Type 2 Use of Alpha lipoic acid in treating neuropathy

Ellis79 said:

Hi all,

I am taking the aforementioned supplement - Alpha lipoic acid - to help relieve the neuropathy I get from time to time and which, as all those who have had it will know, is a real nightmare and causes acute discomfort. I could see a neurologist if I wanted to and get a prescription for one of the medications usually given for this condition such as Lyrica or Gabapentin but these are essentially anticonvulsant medications and I would rather manage without them if at all possible.

I would be interested to hear if anyone else has tried Alpha lipoic acid and found it helpful for neuropathy or has tried any other medications or vitamin supplements that can treat the symptoms effectively.

Thanks,

Ellis79

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jack412 said:

The problem is to get someone to fund a proper study, But germany might be your best source for info and as a Dr, you can do your own IV
a quick google found this dutch study
http://www.njmonline.nl/getpdf.php?id=10000574
C o n c l u s i o n
The intravenous administration of alpha lipoic acid leads
to clinically relevant improvement of painful diabetic
neuropathy in the short term. Unfortunately, there are
not yet any results on its administration over a longer
time period. The results we have seen are encouraging
enough to recommend intravenous alpha lipoic acid for
the treatment of diabetic neuropathy. The improvements
seen with the oral administration of alpha lipoic acid are
much less clearly described, and additional research will be
necessary to investigate its effects. We do not recommend
the use of orally administered alpha lipoic acid for the
treatment of diabetic neuropathy at this time.


Source: Alpha-lipoic acid | University of Maryland Medical Center
http://umm.edu/health/medical/altmed/supplement/alphalipoic-acid#ixzz3JhC3Qj36

Diabetes
In several studies, alpha-lipoic acid appears to help lower blood sugar levels. Its ability to kill free radicals may help people with diabetic peripheral neuropathy, who have pain, burning, itching, tingling, and numbness in arms and legs from nerve damage.

Alpha-lipoic acid has been used for years to treat peripheral neuropathy in Germany. Most of the studies that have found it helps have used intravenous (IV) alpha-lipoic acid, however. It’s not clear whether taking alpha-lipoic acid by mouth will help. Most studies of oral alpha-lipoic acid have been small and poorly designed. One 2006 study did find that taking alpha-lipoic acid for diabetic neuropathy reduced symptoms compared to placebo.

Taking alpha-lipoic acid may help another diabetes-related condition called autonomic neuropathy, which affects the nerves to internal organs. One study found that 73 people with cardiac autonomic neuropathy, which affects the heart, showed fewer signs of the condition when taking 800 mg of alpha-lipoic acid orally compared to placebo.

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• Removes mercury & arsenic from the brain
• Does not remove lead
• Available over the counter
• Must be given every 3 hours (may stretch to 4 hours overnight)
• Not to be usedby anyone with mercury exposure in the past 3 months

Fishtoo said:

Thanks for that info Jack,
I'm hoping it won't come to that, my symptoms are very minor at the moment, and i have every hope that the cause was the excess Pyridoxine that I had been taking without realising...I take Magnesium daily which controls my idiopathic ventricular tachycardia ( with failed ablation attempt) and I had not noticed a fairly hefty dose of Vit B 6 had been added,,,and was also taking some in a mutivit tablet and a Vit B formulation...very careless!!!
So hopeful it will gradually resolve over the next 6 months, tho it HAS drawn my attention to a HbA1c of 40....and to this very interesting and supportive forum!

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jack412 said:

a1c 40 should be ok with Low carb, to be honest I wouldn't worry about anything else except maybe metformin..
It's good to know a Dr can get caught self dosing too much vitamin too, that makes a few feel better here

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Ellis79 said:

Hi Hilary, I have always taken it in tablet form - I didn't actually know it could also be administered intravenously. The recommended basic daily dosage is 600mg after food, although one can take more if it feels necessary. Like any other supplement, it can take quite a while to have an effect - about a month or so - but it is obviously preferable to taking regular medication such as Lyrica or Gabapentin, which are essentially medications that act on the central nervous system. I have had stashed away in my cupboard a supply of Lyrica that I was prescribed a neurologist, in case I really suffer and nothing works at all. Fortunately it has never come to that and the bouts of neuropathy usually pass. Like all other nutritional supplements, Alpha Lipoic acid can work better for some people than others. It's a matter of trial and error really.

Here are links to a couple of pages with information about Alpha Lipoic acid, which I hope you find informative and useful.

http://www.webmd.com/diet/alpha-lipoic-acid-ala

http://www.lef.org/magazine/2007/10/nu_lipoic_acid/Page-01

Ellis

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runner2009 said:

Hi @Ellis79 everyone is different in this IMO so it is difficult to say, but in my case my feet and toes were on fire and so were my hips in the late evening ( my major reflex when they tap your knee is completely gone ). For me the only thing that worked was low does of medical m and being very aggressive in keeping my BG level as low as possible with insulin.

In a year 1/2 my foot pain is 95% gone and hip pain is now only a little bit in the right hip. That knee reflex has never come back but I think in my case low BG was the key and medical m was fun.

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Fishtoo said:

What is "medical m" please Runner? I may be a doc but i am a beginner in this area!!

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runner2009 said:

Don't laugh it is medical marijuana. Took a while to get the right kind and dose. I've have factor 5 so simple aspirin I can't take.

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Ellis79 said:

BG is invariably the key in most cases, I would imagine, although neuropathy can also be set off by other problems such as a herniated disc in your lower back. Pleased to hear that you have finally got the pain under control although I imagine that you would only consider using medical m as a last resort.

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runner2009 said:

I get the chronic pain. No fun and simple aspirin always worked for me.

I think also the fact I was a long distance runner it thought me to push through pain. I pushed through a lot this last year and 1/2 through walking and running think that activity played a part.

Honestly if you can consistently get the right stuff it works wonders and the side affects and complications seem to be way less than the big pharma choices.

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Ellis79 said:

It was, or is about to be legalized here in Israel (don't recall if it has already gone through or not) - Obviously there is an intense debate for and against......

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