Hi California Dana
 

I'm glad I can make you smile.

PN is no walk in the park. And humor does help at times.

So I hope you are having "not such a bad PN day".

Be well.

Mel (soon to be Gina Lolabridgida..... god, is she still alive?)

Ala
 

lowers blood sugar... be sure to monitor that!

Very true.
 

Alpha Lipoic Acid, and it's somewhat more potent R-lipoic acid isomer form, do have blood sugar lowering properties, adn any diabetics who take insulin are advised to monitor the taking of this supplement very carefully, as it can interfere with proper isnulin dosing by resulting in artificially lowered blood sugar readings.

On the other hand, those who control their impaired glucose tolerance by diet and exercise without insulin often find it a useful adjunct, in that it may obviate the need for such insulin supplementation.

Moreover, ALA and R-lpoic are potent antioxidants and great free-radical scavengers in the body, and, as has been mentioned, help with neuropathy pain for some.

I myself take 100mg of R-lipoic a day, more for the blood-sugar regulating properties and the antioxidant effects than for help with neuropathy pain at this point. Since I am prone to reactive hypoglycemia, I always take it with a meal, in order not to drive my blood sugar too low--and that helps with mitigating any gastric acidity, also.

You said this:
"as it can interfere with proper isnulin dosing by resulting in artificially lowered blood sugar readings"

Does this mean that if I take this ALA and I see a sugar reading of let's say 85, that my sugar is not 85???

this is confusing.
mel

No, your sugar would be 85 at that point--
 

--it's that ALA/R-lipoic contribute to the lowering of blood sugar on their own, and people who take diabetic drugs are cautioned that their use of these supplements be monitored so that the combo of meds and supplements do not drive blood sugars too low, requiring a modificiation in their meds dosages.