Big thanks for this. You have been pointing to "oxidative stress" long before I came across studies like this spelling it out.

I am very curious what your edits will say about your thoughts now on carnitine for cipn.

If you remember, in my thread below from last year, I was just about to start carnitine when the medical community was surprised by a large study saying it made cipn worse. Prior I had read a lot about how RLA and ALCAR worked well synergistically, but with this I got spooked and didn't start it.

During this time, I think you were on vacation. Others grumbled about the sponsors of this study and bias.

I've also been reading the new trend in studies is telling people NOT to try things ... apparently, this saves money for insurance companies and decreases competition for drug companies .... you would know more about this.

I still don't know what to make of it, and I still have the ALCAR and RLA unopened bottles calling to me ...

but more and more are referring to this study and ALCAR seems now to be taken up by the medical community as a legit "do not do" for cipn.

Any thoughts appreciated,

Natalie



My forum thread:

Pls Help Discouraged - Large Study says Acetyl-L-Carnitine WORSENS Neuropathy
http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/thread208875.html


Here is the studies and related editorials:

"Conclusion There was no evidence that ALC affected CIPN at 12 weeks; however, ALC significantly increased CIPN by 24 weeks. This is the first study to our knowledge showing that a nutritional supplement increased CIPN. Patients should be discouraged from using supplements without proven efficacy. "

A Double-Blind, Randomized Phase II Study to Evaluate the Safety and Efficacy of Acetyl-L-Carnitine in the Prevention of Sagopilone-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy
The Oncologist 2013, 18:1190-1191.
full text of study available online:
http://theoncologist.alphamedpress.o...f-50887211d6e5



"Acetyl-L-Carnitine Increases The Risk and Severity Of Taxane Induced Neuropathy:

Contrary to promising results from earlier studies (preclinical and smaller human studies), a large randomized trial found that patients who received acetyl-L-carnitine (3,000 mg per day) during their taxane-based chemotherapy for breast cancer actually developed neuropathy more frequently and had more severe neuropathy compared with those who took a placebo.

The bottom line: Don’t take acetyl-L-carnitine to reduce the risk of taxane-induced neuropathy…it doesn’t work.

This is yet another study that makes the same point as I made above, that we need to be cautious in our adoption of new therapies before they have been proven safe."

http://www.integrativeoncology-essen...mo-neuropathy/




"Acetyl-L-carnitine and prevention of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy: can anything work?

The current study describes a well-executed, prospective, placebo-controlled, double-blind, randomized trial. ....
Preclinical data with ALC examined the prevention of axonal damage and mitochondrial dysfunction and appeared promising [2], However, together with other studies (Table 1), the current report indicates ALC will not be an effective therapy forchemotherapy-induced PN, and other strategies will need to be pursued. "

The Oncologist (Impact Factor: 4.1). 01/2013; 18(11):1151-2.
free full text available online:
http://theoncologist.alphamedpress.o...5-190ea69fdf06
or also:
https://onchd.alpha.intstrux.com/art...y-can-anything



Other summary of study:
"Chemotherapy: Supplements—for better or worse?"
Nature Reviews Clinical Oncology 10, 426 (2013); published online 18 June 2013; doi:10.1038/nrclinonc.2013.106
Full text available:
http://www.readcube.com/articles/10....inonc.2013.106