Levocarnitine

What is levocarnitine?

Levocarnitine is a natural substance found in food that helps the body to use energy. Levocarnitine is typically used to treat or prevent low carnitine levels caused by dialysis or treatment with valproic acid (a seizure medication). It may also be used in other conditions.

You may hear levocarnitine called by its brand names, Carnitor or L-carnitine. Levocarnitine comes in tablet, capsule, liquid and injection forms.

Tell your child's health-care provider if your child has any unusual or allergic reactions to levocarnitine.

How should you give your child levocarnitine?

• Give levocarnitine exactly as your child’s health-care provider tells you, even if your child seems better.
• Do not suddenly stop giving this medicine to your child. Give levocarnitine for as long as their health-care provider tells you, even if your child seems well. Talk to your child's health-care provider before you stop giving levocarnitine for any reason.
• Give levocarnitine at the same time(s) every day.
• If your child is taking liquid levocarnitine, measure the dose with the special spoon or syringe the pharmacist has provided you. 
• If your child is taking levocarnitine tablets or capsules, the tablet or capsule should be swallowed whole with water. If your child cannot swallow tablets, speak to their health-care provider about switching to liquid instead. If liquid is not an option, the tablets may be crushed and mixed into a small amount of water, milk or soft food. Capsules can be opened, and the contents mixed into drink or food.

What should you do if your child misses a dose?

• Give the missed dose as soon as you remember.
• If it is almost time for the next dose, skip the missed dose. Give the next dose at the regular time.
• Do not give your child two doses to make up for one missed dose.

What are the possible side effects of levocarnitine?

Your child may have some of these side effects while they take levocarnitine.

Check with your child's health-care provider if your child continues to have any of these side effects, if they do not go away, or if they bother your child:

• throwing up, nausea, upset stomach, diarrhea, stomach cramps
• change in taste
• fishy-smelling body odour
• headache

Speak to your child’s health-care provider if your child has any of these side effects:

• fatigue, loss of energy, weakness

Most of the following side effects are not common, but they may be a sign of a serious problem. Call your child's health-care provider right away or take your child to an Emergency Department if your child has any of these side effects:

• allergic reaction, such as rash, hives, itching tightness in chest or throat, trouble breathing
• unexplained muscle pain, muscle tenderness or weakness
• dark brown urine
• seizures

What safety measures should you take when your child is using this medicine?

There are some medicines that should not be taken together with levocarnitine, or, in some cases, the dose of levocarnitine or the other medicine may need to be adjusted. It is important that you tell your child’s health-care providers if your child takes any other medications (prescription, over the counter or herbal) including:

• warfarin

To reduce the chances of upset stomach, the liquid form of levocarnitine should be taken slowly, and doses spaced evenly throughout the day.

What other important information should you know?

• Keep a list of all medications your child is on and show the list to their health-care provider.
• Do not share your child’s medicine with others and do not give anyone else’s medicine to your child.
• Make sure you always have enough levocarnitine to last through weekends, holidays and vacations. Call your pharmacy at least two days before your child runs out of medicine to order refills.
• Keep all medical appointments so that your child’s health-care provider can check their reaction to levocarnitine.
• Keep levocarnitine at room temperature in a cool, dry place away from sunlight. Do NOT store it in the bathroom or kitchen.
• Do not keep any medicines that are out of date. Check with your pharmacist about the best way to throw away outdated or leftover medicines.

Keep levocarnitine out of your child’s sight and reach and locked up in a safe place. If your child takes too much levocarnitine, call your local Poison Information Centre at one of these numbers. These calls are free. 

• Call 1-844 POISON-X, or 1-844-764-7669, from anywhere in Canada except Quebec.
• Call 1-800-463-5060 if you live in Quebec.