I searched for info about these on this site, but couldnt get anywhere. does anyone take either with any results? i have been taking the alpha lipoic acid for quite awhile and see no improvement, but i need to up it and wait a few more months and then i will quit. i havent tried the acetyl l carnitine yet as i read about some negative reactionk but now i cannot find that.
steff

Hi steff I have tried alpha lipoic acid 150mg twice a day for about a month, it didnt seem to do anything but maybe it needs longer to work.I also tried acetyl l carnitine but I only used that for about a month also, I had to stop all supplements a while back but I am thinking of maybe introducing alpha lipoic acid and acetyl l carnitine together as part of my supplement regime...

can you remember if there was any negative info on l-c? about the heart? or other body parts?
thanks
steff

I use to take a supplement containing alc and ala that I purchased from Iherb, that was a while back. I didn't notice any improvement so after the supply ran out in 30 days I never reordered, but we are all different in what works. good Luck

I think l carnitine (not acetyl l carntine) is used for heart conditions because it works differently from the acetyl l carnitine, but don't quote me on that ,not sure about other body parts...

One thing in common in all this thread is giving things a month's trial.

PN is a chronic condition and nerves heal slowly. The brain's abnormal response to our damaged nerves and nerve endings also changes slowly. The onset of PN and flareups are relatively quick, a matter of weeks to a few months. In contrast, improvement if any is measured in six month or yearly intervals.

I believe that ALA and ALC are beneficial. The difference they make may be noticable in a year or two or three. There is a lot of research on both. Google links are: http://www.google.com/search?q=alpha...ient=firefox-a
http://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=...=1&sa=N&tab=ws

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&s...hy&btnG=Search
http://scholar.google.com/scholar?hl...=1&sa=N&tab=ws

Review articles are at http://healthlibrary.epnet.com/GetCo...chunkiid=21450
http://healthlibrary.epnet.com/GetCo...chunkiid=21480
http://www.lef.org/protocols/neurolo...ropathy_01.htm

"Diabetic neuropathy" is mentioned in many of the articles. In general, what helps diabetic neuropathy helps any peripheral neuropathy. The symptoms are similar, the nerves are similarly damaged, and the brain and spinal chord's response to the nerve damage is similar.

There are no magic bullets to kill our PN. ALA and ALC are part of what we can do to help our nerves heal and our brain to go back to a normal response to stimuli. To put this in perspective, if you take ALA, ALC, and drink and smoke heavily, your PN will get worse, not better. If you take ALA and ALC, but have uncontrolled diabetes or pre-diabetes, your PN will get worse, not better.

PN symptoms do not occur in isolation. PN gets better, or stops getting worse, as we get healthier. Taking the right supplements is part of what will restore health. Also needed is good diet, regular exercise, a positive outlook, stress relief, optimism, love, etc., etc.

I started taking the alpha lipoic after the man who started my deck last year mentioned it.

He was a lot older than me, but his skin was much better, more fresh and healthy looking, not so dry and wrinkly as mine.

Then I noticed that Vitacost has something they think is better called R-lipoic acid... I think that's it.

I ordered it, but I haven't used up my alpha yet, so I can't say if it works better.

I do think the alpha lipoic helps. My skin is better, I'm pretty sure.

And, I am nearly pain free, but I think that has to do with a whole slew of other things...

(to include a LOT of B12 injections.)

The research is so clear on these two supplements that even if you don't see the benefits, you should still be taking it, and the higher doses recommended lately. Who knows how bad you'd feel without them, or how bad you'd feel in a couple of years? These are two substnaces which have proven themselves time and again in good clinical trials. Don't scrimp here.

My opinion, and many others, I believe.

i looked at the info, thanks for finding it. i think the l-c might not be good for me becasue i am right on the edge of the thyroid scale. i took thyroid all my life until the last two years, when my blood test came back normal, but i am going to have it rerun again. i will continue to take the a-l-a.thank you
steff