Hi,
Does anyone have any experience with these supplements? Useful or not?
L-carnitine and NAC: Hi, Does anyone have any... - Thyroid UK
L-carnitine and NAC
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NAD(+) is too new-fangled a supplement for much research to have been done on humans. verywellhealth.com/nad-supp...
Thanks for the links
I'm talking about N-acetylcysteine though
I have taken augmented NAC for c3-4 months following suggestion from dr. on Long Covid Podcast for inflammation ….heaven’s knows whether it has made any improvement, but not obviously and quite pricey. I assume your vit D, B12, folate ( plus other Bs), ferritin are checked and have tried others like magnesium, zinc, selenium….?
Yes, I'm dealing with those
Disgusting post alert...
I've been taking NAC on and off for several years.
I used to be a heavy smoker but stopped in 2010. Some people's lungs clear themselves out to some extent when they give up smoking. Mine never did. I don't remember exactly when I read about NAC helping to clear the lungs out - it was probably around 2013 - 2015. It thins and loosens mucus in the lungs making it easier to cough up.
I don't take it every day because it can dry the lungs out too much for comfort. But I have never thought it affected my thyroid hormones. I take NAC for about three days on the trot then stop for a few days then take it again for another three days. The standard dose for capsules of NAC is 600mg, for the ones I've come across. I take one a day when I think I need it.
I know that NAC can be used for other kinds of lung problems. I've read about people taking it for COPD or bronchitis or respiratory infections generally, for example. But there are quite a lot of other uses. See these links :
healthline.com/nutrition/na...
Humanbean it might be the sulphur content in NAC, as sulphur clears the lungs. Sulphur is the third most abundant mineral in the body and we are all so short these days. Modern farming methods with chemical fertilisers have stripped our soils. You might get a better effect for your lungs use MSM powder (natural sulphur). You take a teaspoon and chug it down with a glass of water, building up to twice a day or more. It has a slight bitter taste but it is ok nothing like sucking a lemon. Don't take it after 4pm it gives you a lot of energy and you might not sleep well. Athletes and body builders use it all the time. It is also recommended for arthritis and COPD. The brain, heart, and body loves it. Also good quality organic free range egg yokes have a lot of sulphur in them. I use it because I have ME/CFS. It is a precursor to glutathione, It fires my brain neurons off quicker make me very on the ball. I feel more upbeat, also it removes the aches and pains in my muscles and joints.
when do you take it and does it interfere with any other supplements? I can’t get rid of my phlegm every night snd morning, I’ve a nasal drip. Would it interact with my antihistamine? I’ve also no gallbladder.
Which brand do you take?
Don't know if you're talking about NAC but you can get a version by Thorne
I was talking about the sulphur
Hi Cheekycharlie, I suspect you might find that your no gallbladder is causing your phlegm night and morning and nasal drip. Because of low stomach acid, digestive enzymes, and low bile. You could also have a low mineral count. Being hypothyroid we already have lower stomach acid and cannot absorb our minerals, protein and amino acids well. . MSM is so very healing for the tummy. I am not sure that I can tell you the name of the MSM I take on the public forum but you can message me and I will tell you.
Thank you, I had the nasal drip and a bowel bleed many years before my gallbladder was removed. I’m 43 and hormones now kicking in too. I have very painful stomach, especially in the morning, tried all sorts. Histamine friendly probiotic, Manuka honey, digestive enzymes, herbal teas, tinctures etc.
At the moment I’m reducing lectins, so now on coconut milk, I’ve had increased heartburn than before and taking gaviscon every night.
I suffer histamine intolerance and can have very bad attacks, that result in agony and nearly fainting.
Any help appreciated. I’m currently taking aloe Vera but it’s doing nothing.
I take together brand b complex, b12, immune complex, magnesium at night.
Always trying to repair my gut, and it never happens. 
can you message me? Don’t want to block the thread.
I'm so sorry to hear about all your health troubles...I assume you've tried elimination diets?
I don’t do dairy or gluten, tomatoes, any sea food, strawberries. Still many foods can upset me, eggs are a funny one, but I need to eat.
It's so tough isn't it? You don't want to suck all the joy from eating! Have you tried working with a functional doctor or nutritionist?
