I have trouble swallowing large capsules, so I ordered a couple of them as tablets so I could chew them before swallowing. In particular, alpha lipoic acid and acetyl L Carnetine. I visited the dentist today, and having seen me only a couple of weeks earlier, he was shocked at the corrosion and number of cavities I had. I realised it must be the alpha lipoic acid, so will have to either stop it or find some other way of taking it.
Be careful which pills you crunch up, and take a drink after all meds.
Ron

As if we didn't have enough to worry about. But something that is odd, if I understand you right, is that you developed cavities so quickly. That is, if it is a general problem with acidity, there should have been a more or less uniform degradation of the enamel across the board?? At least that is the way one would expect it to go. Sheeesh!

Despite their names, neither of those are supposed to be particularly acidic. Could it be a manufacturing screwup? What brands were they?

Hey! You're a chemist! Got any litmus paper handy?
-Rick

Hi Rick,
I started taking alpha lipoic acid about 3 weeks ago in tablet form because I could not swallow the large capsules. I saw the dentist at about the same time, so it was a rapid decay over a short time. I understand your point about xpecting a more slow uniform decay, thinking I had been taking the tablet form over a longer time.
So the rapid corrosion only started at exactly the same time I switched from capsules to tablets and started chewing the tablets. I did rinse my mouth afterwards, but I still had particles of solid ALP in my teeth.
I may be wrong in blaming the ALP, I can't prove it caused the decay, but it fits well into the timing. I thought I should warn people as others may get swallowing problems as they advance. ALP is a weak carboxylic acid, but it maybe that I am particularly vulnerable since the enamel has thinned or worn off in my teeth.
So I can only sound warning bells, to at least rinse you mouth well if you chew pills. Better safe than sorry.
Ron

Wanda (ret. hygenist) says that though she hadn't heard of it before that it made sense. Given it's relevance outside our own circle it is something everyone needs to consider.