Drug & supplement interaction

L-carnitine + Glycerol Phenylbutyrate

Glycerol Phenylbutyrate brand name: Ravicti.

No Known Interaction
The bottom line No known interaction

We found no known interaction between L-carnitine and Glycerol Phenylbutyrate in our sources. Absence of a documented interaction is not the same as proven safety, and does not guarantee one does not exist. Do not start, stop, or change a medication or supplement based on this page; confirm with your pharmacist or doctor first. Additionally, although there is no interaction, the label for Glycerol Phenylbutyrate states a food rule worth keeping to, and the two are separately associated with some of the same side effects, which would make a new symptom harder to attribute to one or the other.

Know someone taking this? Share
Interaction report

L-carnitine and Glycerol Phenylbutyrate

We checked these two against our interaction database. Here is what we found.

No Known Interaction Found

We did not find a documented interaction between Glycerol Phenylbutyrate and L-carnitine in our sources. This does not guarantee that the combination is completely free of risk — there is often limited research on supplements and herbal products, especially around drug interactions.

If you decide to take both, the practical routine is simple: add one new thing at a time and note the date you started it. If the combination is going to disagree with you, it usually shows in the first days to a couple of weeks — and a start date turns “I’ve been feeling off” into something a pharmacist can actually work with. Do not stop a prescribed medicine on your own.

Always talk with your pharmacist or doctor before making changes to your medications or supplements, particularly if you take several medications or have an ongoing health condition.

L-carnitine safety at a glance

L-carnitine overall Use caution Generally well tolerated at typical doses, but high doses can cause stomach upset and a fishy body odor.
Pregnancy Use caution Not enough reliable safety data; use only under medical supervision.
Breastfeeding Possibly Safe When used orally. Supplemental doses of L-carnitine have been given to infants in breast milk and formula with no reported adverse effects. The effects of large... Read the full breastfeeding detail

Pregnancy & breastfeeding ratings are from Natural Medicines (Therapeutic Research Center) — the full detail is in the Special populations card below. Safety guidance is general; always confirm with your pharmacist or doctor for your situation.

Still wondering about combining Glycerol Phenylbutyrate and L-carnitine? Ask Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS directly ›
How we checked

Why No Interaction Is Listed for Glycerol Phenylbutyrate

Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes, not just single drug names. Glycerol Phenylbutyrate is filed under a single classification — oral drugs. L-carnitine has documented interactions with 3 drug classes — the most serious being acenocoumarol (sintrom) (moderate), thyroid hormone (moderate) and warfarin (coumadin) (moderate) — and none of Glycerol Phenylbutyrate’s classifications are among them.

Classification data comes from our licensed Natural Medicines dataset. A medication can belong to classes beyond those recorded there, so this describes how the check was run — it is not a safety guarantee.

Keep it in perspective

L-carnitine Does Interact With Other Medications

L-carnitine has 19 moderate known drug interactions in our database — Glycerol Phenylbutyrate isn’t one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against L-carnitine

Covers the 2,830 medications we’ve checked against L-carnitine. Pick one to open its full report.

What to actually watch for

No Interaction Found — But Data Suggests L-carnitine and Glycerol Phenylbutyrate May Share Several of the Same Side Effects

This is not an interaction. Neither one changes how your body handles the other, and nothing here says they react together. What our sources do show is that each has separately been linked to the effects below — so taking both can make those effects more likely to turn up, and harder to pin on one or the other if they do.

  • Heartburn / Reduced appetite / Stomach upset / Stomach pain / Diarrhea / Vomiting Additional detail

    L-carnitine

    “Orally and intravenously, L-carnitine has been associated with nausea, epigastric discomfort, vomiting, abdominal cramps, heartburn, gastritis, anorexia, and diarrhea. Orally, diarrhea or colitis symptoms, nausea and abdominal pain, indigestion, and constipation have been reported in various clinical trials.”

    L-carnitine · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in anorexia.

