Acetyl-L-carnitine
Acetyl-L-carnitine in SciatiEase
Acetyl-L-carnitine (ALCAR) in SciatiEase is 250 mg per 4-capsule serving and 125 mg per 2 capsules. It is a form of carnitine, a nutrient cells use to burn fat for energy. Nerve trials used 1,500-3,000 mg a day, and a Cochrane review of 907 people rated the evidence very low certainty.
Written by the SciatiEase label deskUpdated
First stop01
What is acetyl-L-carnitine?
Acetyl-L-carnitine is a form of carnitine with an acetyl group attached, and SciatiEase lists it as a nerve nutrient. Carnitine helps move fats into the parts of a cell that burn them for energy.
Your body makes carnitine, and meat and dairy supply more. The acetyl form is the one usually tested in nerve studies.
Researchers became interested in it for nerve damage from diabetes, where nerve cells may run short on energy. It has not been studied for sciatica.
| Name on the label | Acetyl-L-Carnitine (ALCAR) |
|---|---|
| What it is | Acetylated form of carnitine |
| Group on the panel | Nerve nutrients |
| Amount per 4 capsules (label serving) | 250 mg |
| Amount per 2 capsules | 125 mg |
| % Daily Value | No DV |
| Amount used in research | 1,500-3,000 mg a day in neuropathy trials |
| Strength of evidence | Very low certainty; little effect at 1,500 mg or less |
| Marketed or traditional use | Energy use in nerve cells |
| Main caution | Stomach upset; a fishy body odor at high doses. |
On the label02
How much acetyl-L-carnitine is in SciatiEase?
SciatiEase lists 250 mg of acetyl-L-carnitine per 4-capsule serving, which is 62.5 mg per capsule. The panel prints it as “Acetyl-L-Carnitine (ALCAR)”, on its own line under the AlphaPalm Blend.
At 2 capsules a day you get 125 mg. There is no Daily Value for carnitine, so the panel shows a symbol instead of a percentage.
| Capsules a day | ALCAR a day | Share of 1,500 mg |
|---|---|---|
| 2 (official site) | 125 mg | About 8% |
| 4 (label serving) | 250 mg | About 17% |
Research03
Does acetyl-L-carnitine help nerve pain?
Acetyl-L-carnitine may ease nerve pain a little, but the evidence is sparse and of very low certainty. That is the verdict of a 2019 Cochrane review of four trials with 907 people with diabetic neuropathy (Cochrane, Acetyl-L-carnitine 2019).
The trials used 1,500 to 3,000 mg a day. Overall, pain fell about 9 points more than placebo on a 100-point scale. At 1,500 mg a day or less, there was little difference.
The reviewers flagged a funding problem too. Two trials were paid for by a maker of the supplement, and the other two had an author who consulted for one.
| Item | Cochrane review | SciatiEase, 4 capsules |
|---|---|---|
| Daily amount | 1,500-3,000 mg | 250 mg |
| Who took it | 907 people with diabetic neuropathy | Sold for sciatic nerve health |
| Pain result | Small drop; very low certainty | Not tested |
| At 1,500 mg or less | Little difference from placebo | Below that line |
Dose check04
Is 250 mg of acetyl-L-carnitine a useful dose?
By trial standards, 250 mg of acetyl-L-carnitine is a small dose: one-sixth of the lowest amount tested. And the review found little effect even at that lowest amount.
A quick sum shows the gap. Reaching 1,500 mg from SciatiEase alone would take 24 capsules a day, six times the label serving. Never do that; the other ingredients, such as vitamin B6, would climb far past safe levels.
2 capsules
125 mg a day. About one-twelfth of the lowest trial dose.
4 capsules
250 mg a day. The full label amount, still well short of 1,500 mg.
Safety05
What are the side effects of acetyl-L-carnitine?
Acetyl-L-carnitine side effects show up mainly at about 3 g a day: nausea, vomiting, stomach cramps, diarrhea and a fishy body odor. The 250 mg in SciatiEase is a small fraction of that (NIH ODS, Carnitine).
Gut bacteria can turn carnitine into a compound called TMAO, which has been linked to heart disease risk. What that means for supplements is still being studied (NIH ODS, Carnitine).
Some seizure medicines, including valproic acid, phenytoin and carbamazepine, lower carnitine in the blood (NIH ODS, Carnitine). That is a reason to tell your neurologist, not a reason to change a dose.
