L-Citrulline malate
Prescription status is set country by country — the label where you live is the one that applies.
Beta: the medication section is still being tested, and its data may contain errors. Do not rely on it for a decision about your own treatment.
L-Citrulline malate combines the amino acid citrulline with malic acid. Citrulline is absorbed well and converted in the kidneys into arginine, the precursor of nitric oxide, a signalling molecule that relaxes the walls of blood vessels and widens them; malate feeds into the citric acid cycle. It is taken before exercise for physical performance.
A usual adult range, not a national label — the dose and the timing differ by country and by product.
Approved uses differ by country — some of these may be off-label or unapproved where you live.
It is taken on an empty stomach, since food, and protein in particular, slows its absorption. Because the effect runs through nitric oxide, it can lower blood pressure, usually noticed as lightheadedness on standing, and that adds to the effect of blood-pressure medicines. It acts on the same pathway as sildenafil and tadalafil, so the combination lowers pressure further, and it should not be combined with glyceryl trinitrate at all: nitrates together with nitric oxide support can cause a steep and dangerous fall in blood pressure.
Fainting, chest pain, a severe headache that will not settle, or lightheadedness bad enough to make standing difficult means see a doctor, and that applies especially to anyone taking nitrates, blood-pressure treatment or a PDE5 inhibitor.
Reference information, not medical advice. Discuss any change with your doctor.