
levocarnitine for long periods of time may build up in the body of patients
with severe kidney disease
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