Alpha Lipoic Acid, physician recommended?

Posted by Rubyslippers @triciaot, Jan 31 8:38am

Is anyone taking Alpha Lipoic Acid with a doctor’s recommendation? My PCP suggested I might want to take it for brain health as I’ve had some brain fog from tamoxifen. It looks like research is inconsistent on whether this really protects the myelin sheath on nerves in the brain or not. But on the chance it does, I’m taking it.
But I just read an article that Alpha Lipoic Acid may suppress breast cancer cell growth. Could be that it is most effective with invasive DCIS that is ER, PR, and E-cadherin negative and expresses mutated p53. Link below.
That’s not what I have. I guess I should check with my oncologist. But was curious if anyone else had been told to take it.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20098578/

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Breast Cancer Support Group.

melanie001 | @melanie001 | Jan 31 8:47am

I take Alpha Lipoic Acid for kidney disease. I’ll find out in one month if it has helped.

Rubyslippers | @triciaot | Feb 1 7:53am

In reply to @melanie001 "I take Alpha Lipoic Acid for kidney disease. I’ll find out in one month if it..." + (show)

Would you mind letting me know if they think it’s working after you go in for your visit?
Thanks

Sue Ellen Murrey | @semurrey | Feb 1 8:43am

I have ILC and of course like all of us try to stay updated on how we can minimize further mets. I have a friend taking ALA for nerve pain?? I appreciate the line to the article - anyone else out there taking ALA? xo

blondietoad | @blondietoad | Feb 2 8:47am

It was suggested to me for Taxol neuropathy. I haven’t started taking it yet though (suggested yesterday). I read that it can drop your blood sugar and that makes me nervous. Curious to see what others say about their experience.

anjalima | @anjalima | Feb 2 9:37am

The study was 2009. I’m going to research if any more recent studies are available.

pml | @pml | Feb 2 9:34pm

I took Alpha Lipoic for incontinence and it helped a lot. I found it on my own but my doctor approved when I told him about it. However, in my further research I discovered that it caused weight loss which I was already dealing with being incontinent. So I quit taking it. I'm very sensitive to medications. I can't even take Tylenol. But, Alpha Lipoic never bothered me at all.
PML

louri | @louri | Feb 8 9:18am

I take Alpha Lipotic Acid for neuropathy. I am a type 2 diabetic and it was recommended to me by my PCP who is also diabetic and takes it. I only have neuropathy in my toes and it does help. It took a few weeks for me to notice the difference once I started.

Rubyslippers | @triciaot | Mar 8 9:14am

Just found this. A good article about supplements and what certifications help assure quality. I’ve quoted the important info, you have to pay to read the full article.

“Certifications That Count
Although the FDA doesn’t regulate supplements, a few advocacy groups do review and certify them. Some certifications are more meaningful than others based on the standards the organizations use. The following are two of the most well-recognized ones to look for on a supplement label, according to experts.

THE USP VERIFIED MARK
Provided by the U.S. Pharmacopeia, an independent nonprofit organization, the USP Verified Mark on the label of a dietary supplement indicates that the product has been tested to make sure it contains the ingredients and amounts listed and doesn’t contain harmful levels of contaminants like heavy metals or pesticides.

THE NSF CERTIFICATION MARK
From the National Sanitation Foundation, the mark means the product has been independently tested for quality, purity, and safety. You can look up NSF-certified dietary supplements on the organization’s website.
“These verifications give you a little more assurance that you’re getting what’s on the label,” Soffer says.

Another layer of protection is the FDA Dietary Supplement Ingredient Directory, unveiled in March 2023, where consumers can look up what’s used in dietary supplements, find out what the FDA has to say about them, and see whether the agency has taken any action related to their ingredients.
https://www.fda.gov/food/dietary-supplements/information-select-dietary-supplement-ingredients-and-other-substances
ConsumerLab.com is also a reliable resource for third-party testing and info on supplements, Grossman says, but you may need to pay for access to some reports.”

From: Better Homes & Gardens, March 2024, The Real Deal on Supplements
$$ link: https://www.zinio.com/better-homes-and-gardens-m1478