[baldfat]

I have a weird muscle disease that is treated with just taking over the counter L-Carnitine. The issue, vitamins and supplements are not regulated. So, I will try to take a new brand and after a few days my symptoms will come back because the pills don't have the L-Carnitine like it says and there is no one to make sure it does. It will cost me four to seven days of pain, and no one is held responsible.

My best guess is one in a thousand actually needs them so the 999 have a placebo effect and the 1 suffers. I told my neurologist, and he couldn't even prescribe them for me because that isn't a thing. So now I buy all I can find that works and hope they don't stop making it.

[negative_zero]

I don't know if this helps you, but in case it does: They are regulated in Australia. Products that conform will have an AUST R or AUST L number on the packaging.

I learnt this at a talk I went to about 10 years ago. At the time, in the speakers opinion (who from memory was involved in surveillance testing of these products), some countries did regulate stuff like vitamin supplements, but Australia was the only country that "did it properly". And a major component of this was that their regulations covered ingredients and the supply chains.

A quick search turned up this article: https://www.tga.gov.au/blogs/tga-topics/how-are-vitamins-reg...

Finally, a word of caution given by the speaker: many companies/suppliers try to trick consumers online by selling cheaper versions with identical labelling but no AUST number and shipped directly from overseas so it technically counted as a consumer "importing" on their own. Idk if this loop hole still exists.

[ruste]

That sounds severe enough I'd consider it worthwhile to pay a lab to run spectroscopy on a range of supplements just in case, or consider hiring a lab to synthesize a batch I _know_ will meet my needs. The first option is probably a lot less pricey than you'd expect.

[JohnJamesRambo]

Do you have any proof the supplements don’t have l-carnitine? You should get a lawyer if so, that is an easy case against the supplement maker imo.

[jolux]

The whole supplements industry is like this. The best you can do is get one that’s USP certified.

[csdvrx]

> So, I will try to take a new brand and after a few days my symptoms will come back because the pills don't have the L-Carnitine like it says and there is no one to make sure it does.

Unlikely. What's more likely is that something else interferes with the absorption.

Anyway, don't just take my word at face value, have a sample tested: liquid chromatography can give you an answer quickly. Also, don't buy on amazon where cheap fakes and inventory comingling make the problem unsolvable.

Grab a monster energy drink: content in L-Carnitine is guaranteed,

[lakdowjd]

Have you considered skipping the shady middleman altogether and just ordering the pure stuff directly from a manufacturer?

[treeman79]

I had to spend thousands to go through a dozen medications for medical issues. Eventually turned to supplements in part because it was much easier to experiment.

I have a couple meds and treatments I’ve been begging doctors to try, but they aren’t aware of them so refuse to consider.

Go onto any support forum and you’ll find countless tales of doctors not listening or not knowing current info on a condition.

[Workaccount2]

You'll also find tons of people who swear by their home "witches brew" medication. People who are just feeling a placebo. Or people who think they have the forum's banner illness but actually have something totally different and much more benign. They heal over time naturally, but attribute it to gum root jelly concentrate.

I've been there a few times before. And while inevitably monkeys popping random pills will find something, separating the signal from the noise takes time and studies. The things that doctors pay attention too.

Disclaimer: Yes there are out of touch doctors and yes random medicating has lead to amazing discoveries.

[pvaldes]

If there are two brands exposed to the same market rules and one cost half the price there is a fair possibility that will contain less amount of the expensive active stuff and more of the cheaper ingredients. Technically is still carnitine, but one can have 90% of carnitine and the other just a 60%.