    6 sources cited
    1. 3616. Anon. Carnitor (levocarnitine) package insert. Sigma-Tau Pharmaceuticals Inc, Gaithersburg, MD. December 1999.
    2. 3624. Cherchi A, Lai C, Angelino F, et al. Effects of L-carnitine on exercise tolerance in chronic stable angina: a multicenter, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, crossover study. Int J Clin Pharmacol Ther Toxicol 1985;23:569-72.
    3. 59030. Tarighat, Esfanjani A., Mahdavi, R., Ebrahimi, Mameghani M., Talebi, M., Nikniaz, Z., and Safaiyan, A. The effects of magnesium, L-carnitine, and concurrent magnesium-L-carnitine supplementation in migraine prophylaxis. Biol.Trace Elem.Res 2012;150(1-3): PubMed
    4. 95069. An JH, Kim YJ, Kim KJ, et al. L-carnitine supplementation for the management of fatigue in patients with hypothyroidism on levothyroxine treatment: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Endocr J. 2016;63(10):885-95. PubMed
    5. 95070. Chen N, Yang M, Zhou M, Xiao J, Guo J, He L. L-carnitine for cognitive enhancement in people without cognitive impairment. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2017;3:CD009374. PubMed
    6. 101562. Khajeh B, Dashti-Khavidaki S, Nasiri-Toosi M, Mohammadi K, Jafari A. Effects of pre-transplant L-carnitine supplementation on primary graft dysfunction in liver transplant recipients: a pilot, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial. Res Pharm Sci. PubMed

    Glycerol Phenylbutyrate

    Listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for Glycerol Phenylbutyrate. Read the label on DailyMed ›

  • Anxiety or restlessness / Headache Additional detail

    L-carnitine

    “Orally or intravenously, L-carnitine has been associated with seizures. Orally, use of L-carnitine in clinical trials has resulted in headache, although this event is rare. L-carnitine may also cause agitation.”

    L-carnitine · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in cluster headache.

    4 sources cited
    1. 3616. Anon. Carnitor (levocarnitine) package insert. Sigma-Tau Pharmaceuticals Inc, Gaithersburg, MD. December 1999.
    2. 58554. Malaguarnera, M., Vacante, M., Avitabile, T., Malaguarnera, M., Cammalleri, L., and Motta, M. L-Carnitine supplementation reduces oxidized LDL cholesterol in patients with diabetes. Am J Clin.Nutr 2009;89(1):71-76. PubMed
    3. 95070. Chen N, Yang M, Zhou M, Xiao J, Guo J, He L. L-carnitine for cognitive enhancement in people without cognitive impairment. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2017;3:CD009374. PubMed
    4. 111891. Moustafa I, Connolly C, Anis M, Mustafa H, Oosthuizen F, Viljoen M. A prospective study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of vitamin E and levocarnitine prophylaxis against doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity in adult breast cancer patients. J Oncol Phar PubMed

    Glycerol Phenylbutyrate

    Listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for Glycerol Phenylbutyrate. Read the label on DailyMed ›

  • Constipation Additional detail

    L-carnitine

    Recorded for L-carnitine in the same Natural Medicines adverse-effect record shown under Heartburn / Reduced appetite / Stomach upset / Stomach pain / Diarrhea / Vomiting above.

    Glycerol Phenylbutyrate

    Listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for Glycerol Phenylbutyrate. Read the label on DailyMed ›

  • A skin rash Additional detail

    L-carnitine

    “Orally, L-carnitine has been reported to cause skin rash in a small number of cases.

    Two patients in a hair growth study using topical carnitine reported mild itching and increased dandruff, while a third reported strong itching with reddish bumps and a burning sensation.”

    L-carnitine · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in pruritus.

    4 sources cited
    1. 16105. Ciacci C, Peluso G, Iannoni E, et al. L-Carnitine in the treatment of fatigue in adult celiac disease patients: a pilot study. Dig Liver Dis 2007;39:922-8. PubMed
    2. 91724. Jun DW, Kim BI, Cho YK, Kim HJ, Kwon YO, Park SY, Han SY, Baek YH, Jung YJ, Kim HY, Kim W, Heo J, Woo HY, Hwang SG, Rim KS, Choi JY, Bae SH, Lee YS, Lim YS,Cheong JY, Cho SW, Lee BS, Kim SH, Sohn JH, Kim TY, Paik YH, Kim JK, Lee KS. Efficacy and safety of
    3. 58390. Foitzik, K., Hoting, E., Heinrich, U., Tronnier, H., and Paus, R. Indications that topical L-carnitin-L-tartrate promotes human hair growth in vivo. J Dermatol.Sci 2007;48(2):141-144. PubMed
    4. 26493. Angelova-Fischer I, Rippke F, Fischer TW, Neufang G, Zillikens D. A double-blind, randomized, vehicle-controlled efficacy assessment study of a skin care formulation for improvement of mild to moderately severe acne. J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol. 2013 Jul PubMed

    Glycerol Phenylbutyrate

    Listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for Glycerol Phenylbutyrate. Read the label on DailyMed ›

Showing the 10 most notable of 11 shared effects — ranked by how unusual each one is, not just whether both lists mention it.

