Carnitine deficient

[6t5frlane]

I'm 52 year old male RA for 16 yeras. Last July brgan having muscle problems. Mostly in calves. Around Jan began getting muscle twitching. Since then things have gotton worse. Weak feeling,cold feet. feels like static in my feet. Seeing a Neuro. Possible MND.My question is my most recent bloodtests. Any help would be appreciated.
Carnitine 42 range 42.0 to 81.0
Carnitine Esters 2 Range 3.8 to 19.0 ****
Red Blood cell dist. 14.8 rabge range 11.5 to 14.5***
Neutrophil 77.8 range 40.0 to 74.0
Lymphocte 12.8 range 15.0 to 50.0 ***
Hemoglobin 16.3 Range 13.9 to 16.3
Pyruvate <0.10 range 0.30 to 0.70 ** very low

If this is not the proper place to post this please let me know

[mrsdoubtfyre]

I found a medical website for you...

Given your age I would pay most attention to the "secondary" causes:
http://www.emedicine.com/ped/topic321.htm

There are some people in the mitocondrial disorders area who believe that recessive carriers, may present with issues later in life, if they did not express them as children. I don't think there is proof of that yet, but there is a trend to accept that theory.

I don't think the net is going to be helpful for you. Make sure you have a very thorough doctor however. This is a complex difficult field...metabolic disorders.

[annie]

www.lizajane.org

I've posted charts there which list the tests useful for making a diagnosis for the cause of pn. Please check it out. Download the charts and use however you like. But please, ask you doctors to give you copies of your lab tests each time something is done, and keep your own records of the results.


i highly recommend lizajane's excellent spreadsheets for keeping track of lab tests.

if you start now you will have all of your tests in one place, not a common experience.

this was originally posted in the perpherial neuropathy forum useful websites thread. i think lizajane should put it here in the useful websites also. it is here someplace but on an earlier page i think.

[6t5frlane]

Thank you both

[copperhead]

Low carnitine levels in your blood, according to my research, does not indicate a carnitine deficiency. Usually low carnitine means either not enough vitamin C intake or not enough lysine in the diet. A vegetarian diet may be low in lysine.

I am not sure how they would diagnose a carnitine deficiency. But, you might consider supplementing some because I have read that as you get older your body is not able to make it from lysine or methionine. You might have some indications of being low, the muscle problems sound close. Carnitine would cause fatigue, muscle weakness and cramps. It is also associated with fat metabolism, so having your cholesterol levels checked might help you figure out if this is something your really need or something you might just try as a test.

Hyperthyroidism would cause an increase in carnitine excretion while hypothyroidism would cause a decrease in carnitine excretion.

L-carnitine or acetyl-L-carnitine are both effective as supplements. (Make sure your diet is good and you are getting plenty of vitamin C. Supplemental choline may increase carnitine retention.) Most amino acids are best taken away from food, and carnitine cause some GI upset in doses of more than 2 grams per day. You might consider a dose of maybe 1 gram twice a day. Anymore than that might be wasting your money. After a month or two of that dose you might be able to reduce that dose to 500 mg. twice a day.

[6t5frlane]

Thanks copperhead. What do you make of the other "abnormal "tests that came back. Metabolic??

[6t5frlane]

P.S. My thyroid tests came back showing TSI antibodies ( Hyper-Graves ) but still within what they call range. I was told my Elaine Moore ( Thyroid author ) that nobody should have TSI or maybe under 2. Mine were at 91. They say under 125 OK. She says many symptoms show long before tests results show. Somehow this must all be connected

[copperhead]

I am not an expert on thyroid problems so I don't want to give you advice on that specifically.

But it seems there may be a connection. So, I would probably pursue this connection any way possible. The hardest part is finding a doctor who knows the right tests that will detect problems before they get really bad.

But if you think you have Graves and or hyperthyroidism (even early stage) then that does explain why your carnitine levels are low. I think this is something you should research further, and hopefully find someone qualified to help pin this down for you. Of course, while you are trying to find some specialist you do seem to have good reason to supplement the carnitine. Sometimes if you try a supplement those first couple of doses may indicate that your body needs it. That might help you sort out if this is the right direction.

But carnitine is suggested for hyperthyroidism. I think you should keep researching the symptoms, tests, etc., for hyperthyroidism to help eliminate this or confirm that it is the cause of the low carnitine. It might explain the low carnitine but it might not be the cause too. But supplementing carnitine should not be a concern otherwise.

Sorry, but I am not skilled in reading lab results.

[6t5frlane]

Thank you again. I will pursue the Thyroid angle. If you have any more thoughts on this please E me....Geoff