Acetyl-L-carnitine
Acetyl-L-Carnitine in SciatiEase: What 250 mg Means Next to the Studies
Acetyl-L-carnitine in SciatiEase comes to 250 mg per 4-capsule serving. Trials in diabetic nerve pain used 1,500-3,000 mg a day, found only very low-certainty relief, and saw little effect at 1,500 mg or less. In one large chemotherapy trial, 3,000 mg a day made nerve damage worse. SciatiEase itself has not been tested.
Written by the SciatiEase label deskUpdated
What it is01
What is acetyl-L-carnitine in SciatiEase?
Acetyl-L-carnitine, or ALCAR, is an acetylated form of carnitine, the nutrient that helps cells burn fat for energy.
Healthy people make enough carnitine on their own and do not need a supplement for that reason (NIH ODS, Carnitine). Interest in ALCAR for nerves comes from its role in energy use inside nerve cells.
On the SciatiEase panel it has its own printed line: 250 mg per 4 capsules, with no % Daily Value because none exists.
The dose02
Is 250 mg of acetyl-L-carnitine enough to matter?
Probably not, if the trials are the yardstick. The full serving gives about one sixth of the lowest dose they tested.
Neuropathy trials used 1,500, 2,000 or 3,000 mg a day (Rolim et al., Cochrane 2019). The math: 250 divided by 1,500 is about 17%. At 2 capsules a day you get 125 mg, closer to 8%. A whole bottle holds 7,500 mg, which equals two and a half days at the top trial dose.
Even the trial doses gave little benefit at the low end. So ALCAR is the clearest dose gap on the SciatiEase label, and the main reason we rate its share of the formula as minor.
| Name on the label | Acetyl-L-carnitine (ALCAR) |
|---|---|
| What it is | An acetylated form of carnitine, which helps cells burn fat for energy |
| Place on the label | Its own printed line |
| Amount per 4 capsules | 250 mg per 4 capsules |
| Amount per 2 capsules | 125 mg |
| Amount used in research | 1,500-3,000 mg a day in diabetic neuropathy trials; little effect at 1,500 mg or less |
| Strength of evidence | Very low-certainty evidence for some pain relief in diabetic neuropathy |
| Marketed or traditional use | Energy metabolism in nerve cells |
| Main caution | In one large trial it made chemotherapy nerve damage worse; about 3 g a day can upset the stomach and cause a fishy odor. |
Nerve research03
Does acetyl-L-carnitine help nerve pain?
A Cochrane review found a small drop in diabetic nerve pain, rated very low certainty. No trial we found tested it for sciatica.
The review pooled 4 studies with 907 people. Pain fell by 9.16 mm more than placebo on a 100 mm scale, a modest change (Rolim et al., Cochrane 2019). At 1,500 mg a day or less, the difference from placebo was small.
Two of the four studies were paid for by a maker of ALCAR. The reviewers said they were very uncertain whether it reduces pain, and the safety data were too thin to judge.
| Study | Dose a day | What it found |
|---|---|---|
| Cochrane review, 907 people (Rolim et al., Cochrane 2019) | 1,500-3,000 mg | Pain 9.16 mm lower on 100 mm; very low certainty |
| Same review, low doses | 1,500 mg or less | Little difference from placebo |
| Chemo trial, 409 women (Hershman et al., J Clin Oncol 2013) | 3,000 mg | Nerve damage worse by 24 weeks |
| SciatiEase, 4 capsules | 250 mg | Not tested |
Chemo warning04
Is acetyl-L-carnitine safe during chemotherapy?
Not without your oncologist's okay. In one large trial it made chemotherapy nerve damage worse.
The trial gave 409 women on taxane chemotherapy for breast cancer either ALCAR 3,000 mg a day or a placebo for 24 weeks. Nothing differed at 12 weeks. By 24 weeks, nerve symptoms were worse in the ALCAR group (Hershman et al., J Clin Oncol 2013).
Severe nerve toxicity struck 8 women on ALCAR and 1 on placebo. The authors said patients should be steered away from unproven supplements during treatment. SciatiEase holds far less ALCAR, but no one has shown a lower dose is safe in this setting.