Every prescribed medicine stays on its normal schedule. Never cut or stop one because you added a nerve supplement; talk to the prescriber first.
The warning panel is not in the images we have; follow the bottle you receive. See the SciatiEase side effects page for the full formula.
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See packsAsk first06
Who should check with a doctor before taking acetyl-L-carnitine?
People on seizure medicine, people with heart disease, and anyone pregnant, nursing or under 18 should check with a doctor before taking acetyl-L-carnitine.
The same goes for anyone whose leg pain is new, getting worse, or lasting past 4 weeks (MedlinePlus, Sciatica).
- Seizure medicine: carnitine levels and dosing may need a look.
- Heart disease: ask about the TMAO question.
- Kidney disease: ask your care team before any new supplement.
A short fit check covering more groups is on who SciatiEase is for.
What the brand says07
What does the SciatiEase official site say about ALCAR?
The official site's chart shows 300 mg of ALCAR, but the Supplement Facts panel prints 250 mg per 4 capsules. The same chart lists 600 mg of PEA and 300 mg of R-ALA, where the panel says 500 mg and 250 mg (SciatiEase official site).
We go with the panel. It is the label the law requires, and it is printed on every bottle.
The capsule count matters as well. The official site says 2 capsules a day but calls a bottle a 30-day supply; 120 capsules at 2 a day last 60 days, so the 30 days only fits the 4-capsule serving.
Next stops08
Which SciatiEase ingredient pairs with acetyl-L-carnitine?
The panel groups acetyl-L-carnitine with benfotiamine as the two nerve nutrients, both studied in diabetic nerve damage. The rest of the formula is the AlphaPalm Blend, four B vitamins and four herbs.
Read benfotiamine in SciatiEase next, or open the full SciatiEase ingredients list.
FAQ09
Acetyl-L-carnitine questions, answered
Is 250 mg of acetyl-L-carnitine enough for nerve pain?
Probably not by trial standards. Nerve studies used 1,500-3,000 mg a day and saw little difference from placebo at 1,500 mg or less (Cochrane, Acetyl-L-carnitine 2019). Four SciatiEase capsules hold 250 mg, about a sixth of the lowest dose tested, and two capsules hold half that.
How much acetyl-L-carnitine is in 2 SciatiEase capsules?
Two capsules hold 125 mg of acetyl-L-carnitine, half of the 250 mg in the 4-capsule label serving. Each capsule carries 62.5 mg. That is about 8% of the 1,500 mg low dose used in diabetic neuropathy trials, so the two are far apart.
Does acetyl-L-carnitine cause a fishy smell?
It can, but mainly at high doses. A fishy body odor is listed for carnitine at about 3 g a day, along with nausea and diarrhea (NIH ODS, Carnitine). SciatiEase holds 250 mg per 4 capsules, roughly a twelfth of that amount.
Can I take acetyl-L-carnitine with seizure medicine?
Ask your neurologist first. Valproic acid, phenobarbital, phenytoin and carbamazepine lower blood carnitine levels (NIH ODS, Carnitine), so your doctor may want to know about any carnitine you add. Keep taking the seizure medicine exactly as prescribed while you wait for an answer.
Is acetyl-L-carnitine the same as L-carnitine?
Not quite. Acetyl-L-carnitine is L-carnitine with an acetyl group attached, and it is the form most nerve trials tested (Cochrane, Acetyl-L-carnitine 2019). SciatiEase uses the acetyl form, listed on the panel as “Acetyl-L-Carnitine (ALCAR)” at 250 mg per 4 capsules and 125 mg per 2.
Why does the official site list 300 mg of ALCAR?
The official site's comparison chart shows 300 mg, but the Supplement Facts panel prints 250 mg per 4 capsules. The panel is the label, so this site uses 250 mg. Read the panel on the bottle you receive to be sure.
Is acetyl-L-carnitine bad for the heart?
The answer is not settled. Gut bacteria can turn carnitine into TMAO, a compound linked to heart disease risk, and researchers say more work is needed (NIH ODS, Carnitine). If you have heart disease, ask your cardiologist before adding any carnitine supplement.
Who wrote this10
Written and reviewed by
Pages built from the label, the official site, the sales page and linked NIH, FDA, FTC and peer-reviewed sources.
Last updated . Read our editorial standards and how we check reviews. This website is run by a SciatiEase authorized U.S. retailer, not by the manufacturer. We are paid a commission when you buy through our order links.
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