Hi.

I just switched yesterday from alpha lipoic acid 600 mg a day to Doctor's Best R-Lipoic acid 100 mg a day. I now seem to be having acid reflux issues. Started last night. I didn't notice any of this while I was on the alpha lipoic acid, so I'm definitely thinking there is a connection to the r-lipoic. I wanted to switch over to it though because I had read good things about it here (being more potent, needing less, etc.)

Does anyone else have any issues with acid reflux while taking r-lipoic acid? Any suggestions on how to combat that? I thought I was supposed to take r-lipoic acid on an empty stomach to increase its effectiveness. Should I be taking it with food due to my acid reflux issues?

Thanks in advance for any helpful suggestions. I'd hate to quit on this r-lipoic after just a couple of days.

Oh, and the reason for taking it is to try and help my small fiber neuropathy.

YES.

I made a post about this exact thing awhile back. I have a bottle of it and can't use it. Kicked up my acid reflux HORRID.

I'm sad.

p.s. nothing I did helped so i gave up. NOT WORTH IT.

Here is the post where we talked about it:

http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/sh...ight=Stacy2012

Are you taking it with enough water?

R-lipoic is not in its acid form when using the stabilized type.

It is lipoate.

You can try taking some antacid a few minutes before the R-lipoic.

Food does impair the ALA racemic mixture (which is not very soluble), but it may not be such a factor for the new NaRALA which is very soluble. A light meal might work too.

If the capsule does not move down to the bottom of the stomach, it might dissolve near the esophagus, and if you have minor irritations there from other things, it might also irritate.
Most things do irritate the esophagus.

I knew a doctor once who swallowed a tetracycline capsule without water... and he burned his esophagus which took over
2 weeks to heal!

I would expect the higher dose old ALA versions to be much more irritating, since they are in the acidic form.

I took ALA without any problems. I don't take it anymore just because I didn't see that it did much and wanted to spend the money on other things. But ALA never caused acid reflux with me.

Yes, alpha lipoic acid gives me intense heartburn every time. I have to take it with a lot of water and a little food.
I wonder if taking an antacid would hinder its absorption. I suggest doing a little research there.
Good luck

Feather, ALA or R-Lipoic??

You said ALA instead of R-lipoic, I thought it was the other way around for you????

This lipoic acid / heartburn issue comes up now and then.
The old form people would be taking in almost gram amounts and since it doesn't dissolve quickly, might be an issue for a very sensitive person.

I have had reflux with ginger extract, and dark chocolate at times. I simply cannot drink coffee anymore! It wrecks my GI tract. But I do drink black tea (Bigelow brand) once a day in the morning, strongly steeped.

But the 100mg of NaRALA does not seem to bother me.

Factors in reflux are bending over after a potential culprit, too full of a stomach, too much gas coming up from below., and poor integrity of the stomach lining.

Coffee and tea have more acid than that a R-lipoic capsule (100mg). The stomach itself is more acidic than that capsule.

So there might be some factor that makes lipoic acid products other than the acid, be the culprit.

Back a decade ago, I had alot of GERD. I had many tests, and they found my twisted stomach and hiatal hernia. At one point I was on Prilosec daily. At that time, I found, Dr. Sears' book, Enter the Zone, and I began Omega-3 fatty acids daily. Fish oil, primrose oil, and Flax oil. Within 3 months, my GERD was gone, and never really returned, except for the foods I mentioned now and then. It was a wake up call illustrating that the maintenance of the lining of the GI tract is dependent on
these essential fats.

If you lie down after eating at any time, or bend at the waist alot doing some activity after eating you can push acidic stomach contents into the unprotected esophagus. I think this factor alone is responsible for many GERD episodes.

One little Fosamax if taken and then the patient lies down or doesn't use enough fluid to move it along...will erode the esophagus in some patients. 10mg
Actonel is just as bad. And they are not acidic.

So I would take this "heartburn" as a sign that something is wrong. Please do check that out.

I don't mean to disagree with you MrsD but...some people simply have reactions to things and it doesn't indicate something is wrong.

My acid reflux is not severe, never even been on rx meds and I have had it checked. I simply have reactions to some things while other people do not.

Of course you are right, there can always be underlying issues. I am just saying there does not have to be. Sometimes it really is as simple as a product that causes acid reflux in some people and not in others.

I have acid reflux seriously. Went to Barretts esophagus. I had to give up that suppliment. It made it worse. ginnie