(R) Alpha-Lipoic Acid for Peripheral Neuropathy

[Carl]

I ran onto an article on this OTC drug supplement the other day and since I have lower leg and feet neuropathy from the Thalidomide/Thalomid I took for a year and since it has not gotten any better being off of the Thalidomide I thought I might give the (R)A.L.A. try. The (R) means the natural form and not the synthetic. I asked my Hemo. about it yesterday and he said he had heard of it for use with diabetic neuropathy and it should be taken with vitamin C and Thiamin (sp?). There are several Clinical Trials ongoing testing the drug at various stages and for various conditions.

Has anyone out there used this drug?

[marlene]

Hi Carl,

My husband John ended up PN also after his treatment for SAA in 2002. He did a lot with nutrients for his PN and has made great progess. So he would have rated his pain in the beginning at 8 or 9 on the pain scale. He first started with a B complex and extra B12. He used a sublingual methly form of B12. It’s as effective if not more effective as the B12 shots. Thiamin is B1. B1, B6, B12 and folate are essential for the nerves to heal. We then heard about Alpha Lipioc Acid and he added that in 300mg 2x day. Within a month. His pain level dropped to a 5. The Germans did most of the studies on ALA and prescribe for diabetics with PN. I think they used up to 900 mg per day. The other nutrients beneficial to healing nerves are omega 3 oils (fish), calcium and magnesium, ALC (acetly-L-Carnatine). ALC has been shown to be effective in toxin induces PN also. So you may want to research it a bit more.

So….then we heard about a little machine called the Rebuilder. I think the site is http://www.rebuildermedical.com. It’s a foot bath where you put in these two leads that stimulate blood flow and other things (I know really technical language here). It runs an electrical current into the water off a 9 volt battery. This brought John’s pain level down to 1.5 – 2 on the pain scales.

So then…..John fell, broke his wrist and hit chin on the pavement. 8K platelets. He fell because his balance was way off still. So his neck was bugging him and he went to chiropractor for a consult to find out if they could work on him without doing any forcefull adjustments becaus he has low platelets. And the answer was yes. After one treatment, John’s toes felt better. Over time, his balance has improved, he walks better, and has more flexibility in his ankles.

Others have been helped by doing yoga and stretching major muscle groups.

So as of today….John’s feet are not 100% better. They burn a lot in the warmer weather and wake him up at night. But he’s come a long way.

I encourage you to find a natural approach for your PN. One last comment. Sometimes when the nerves are healing you go through a active period where you think you’re slipping back. But then one day you notice your feet feel better. It takes a while for your nerves and brain to resync.

Marlene

[patti]

Marlene,

This is phenominal information! Thank you so much for sharing it. I’m so glad John has found some relief for his neuropathy. Our neighbor has it in her feet so I’m giving this to her. She’ll be thrilled!

Patti

[marlene]

Hi Pattie,

The PN really gets in the way of quality of life. More so than the SAA right now.

Just tell your neighbor that not everything works for everyone. You really have to experiment with things.

Take care.

Marlene

[Carl]

Thanks Marlene for the information. I have little to no pain with the neuropathy (thankfully) but I would like to get the “feeling” back.

[Jimbob]

Carl and Marlene, Thanks for the info. PN is one of the major issues I am still trying to resolve. I have worked with naturapathic, oestopathic, acupuncture, chiropractic, PT and more. I will check out the (R)A.L.A. and the rebuilder products.

[Carl]

Jimbob,

I just ordered via the internet a 60 day supply of 100 mg R-ALA tabs and plan to add vitamin C to see if the combination works to lessen or eliminate my PN. Keep me updated on your progress with R-ALA treatment and and I will do the same.

[marlene]

Just a note….ALA can upset your tummy so you may want to take it with your meals. And if you’re diabetic, watch your sugar levels. ALA has been known to improve that also. It’s also a heavy metal chelator and pulls out iron. But it’s not effective enough to be used for iron overload. The only reason I bring it up is that if your iron is low already, it could make a difference for you.

And on the ReBuilder. When we ordered it back in 2003, they had a money back guarntee. So if it does nothing for you, you can return it for a full refund.

Good luck to you both. PN really does effect quality of life. Most people don’t understand how bad it can get. There was a time John couldn’t even have the bed sheet touching his feet.

[Carl]

Thanks for the advice Marlene. My iron is high so if R-ALA lowers it some that would be good.

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