Reported for L-carnitine but not commonly for Glycerol Phenylbutyrate: a heart attack, heart failure, dry skin and seizures.

Effects for Glycerol Phenylbutyrate come from the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of its FDA label; effects for L-carnitine come from the Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, quoted above. Wording is matched across sources by our own clinical vocabulary, so treat this as a prompt to pay attention, not a diagnosis.

Special populations

L-carnitine in Pregnancy & Breastfeeding

Lactation Possibly Safe

When used orally. Supplemental doses of L-carnitine have been given to infants in breast milk and formula with no reported adverse effects. The effects of large doses used while nursing are unknown, but L-carnitine is secreted in the breast milk.

DISCLAIMER: This tool is intended for informational purposes only, and should not be interpreted as specific medical advice. Patients should consult with a qualified healthcare provider before making decisions about therapies and/or health conditions.© 2026 Therapeutic Research Center

How to take them

Some Glycerol Phenylbutyrate Products Have a Food Rule — L-carnitine Should Not Break It

At least one FDA label for a product containing Glycerol Phenylbutyrate says to take it with food. If you take L-carnitine on an empty stomach out of habit, keep them separate — and take Glycerol Phenylbutyrate with a meal where the label says to.

This may not be true of your version. Food instructions belong to the product, not the ingredient: two Glycerol Phenylbutyrate products can carry different directions, and extended-release forms often differ from immediate-release ones. The label we read is quoted below — check the directions on your own box or bottle, or ask your pharmacist, for how to take the exact product you were given.

Instruct patients to take glycerol phenylbutyrate oral liquid with food or formula and to administer directly into the mouth via oral syringe.

From the Dosage and Administration section of the FDA label we read for Glycerol Phenylbutyrate — where that label names a specific product, the instruction is that product's. Read the label on DailyMed ›

A food rule is not an interaction — it is about how much of the medicine you absorb. The directions that came with your own product, and your pharmacist, outrank anything on this page.

From our Q&A

Questions About L-carnitine or Glycerol Phenylbutyrate

These are real questions from readers, answered by the pharmacists at HelloPharmacist — written by a person, not generated from a database. Each one covers L-carnitine or Glycerol Phenylbutyrate, not necessarily both, but if one is close to what you were about to ask it will usually go further than a database entry can:

Not quite your question? Ask our pharmacists directly — it is free, there is no account required, and answers usually come back within 24 hours.

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Glycerol Phenylbutyrate

This page covers L-carnitine only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Glycerol Phenylbutyrate page lists 17 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Coffee Charcoal (moderate), European Mandrake (moderate), Glucomannan (moderate) and Guar Gum (moderate).

By severity: 1 major · 7 moderate · 9 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Glycerol Phenylbutyrate page

“Ravicti (glycerol phenylbutyrate) pulls ammonia out of the blood in people with urea cycle disorders, so a dose that never gets absorbed is not a small problem, it can let ammonia climb toward dangerous levels. That is why this list deserves real attention even though it is short.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Glycerol Phenylbutyrate interaction page

One more smart check

Taking L-carnitine as Part of a Dietary Supplement Product? Check It for Interactions

We hold 3,350 real supplement products containing L-carnitine, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides L-carnitine. Even though L-carnitine itself has no known interaction with Glycerol Phenylbutyrate, another ingredient on your label might. Find your product and we’ll check every ingredient on its label:

How much people look this up

Where L-carnitine and Glycerol Phenylbutyrate Sit Against Everything Else

Out of every supplement and medication people look up on HelloPharmacist, here is where these two land this week — and which way each has been moving.

Supplement L-carnitine
Top 10%

#84 of 1,452 supplements looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today
Medication Glycerol Phenylbutyrate
Top 5%

#136 of 2,830 medications looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today

Position among everything looked up on this site, not a measure of how commonly either one is used or how important it is. A supplement can climb this list because of a news story. It counts every request to the page, automated ones included, and nothing here identifies anyone.