I have been there Cheekycharlie. I also had cholecystitis and a gallstone stuck in the neck of my gallbladder. Fortunately I managed to hang onto my gallbladder. It is such an important digestive organ. I also had histamine intolerance and had never had that before. Taking a separate B2 alongside my B complex got rid of this. Sounds like your immune system is a more than a little bit upset. Most of our immune system resides in our gut. I had to take HCL 6/7 capsules with a normal meal, 2 to 3 with a smaller meal. 2 digestive enzymes and bile salts 30 to 45 minutes after a meal. You have no gallbladder so I would take the bile salts straight after to have finished eating, so you can start to absorb the necessary fat soluble vitamins and minerals from your meal. I take a probiotic before bed.
I am a bit fortunate as I do have a nutrition diploma, I run it along side my other work. So I was not starting from ground zero.
Do you still need to take all the digestive support supplements or have you managed to reduce anything? I guess I'm asking has healing happened in a lasting way or is it ongoing maintenance?
I am reducing now, my low stomach acid is so much better. It was always low before because of the hypothyroid, then unfortunately I had some gallbladder attacks, hospital put me on antibiotics. I do not do well on them. Then I got reactivated Epstein Barr virus and strep B. Had to be hospitalised again and 3 lots of strong antibiotics. It all went to hell after that It has taken me 15 months it is not a short journey and I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. If again, I start to hiccup after meals, pain in stomach after eating, heartburn of a night, cough and stuffed up nose I know I have not taken enough and up for a little while again. I am also in my 50's and stomach acid does start to wane the older you get. I had malnutrition where I was not absorbing my vitamins and minerals. I am also pernicious anemia along with hypothyroid and gallbladder so I had a triple whammy going on You should start low with HCL 1 or 2 capsules per meal then a couple of weeks later take up to 6/7/8 to to start the stomach acid repair. People do not realise that you get all sorts of sick when stomach acid is low and you cannot absorb your amino acids and nutrients.
You can mention the source/name of anything which isn't prescription-only in the UK.
I was plagued for years with post-nasal drip, until a doctor prescribed Azelastine hydrochloride nasal spray. It has done the trick. In the US there is now an OTC version.
TiggerMeAmbassador
I use it when I have a cold to reduce mucus but if you are interested in it being a precursor to glutathione antioxidant I take L-glutathione which keeps my liver happy and a full spectrum amino acid as I do struggle to always eat enough protein
So I read pages on Examine, you might find them useful? Apparently as a supplement glutathione isn't terribly helpful as it breaks down in the dishwashing process
examine.com/supplements/glu...
Whereas, NAC helps in the production of glutathione and is therefore useful as a general anti-inflammatory as well as more specifically useful in the treatment of lung conditions.
examine.com/supplements/n-a...
Haha! Not dishwashing! Digestion!!
You had me wondering 🤣
I had a couple of worryingly high liver results and the L-glutathione has thankfully sorted these out else I was going to have to fork out on the more expensive liposomal glutathione which has higher bio availability and resistance to digestive issues
With the cost of supplements I always start with the cheaper option 🤞
Turns out that I'm genetically likely to lack in glutathione
Interesting that it's possible to get a more bio-available version
If you are happy to pay you can get most things liposomal I think, it just means they have a protective fat layer so a bit more resilient
L-glutathione
May I ask the dose? I am currently reading up on amino acids health benefits.
I take L-carnitine - I’m hyperthyroid (graves) it’s brought my TSH up into range from 0.01 to 0.94 - I think it wouldn’t be good for hypos for that same reason - I take one now per day but to blast it initially took two - it can make your wee smell fishy though - another reason only taking one now as it depends on dose as to if that happens x
Interesting that it raises TSH.
Yeah apparently so … I looked into it and it does … it defo worked for me anyway 🙂
May I ask what dose? And if you could possible share any studies.
I have raised liver enzymes with associated liver discomfort every morning on waking. NAC has seen off the discomfort. Will be doing liver function tests in October to check if it’s had any effect on liver enzymes
Yeah, I saw that it could have an impact on liver and kidney damage...I may have some kidney issues (yet to be tested) so was looking into it for that. I'd be really interested to follow how you get on... Amazing that it's actually helped with the discomfort - do you put that down to an anti-inflammatory effect?
Kidneys struggle when thyroid levels are low so should hopefully improve as you optimise your levels 🤞
If your kidneys are aching it could well be your adrenals grumbling as they are working hard to keep you going at the moment
I don't have pain but blood tests are showing that I'm possibly losing protein in my urine. Just waiting for a urine test
Being hypo can cause proteinuria so I wouldn't worry about it too much but it is a good marker of before optimising your thyroid hormones and after, my kidney function much improved
This is interesting also - when I asked my endo about this she seemed to think the hypo didn't cause kidney issues or associated stuff which kind of goes against lots I've read. At that point I'd been on 50mg of levo for 1 month. My cholesterol had gone down though so improvements were made. Are you suggesting that if I'm at the right levels the proteinuria shouldn't be an issue either?
