There is a LONG thread on PN about this. Take a look.

The R-stablized form is far more absorbed, meaning less is needed, and it works far better-- it is water soluble unlike the original Alpha. The original alpha needs very high doses to work, and 1/2 of it is not biologically active. Why use that when the new form is so good?

Melody, you've been around a LONG time... you KNOW that local stores don't usually have what we use here, and if they do, like GNC they charge over double the value for them.
http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/sh...ht=lipoic+acid
I had been using R-lipoic 100mg daily but it wasn't stabilized form. That thread explains why the stabilized is superior. We all learn new things daily.

Besides the sales people in stores know basically nothing IMO.
They are not medical people and only want to sell you "something".
GNC is notorious for being overpriced for anything you get there.

Yup, I chalk my lack of remembering stuff to LOTS of stress in this family right now. But I'm dealing with it.

I'm getting it from Amazon today. Can't wait

And guess what else I learned. That when you get Levemir from the company (and it comes refrigerated naturally), it works BETTER than when you get a sample from the doctor. (even if that sample was refrigerated.)

Got my first batch yesterday (brand new prescription and my first one for Levemir). When I was using the doctor's samples I was getting 150 in the morning, 133 in the morning, and I could not understand why. The pen had not expired but who really knows when it's passed from sales rep to physician, right? So while I wasn't getting tremendously high numbers in the am and during the day, I knew something wasn't quite right.

So got the new shipment yesterday. Ate exactly what I eat all the time. Don't cheat. And this morning my number was 106. I was never so happy to see a 106 in my life. Now that I can live with.

So I now take my 19 units at bedtime. I want to get as close to the 100 in the a.m. and better post prandials during the day.

I go back to Cornell in January so we shall see.

I probably could go back on orals but they did such a job on my gastro system and I have NO problem with the amount of insulin that I take so why not leave things the way they are.

I let my sprouts take care of the rest of me.

Thanks for all the good input Mrs. D.

Melody

I thought it would be okay to share what one reviewer wrote as a comment on the amazon R-Lipoic topic.

What a great write-up!!!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
http://www.amazon.com/review/R3E04AA...elpful.Reviews

Melody

Samples are always either short dated, or may be mishandled.

If the pen was exposed to high heat in the trunk of the sales rep's car for hours and hours, it would be degraded.

Those reps get boxes of samples and store them in their cars, and travel around. I've seen them countless times getting them out of a hot trunk and lugging them into the clinic or office!

Not surprised. In fact long ago when tetracycline was new and popular, its samples were stored for long periods of time (this is before exp dates were put on drugs---yes there was time this was true) and doctors used the old samples on themselves and family members and employees and patients and old tetracycline cause kidney damage--Fanconi's syndrome. When traced back to outdated drug, it was an incentive to have exp dates put on drugs from then on:
from http://medical-dictionary.thefreedic...i%27s+syndrome

P.S. this paper refutes the lysine link to Fanconi BTW. There was one report on PubMed over the years only.
http://www.springerlink.com/content/978v647225604382/

OMG, I'll never use an insulin sample again. Never knew that drug reps did that. Thanks very much for that important piece of info. You have probably helped dozens of diabetics if they read that little piece of info.

Melody

Hi I also have MG and type 2 Diabetes. It is a balancing act with meds etc.

I was also having problems with Metformin. My doctor told me to reduce my dosage to a level where It was not causing stomach Cramps. I was able to reduce from 3000mg daily to 2000mg but I had to increase my insulin.

Having MG gives you higher blood sugar readings (due to meds etc). There are some similarites between the 2 conditions. Because of the MG I cannot exercise a lot. A couple of hundred yards walk wipes me out for the day.

Keep your chin up.

People on metformin for a long time, need to take a supplement of B12. This drug affects B12 absorption, and depletes it in the body.

Here is my B12 thread with more information:

http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/thread85103.html

and

I have just been to see my GP about stomach problems re Metformin.


I have now been told to stop taking Metformin for 2 weeks then start taking it again: 1 tab at night for 2 weeks then increase by 1 tab per day every 2 weeks until tummy problems start. (1 tab per day first week then 2 per day a fortnight later and so on)
Then stay on the last dosage when no tummy problems exsisted. Clear as mud. Can but try it.:

I havent been here for quite a while.

the happiest day of my recent life was when I stopped taking the metformin.

I dropped 50 lbs, gained back 10, but Im struggling again to get on track with the diet, I still walk my 2 miles each morning, and stay as active as I can.
My A1C has been no higher than 5.5 the last 6-8 months.
My glucose readings are always near normal, seems the diet, the little excercise I get, and the onglyza(2.5mg) daily are keeping the diabetes under control.

Cautiously, I can say Ive been feeling pretty good lately, or as well as a heavyset man in his late 50s can feel.
The myasthenia hasnt held me back much, just not driving much at night as I dont feel as alert and my eyes feel weak, but its nothing that bothers me much anymore.
Im sure alot of my problems are just old age creeping up on my slowly, and me not being used to it.

I hope everyone is feeling strong and healthy.

Id like to thank all those here and in the myasthenia section for all the great advice and comradery.
seems talking or chatting with people who understand what I was going through eases the panic and discomfort, at least for me it did.

Glad you are feeling a bit better. Hope you continue to do so.

Take care,

Melody