What Causes Carnitine Deficiency?

Carnitine is an amino acid produced in the liver and kidneys and stored in the heart, brain and muscles. Basically, it helps the body convert fat into energy. If your body cannot produce or store enough carnitine, the result may be myoglobinuria, hypoglycemia, cardiomyopathy, liver disease, muscle necrosis and hyperammonemia with muscle aches, fatigue and confusion.

Poor Intake

• Carnitine deficiency can result simply from a lack of carnitine in your diet. Common causes of poor intake are fad diets, long term intravenous feeding or lack of access to proper nutrition.

Enzyme Deficiency

• Certain enzyme deficiencies, such as carnitine palmitoyltransferase deficiency, methylmalonicaciduria, propionicacidemia and isovalericacidemia will result in an inability to metabolize carnitine.

Carnitine Leak

• Your body can suffer from a carnitine deficiency if you have an inherited condition in which carnitine is leaked from your renal tubules.

Illness

• Carnitine deficiency can occur as a secondary condition to another illness or condition. Severe liver disease, ketosis, major burns, diuresis, severe diarrhea, intermittent claudication, angina and sepsis can all cause a deficiency in carnitine.

Surgery or Medical Procedure

• Major surgery of the gastrointestinal tract may cause a carnitine deficiency, as can hemodialysis.

Medication

• Taking the anticonvulsant drug valproate or the HIV/AIDS drug zidovudine can cause a deficiency in carnitine.