Yes, your kidneys need a good level of fT3 to function well so they should sort themselves out... I'm afraid many Endo's really aren't as up on thyroid issues as they should be, it seems most concentrate on diabetes 🙄
This is very heartening! Thanks! Don't suppose you have a source of info I can look at?
Well as far as tests go I don’t have inflammation or a diseased liver but i was in such discomfort I’m not sure the tests can be trusted. There has to be something wrong but anyway NAC did the trick with the pain
I used Tudca first and it was amazing. The very next day I was pain free but when I reintroduced B complex a month later the pain returned. Decided to try NAC instead but I’ve since started Tudca again in rotation
May you clarify what you used then to treat? Was it your liver?
HealthStarDust, I’ve had raised liver enzymes for years. Every morning without fail I had liver ache/discomfort that would dissipate on getting up and moving around
Extensive tests and investigations show a health liver but it cannot be healthy. A healthy liver wouldn’t ache and neither would its enzymes be raised
After a conversation with TiggerMe I started TUDCA. A few days later (may have been sooner. Memory is awful) the discomfort was completely gone. This continued for some weeks, then one day I reintroduced B12 complex and hey presto, discomfort was back. I have no idea whether it was the complex or coincincidence
After a bit of research and a few more conversations on here I started glutathione and NAC. Again virtually instant relief. I’m now rotating all three and have remained largely discomfort-free for some time
Thanks to TiggerMe I feel apprehensively hopeful that my liver enzymes are declining. Let’s see …
I religiously take L-carnitine (over a long period of years) because I have a heart issue. Unfortunately I have no idea whether it does anything for me, because my thyroid meds are not optimal, I am guessing.
However I am extremely interested in nooneimportant comment re: TSH. So far I have had no problems with TSH being responsive. TSH has never gone too low (however on the Forum that’s not thought to be a problem) but it responds immediately to lowering my Levo. I kind of noticed this but had no idea what it might mean in the whole picture of things. Maybe it’s the L-carnitine.
Also looking at the comments about NAC. I know I have a lung issue too but not sure what it is yet. I think it might be damage from two extremely bad cough/infections. One just before Covid and one about two years after (during COVID years) but was negative to covid testing.
Might be a good timer to try it. Can it be bought or does it have to be prescribed?
Yes you can buy it. I've just bought a Thorne version
Thanks. I had some idea this had to be prescribed by a functional bod.
I don’t know much just the research I did for myself - lots of research state that for those struggling to higher TSH it was good - I decided to give it a go as I rattle anyway due to the amount of supplements I take - since taking my TSH has improved, when I stopped taking it for a month there was very little difference ie it didn’t come up further so I’ve started again and wil reevaluate at next blood test x
amjmed.com/article/S0002-93...
I think I lost my reply to you. Studying the paper you highlighted. Thank you!
I’m so interested in the dose and brand you used and how quickly did you notice a change in TSH.
Hellloooooo
At the time my blood tests were being done 4-6 weekly I had had a TSH of 0.01 for 18 months - it went to 0.02 then I think 0.25 currently at 0.94 so to bring up to euthyroid about three months? Ish?? I use high strength Acetyl L-Carnitine 500mg was twice daily now once daily it says vita thrive on the bottle
I’d read a few bits on some studies - just an internet search - and then another forum somewhere where quite a few people swore by it … it appears to have worked for me. I specifically remember the mother of a teenage daughter stating she’d used it for her as the meds were having horrible side effects and it meant she was able to lower her meds and reduce side effects. And also might be worth noting my clinician thinks I’m on 5mg daily Carbimazole when I only take 2.5mg daily (he would know this if he wasn’t such an arrogant arse so I’m leaving him in blissful ignorance for now) 😂 don’t get me wrong it could be just coincidence but when I stopped it for a month (ran out I think) there was little change to my TSH which had come up rapidly prior to that 🤷♀️ I’ll know more at next blood test as restarted it … I always recommend people do their own research 🔬 - but hope that helps 😊🤞🏼
It does. Thank you so much for sharing. After your comment, I google search and there is some studies that state it helps both hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism. One study specifically trialed around 2-4g for hyperthyroidism.
I wouldn’t have thought 500mg is high strength.
