Good luck with your tests mrsD! My thoughts are with you...

Good luck on your tests.

I checked out the drug interaction on 2 sites including the one you mentioned and there's no interactions found. I'm getting fairly certain that it's alright to take together. I saw the ALA in CVS today, but it was 600mg tablets and I wasn't sure if that's what I want to start out with. I'm going to look for something less than that first.

MrsD: I really hope you will be feeling better soon. God bless.

Caution on the B Complex as it will usually contain B6. I had been taking B6 as well as B12 and a blood test showed an elevated B6. My neurologist said high levels of B6 can worsen PN.

Anyone taking a supplement for B6 will show some elevation in blood work. That is because the ranges were made from people NOT taking supplements.

It takes 200mg-500mg a day for a LONG time to give a few people with "toxicity". The actual numbers of those reported are very small and go back to when 500mg or more a day were given as a treatment for PMS in women.
more here:
https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q...houNfuv26eKLwg

Most doctors really know very little about vitamin levels. They don't even know that pyridoxine is not the active form of B6.

I am new to this forum and was feeling really good while reading your post. I was recently diagnosed with small fiber neuropathy which is progressing fairly rapidly. The pain is being controlled by Lyrica but I held little hope that it could ever reverse. Reading your post was giving me hope until I read that having Sjogren's seems to make you an exception. Can you explain why that is so? I know that the two can be linked but was not aware that it would impede my chances for a reversal of the damage. Any information would be helpful. Thanks.

I have Ciprofloxcacin induced Peripheral Neuropathy since 7 months ago. Since then I have greatly improved, though I often have very frequent but light PN pains throughout the day.

I just started taking alpha lipoic acid yesterday at 300mg a day to start. My concern is what to take it with and when to take it? I don't want to take it close to the time I take my clonazepam 0.5. but I also take a few other vitamins and don't want them to cancel each other out. Can anyone give me some advice on this vitamin regiment? As in what to take and the best time to take them?

My current vitamin regiment:

Morning: (On an empty stomach)
I take 500mcg of B12 sublingual
Omega 3 120mg
Vitamin C 100mg
Lycopene 10mg (for prostate health and it's an Antioxidant)

Afternoon: (close to meals)
B1 Thiamin 150mg
'Slow-mag" Magnesium 143mg (it also has calcium 238mg)

Evening:
2nd Vitamin C 100mg (sometimes I skip this)
2nd B1 Thiamin 150mg
Alpa Lipoic Acid 300mg

Late night:
Clonazepam 0.5mg an hour before bed

I don't know if I had a reaction from the ALA yesterday since it was my first time taking it. But I was already in a flare-up of PN pains before I took it. Still, I had some odd sensations like some light pain in my inner ears and an increase in "needle-ish prickling" sensations on my skin, though I have felt this before during flare-ups in the past. (not the ear thing though).

Oddly, I could have bought the "R-Lipoic acid" but it was pointed out to me that ALL the studies done regarding reduction of PN pains were done with regular ALA, so I decided to try the regular ALA at 300mg as a starter to see how my body adjusts to it.

Any advice here would be helpful?

Yes, my integrative MD has me taking reg. Alpha Lipoic Acid and it has been wonderful along with my other supplements. She has done a lot of research and wanted me on that one instead of R. Everyone takes what they feel is right for them.

When my nerves started to heal, I had some pain, but it went away. I had not had pain before or since that time.

I like to take my Benfotiamine (best absorbed B1) in the morning. ALA in the am and afternoon. Benfotiamine is good for energy so I like it in the morning.

Jesse,

Omega-3, and lycopene can be taken with food.
I am confused by the 120mg Omega-3? What kind is that?
Fish oil and flax oil come in 1000mg capsules.

Alpha lipoic acid is not well absorbed with food present. It should be taken on an empty stomach ...and 300mg is really a low dose.
The studies were done with 600mg to 1800mg a day.

The reason R-lipoic does not appear in studies is that it is relatively new. The body does not recognize the S-form, which results during commercial chemical manufacture of the the racemic older form of ALA. So the thinking was to not include the S-form and so the R-only became available when it could be separated out affordably. The stabilized R-(NaRALA) which is the newest of all, is highly soluble and quickly absorbed. I prefer this type personally, based on the chemical facts about it.

I hear you. I probably should have started taking ALA a long time ago. I was suggested it by a cardiologist of all people and then even found this link here about treating PN from Dr. Weil http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/ART02717/Neuropathy.html

He recommends starting at 100mg but increasing to 600mg a day later on. (300mg twice a day) I decided to start on just 300mg per-day and hope it won't give me any side effects.

Also even though none of my siblings or I have diabetes (been tested for it 4 times already) my parents had it near their 60's. I heard ALA is somewhat preventive for that. More so, I hope it helps lower my high blood pressure which already dropped some normally.

I know ALA has some effect on reducing intake of B1, but I take 300mg of B1 a day, so I figure it's alright to take.

The thing is, I don't know when is the best time to take the ALA during the day?

To MrsD: The Omega 3 I take are (Omega-3 soft chews 120mg) from GNC. They taste and look like star burst candy. As for taking ALA on an empty stomach, I would have to take that in the morning along whith my B1 - but worry that taking it along side my B1 would neutralize my B1 intake.