Show the SciatiEase panel to your cancer team before you take a single capsule.
Side effects05
What side effects can acetyl-L-carnitine cause?
At about 3 g a day: nausea, vomiting, stomach cramps, diarrhea and a fishy body odor.
Those reports come from doses about 12 times the SciatiEase serving (NIH ODS, Carnitine). At 250 mg, problems from ALCAR alone seem less likely, though no study has measured it at that level.
If you notice a new body odor or stomach upset, note which capsules you took and when. The side effects guide covers the other lines too.
SciatiEase: from $49.99 a bottle120 capsules · 1, 3 or 6 bottles · free US shipping on 3 or 6 · 180-day guarantee
See packsMedicines06
Which medicines lower carnitine levels?
Some seizure medicines and one class of antibiotics can lower the body's carnitine.
The NIH fact sheet names valproic acid, phenobarbital, phenytoin and carbamazepine, plus antibiotics joined to a compound called pivalate (NIH ODS, Carnitine). It does not list other common drug interactions for carnitine.
- On a seizure medicine? Ask your neurologist before adding SciatiEase
- Bring the bottle to your pharmacist so all 12 lines can be checked
Never stop or change a seizure, pain or nerve medicine because of a supplement. See supplements and medicines.
In the formula07
Why is acetyl-L-carnitine in SciatiEase at such a low dose?
The label does not say. Four capsules have limited room, and PEA takes the biggest share.
A serving already holds 500 mg of PEA, 250 mg of R-ALA and 200 mg of benfotiamine. Reaching trial doses of ALCAR would take several more capsules a day. The brand home page lists 300 mg, while the panel prints 250 mg (SciatiEase order page); we follow the panel.
Compare ALCAR with other nerve supplement ingredients on the nerve supplements compared page, or read about its neighbor on the label, benfotiamine.
More ingredients08
Where can I read about the other SciatiEase ingredients?
Seven more profiles cover the rest of the panel.
Each one sets the label dose beside the research and names its main caution.
FAQ09
Acetyl-L-carnitine questions
How much acetyl-L-carnitine is in SciatiEase?
SciatiEase holds 250 mg of acetyl-L-carnitine per 4 capsules, or 125 mg per 2. It has its own printed line on the panel with no % Daily Value, since none has been set.
Is acetyl-L-carnitine good for sciatica?
No trial we found tested it in sciatica. In diabetic nerve pain, 1,500-3,000 mg a day gave a small, very low-certainty drop in pain (Rolim et al., Cochrane 2019). SciatiEase gives 250 mg.
What is the difference between L-carnitine and acetyl-L-carnitine?
Acetyl-L-carnitine is L-carnitine with an acetyl group attached. Both help cells turn fat into energy. The nerve pain trials cited above used the acetyl form (Rolim et al., Cochrane 2019).
Can I take acetyl-L-carnitine while on chemotherapy?
Only with your oncologist's approval. In a 409-woman trial, 3,000 mg a day worsened nerve damage from taxane chemotherapy by 24 weeks (Hershman et al., J Clin Oncol 2013). No lower dose has been shown safe in that setting.
Does acetyl-L-carnitine cause a fishy body odor?
It can at about 3 g a day, along with nausea, cramps and diarrhea (NIH ODS, Carnitine). That is roughly 12 times the 250 mg in a SciatiEase serving, so it is less likely at label doses.
Do seizure medicines lower carnitine?
Some do. Valproic acid, phenobarbital, phenytoin and carbamazepine can lower carnitine levels (NIH ODS, Carnitine). If you take one, ask your neurologist before starting any carnitine supplement.
Who wrote this10
Written and reviewed by
Pages built from the label, the brand pages and linked NIH, FDA, FTC, NICE and peer-reviewed sources.
Last updated . How we work: editorial standards and how we check reviews. This website is run by a licensed SciatiEase retailer, not by the manufacturer, SciatiEase Labs. We earn money when you buy through our order links.
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