Not sure I just know it’s worked for me
Hiya. Yes, NaC is the precursor to glutathione, which in turn is classed as the "Master antioxidant" I took NaC and glutathione recently, but not both at the same time. My thinking was that if you support the body by reducing the amount of free radicals, then it's bound to help any health conditions you may have. I don't think it directly helps the thyroid, but rather by a chain reaction.
NAC had been recommended to me by an integrative doctor. As far as I'm concerned, it really helped with muscle pain. I assume that this relief was not a coincident, because when I stopped taking it, the pain came back. I take it off and on and had very good experience with it. When I looked it up, I found that it is an antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and has a detoxifying effect. These are all properties that could potentially be useful for a number of issues encountered with autoimmune hypothyroidism. Looking at my own experience, I can only recommend it. It can be pricey, though.
L-carnitine and nac are said to reduce thyroid antibodies if you have hashimotos
Interesting. Do you have a source for this?
Actually carnitine is more for fatigue, weight and constipation thyroidpharmacist.com/artic...
Nac Poncin S, Colin IM, Decallonne B, et al. N-Acetylcysteine and 15 Deoxy-Δ12,14-Prostaglandin J2 Exert a Protective Effect Against Autoimmune Thyroid Destruction in Vivo but Not Against Interleukin-1α/Interferon γ-Induced Inhibitory Effects in Thyrocytes in Vitro. The American Journal of Pathology. 2010;177(1):219-228. doi:10.2353/ajpath.2010.091253.
Definitely not reduced mine. They continue to be high.
You have to take several things on top of lifestyle changes to make a difference. You can’t rely on one supplement to cover all bases. Black cumin seed and Moducare are other examples that help. You have to tailor it to what works for you
It's recommended by Isabella Wertz, in the hashimoto's protocol (a popular book that's helped many members), but the guy who wrote "super guts" warns against long term usage as it disrupts the mucus lining in the gut...
Hope that helps! In haste, Foggy
I'd seen that Isabella Wertz recommended it but then as others pointed out it can raise TSH so not straightforward
No not at all straight forward. I'm minded against due to the gut impact, hadn't heard about impact on tsh before...
Well this thread has started a whole new aspect. More reading for me. L-carnitine for hyperthyroidism. I wonder after taking it for quite a while what the effects, symptom wise might be having on me? I was under the impression it helped the mitochondria and would help the heart and preserve energy. Heart I can’t tell and energy is definitely a no no. Heck?!?!
Apologies but I never looked at l-carnitine impact for hypo due to being hyper - very ignorant of me 😞
RegenallotmentAmbassador
I’ve tried both, Didn’t notice any difference at all with L-Carnitine.
NAC was a game changer, really helped with digestion, possible SIBO and H Pylori. (Was never tested but had all symptoms and didn’t want to try antibiotic protocols, it worked for me. Also bonus side effect of coughing up rubbish mid morning and really clearing me out post covid.
Recommended in Supergut Dr William Davies to not take more than 6 weeks at a time.
I had granules in a bag and added to smoothies. Got it from Myprotein and was affordable with their regular discount offers. Smells horrendous but tastes kinda tangy.
I also had success with L-Glutamine am and pm really settling.
🌱
Thank you for this!
Izabella Wentz states if she could take only one supplement she would choose NAC, EXCEPT if you have a CBS mutation. I have a double CBS mutation which I think is supposed to cause excess cysteine, yet I have just been diagnosed COPD. She states that if you have CBS you will either make Taurine, or Glutathione, but not both. I appear to make Taurine(90%) and Glutamine is (MINUS 0.36 %). From what she says I shouldn't take NAC. The only way you would know if you have CBS mutations is if you have genetic results. I don't understand why you make one or the other, but not both. Around 160 CBS mutations have been discovered so far, so it is entirely possible you could have one. I have the one with the most research done on it.
Izabella Wentz is also very keen on L-Carnitine. Funnily enough , the more I look at my genetic mutations , the advice when investigating them is, time and again, to supplement with L-Carnitine, and eat a low protein diet. I seem to have lots of problems metabolising LEUSINE (25.88%), and L-Carnitine is supposed to be helpful for this, if that's any help.
I intend, at some time in the future to try Acetyl-L-Carnitine. Just not right now.
What a super interesting post! More to wrap my head around!
I haven't tried any L-carnitine yet, perhaps after some more research I may. For me personally the NAC did nothing after a few months of trying. Unfortunately we're all different enough that what works for one may not work for another. I'm still looking for the magic recipe to make me whole again, but I'm not looking hard anymore. After several years and multiple ailments I have about given up on any type of cure. Good Luck
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