Where does our data come from?
  • Source: the Natural Medicines (TRC Healthcare) clinical database — the evidence-graded professional reference for herb & supplement interactions.
  • Citation library: 103,510 references behind our interaction content, 65,311 of them resolved to verified PubMed/DOI sources. See every L-carnitine reference on this page ↓
  • Freshness: we automatically re-check this combination every week — this pair was last verified October 4, 2026. The L-carnitine and Glycerol Phenylbutyrate records this page draws on were last updated July 11, 2026.
  • What “no known interaction” means: no documented interaction in the sources above — not a guarantee of safety. Supplements are studied far less than prescription drugs, so we say exactly what the evidence supports, and nothing more.
Data structure & sourcing designed and verified by .
Supplement

About L-carnitine

What is L-carnitine?

  • Exercise performance and recovery
  • Heart health
  • Weight management
  • Energy and fatigue
  • Male fertility
  • Carnitine deficiency

L-carnitine is a compound your body makes naturally and also gets from foods like meat. It helps cells turn fat into energy, and supplements are most clearly useful for people with a true carnitine deficiency. For most other uses, like weight loss or boosting athletic performance, the evidence is mixed or limited, so talk with your pharmacist or doctor before trying it.

Capsules, tablets, oral liquid, powder, and injectable (prescription) forms

An interaction check asks whether these two react with each other — it does not ask whether L-carnitine is a good idea for someone in your situation. Here is what our L-carnitine record says about it on its own.

L-carnitine: dosing

There is no single standard dose of L-carnitine that fits everyone, and the right amount depends on the form and the reason for use. Prescription carnitine for true deficiency is dosed by a doctor based on medical needs.For over-the-counter supplements, the best approach is to follow the directions on the product label and not exceed the recommended amount.

From our L-carnitine monograph — the full record covers uses, side effects and every documented interaction.

Read the full L-carnitine monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Glycerol Phenylbutyrate

What Is Glycerol Phenylbutyrate Used For?

Brand name: Ravicti

Glycerol phenylbutyrate (sold as Ravicti and as a generic oral liquid) is used for the long-term management of urea cycle disorders (UCDs). These are inherited conditions in which the body cannot clear waste nitrogen as ammonia. It is for people who cannot be managed with a low-protein diet and/or amino acid supplements alone.

It must be used together with dietary protein restriction, and sometimes dietary supplements. It is not for sudden (acute) high ammonia, which needs faster-acting treatment. Safety and effectiveness for NAGS deficiency (a type of UCD) have not been established.

See full Glycerol Phenylbutyrate drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & L-carnitine

Browse every other medication we’ve checked against L-carnitine — both the ones with a known interaction and the ones without. Select any drug for the full detail.

0Major
19Moderate
0Minor
2,810No known interaction
Moderate

19 interactions

No interaction 2,810 drugs checked — show the list
Evidence & sources

L-carnitine References

The 41 references that drive our L-carnitine monograph and interaction data, from the evidence-graded Natural Medicines (TRC Healthcare) database. Citations with a link open the study on PubMed or the publisher’s site.

  1. Ellaway CM, Williams K, Leonard H, et al. Rett syndrome: randomized controlled trial of L-carnitine. J Child Neurol 1999;14:162-7. PubMed
  2. Anon. Carnitor (levocarnitine) package insert. Sigma-Tau Pharmaceuticals Inc, Gaithersburg, MD. December 1999.
  3. Cherchi A, Lai C, Angelino F, et al. Effects of L-carnitine on exercise tolerance in chronic stable angina: a multicenter, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, crossover study. Int J Clin Pharmacol Ther Toxicol 1985;23:569-72.
  4. Plioplys AV, Plioplys S. Amantadine and L-carnitine treatment of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Neuropsychobiology 1997;35:16-23. PubMed
  5. Benvenga S, Ruggeri RM, Russo A, et al. Usefulness of L-carnitine, a naturally occurring peripheral antagonist of thyroid hormone action, in iatrogenic hyperthyroidism: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial. J Clin Endocrinol Meta
  6. Martinez E, Domingo P, Roca-Cusachs A. Potentiation of acenocoumarol action by L-carnitine. J Intern Med 1993;233:94.
  7. Bachmann HU, Hoffmann A. Interaction of food supplement L-carnitine with oral anticoagulant acenocoumarol. Swiss Med Wkly 2004;134:385. PubMed
  8. Evans AM, Fornasini G. Pharmacokinetics of L-carnitine. Clin Pharmacokinet 2003;42:941-67. PubMed
  9. 12761 Benvenga S, Amato A, Calvani M, Trimarchi F. Effects of carnitine on thyroid hormone action. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2004;1033:158-67. PubMed
  10. Ciacci C, Peluso G, Iannoni E, et al. L-Carnitine in the treatment of fatigue in adult celiac disease patients: a pilot study. Dig Liver Dis 2007;39:922-8. PubMed
  11. Cruciani RA, Dvorkin E, Homel P, et al. Safety, tolerability and symptom outcomes associated with L-carnitine supplementation in patients with cancer, fatigue, and carnitine deficiency: a phase I/II study. J Pain Symptom Manage 2006;32:551-9. PubMed
  12. Lebrun C, Alchaar H, Candito M, et al. Levocarnitine administration in multiple sclerosis patients with immunosuppressive therapy-induced fatigue. Mult Scler 2006;12:321-4. PubMed
  13. Malaguarnera M, Cammalleri L, Gargante MP, et al. L-Carnitine treatment reduces severity of physical and mental fatigue and increases cognitive functions in centenarians: a randomized and controlled clinical trial. Am J Clin Nutr 2007;86:1738-44. PubMed
  14. Mantovani G, Maccio A, Madeddu C, et al. Randomized phase III clinical trial of five different arms of treatment in 322 patients with cancer cachexia. Oncologist 2010;15:200-11.
  15. Angelova-Fischer I, Rippke F, Fischer TW, Neufang G, Zillikens D. A double-blind, randomized, vehicle-controlled efficacy assessment study of a skin care formulation for improvement of mild to moderately severe acne. J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol. 2013 Jul PubMed

Medication overviews come from MedlinePlus (NIH); supplement label data from the NIH Dietary Supplement Label Database. Content is written and reviewed by licensed HelloPharmacist pharmacists — see our data sources and editorial standards.

Pharmacist Counseling Corner

Taking L-carnitine and Glycerol Phenylbutyrate Together: Common Questions

Is it safe to take L-carnitine with Glycerol Phenylbutyrate?
We do not list a known interaction between L-carnitine and Glycerol Phenylbutyrate. That does not guarantee the combination is risk-free, so confirm with your pharmacist or doctor — especially if you take other medications or have a health condition.
Do L-carnitine and Glycerol Phenylbutyrate have any of the same side effects?
Yes — our sources link each of them separately to 10 of the same effects. That is not an interaction: neither changes how your body handles the other. It does mean that if one of those effects turns up, it can be harder to tell which one is behind it. They are listed on this page with the source behind each.
Should I take L-carnitine and Glycerol Phenylbutyrate at the same time of day?
At least one FDA label for a product containing Glycerol Phenylbutyrate says to take it with food. If you take L-carnitine on an empty stomach out of habit, keep them separate and take Glycerol Phenylbutyrate with a meal where the label says to. Food instructions belong to the product rather than the ingredient — two Glycerol Phenylbutyrate products can differ — so check the directions on your own box. This is about absorption, not an interaction.
How was the L-carnitine and Glycerol Phenylbutyrate combination checked?
Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes. Glycerol Phenylbutyrate is filed under 1 classification, and L-carnitine has documented interactions with 3 drug classes — none of Glycerol Phenylbutyrate's classifications are among them. A medication can belong to classes beyond those recorded in our dataset, so this describes how the check was run rather than guaranteeing safety.
Does L-carnitine interact with any other medications?
Yes. L-carnitine has 19 documented drug interactions in our database — Glycerol Phenylbutyrate is simply not one of them. If you take anything else, it is worth checking each one; they are all listed on this page.
Does Glycerol Phenylbutyrate interact with any supplements?
Yes. Glycerol Phenylbutyrate has documented interactions with 17 supplements in our database — L-carnitine is not one of them. The Glycerol Phenylbutyrate interaction page linked on this page lists every one, ranked by severity.

Written and reviewed by the HelloPharmacist editorial staff. Our editorial policy

Still Have a Question About Glycerol Phenylbutyrate and L-carnitine?

Our pharmacists answer your medication & supplement questions — free.

Ask a pharmacist

This information is for education only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always check with your pharmacist or doctor before starting, stopping, or combining supplements and medications.