Supplements

Hello John. So na-r-ala is better than r-ala? I know reading about regular ALA learning that it was kind of worthless, first time learning about na-r-ala. Well, I believe burning in feet is ruining my outlook on life terribly. Can't even focus anymore, this burning is totally different than numbness. Also I am probably going to get a new Dr. In the past few months when this feet burning started, my Dr first put me on Xanax , 1/2 mg a night for 90 days. Well after just 4 1/2 weeks I noticed I was having withdrawal symptoms during the day. Bad ones. Confusion, plugged ears, heart palpitations, etc.. almost every symptom possible. I had to research myself to find out that I was having something called interdose withdrawl. I have had same Dr for 13 years. He knows my history of taking 60 mg a day of opiates due to back pain and several different surgeries through body from being a concrete worker for 26 years. I tapered myself off of the last year. So he knows my history of a physically dependent body. I went to his office a couple weeks back and was telling him about my blood pressure being low, 93/63, and still taking losartan 100mg. Why am I taking blood pressure med on that it is so low? He literally said to me , well Jerry, your taking Gabapentin, Ambien, and Xanax, all sedatives, part of reason pressure is so low. Immediately my thought was you gotta be kidding me, you just said that, you are prescribing them to me. Well, went to a psychiatrist and the Doctor agreed with me that I should have never been prescribed Ambien, or Xanax with my background, and She never would have prescribed me these medications unless it was short term, 2 weeks or less. Trusting Doctors is tough for me right now.

Hello John. So na-r-ala is better than r-ala? I know reading about regular ALA learning that it was kind of worthless, first time learning about na-r-ala. Well, I believe burning in feet is ruining my outlook on life terribly. Can't even focus anymore, this burning is totally different than numbness. Also I am probably going to get a new Dr. In the past few months when this feet burning started, my Dr first put me on Xanax , 1/2 mg a night for 90 days. Well after just 4 1/2 weeks I noticed I was having withdrawal symptoms during the day. Bad ones. Confusion, plugged ears, heart palpitations, etc.. almost every symptom possible. I had to research myself to find out that I was having something called interdose withdrawl. I have had same Dr for 13 years. He knows my history of taking 60 mg a day of opiates due to back pain and several different surgeries through body from being a concrete worker for 26 years. I tapered myself off of the last year. So he knows my history of a physically dependent body. I went to his office a couple weeks back and was telling him about my blood pressure being low, 93/63, and still taking losartan 100mg. Why am I taking blood pressure med on that it is so low? He literally said to me , well Jerry, your taking Gabapentin, Ambien, and Xanax, all sedatives, part of reason pressure is so low. Immediately my thought was you gotta be kidding me, you just said that, you are prescribing them to me. Well, went to a psychiatrist and the Doctor agreed with me that I should have never been prescribed Ambien, or Xanax with my background, and She never would have prescribed me these medications unless it was short term, 2 weeks or less. Trusting Doctors is tough for me right now.

Ed @njed, I take 1200 mg daily (600 mg morning and evening) of na-R-ALA which is a better form of R-ALA. I'm not sure the ALA is helpful since most sold as ALA contains 50% synthetic ALA (s-ALA) which is not as bioavailable as R-ALA or na-R-ALA. The labels should show the content of the s-ALA on the bottle when the product is labelled ALA. Then na-R-ALA is just one of the supplements I take for the neuropathy. The full list is in the Protocol 525 discussion here - https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/have-you-tried-the-new-protocol-525-product-for-neuropathy-relief/. The supplement is no longer called the Protocol 525 since they've reduced the number of capsules to 4 in the morning, 2 at noon and 4 in the evening.

Here are a few reference articles on R-ALA on the topic.

--- (R)-Lipoic Acid: Unique ‘Mitochondrial Antioxidant’ Fights Premature Aging: https://nutritionreview.org/2019/07/r-lipoic-acid-unique-mitochondrial-antioxidant-fights-premature-aging/
--- Analysis of the Enhanced Stability of R(+)-Alpha Lipoic Acid by the Complex Formation with Cyclodextrins: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6723188/

Hello John. So na-r-ala is better than r-ala? I know reading about regular ALA learning that it was kind of worthless, first time learning about na-r-ala. Well, I believe burning in feet is ruining my outlook on life terribly. Can't even focus anymore, this burning is totally different than numbness. Also I am probably going to get a new Dr. In the past few months when this feet burning started, my Dr first put me on Xanax , 1/2 mg a night for 90 days. Well after just 4 1/2 weeks I noticed I was having withdrawal symptoms during the day. Bad ones. Confusion, plugged ears, heart palpitations, etc.. almost every symptom possible. I had to research myself to find out that I was having something called interdose withdrawl. I have had same Dr for 13 years. He knows my history of taking 60 mg a day of opiates due to back pain and several different surgeries through body from being a concrete worker for 26 years. I tapered myself off of the last year. So he knows my history of a physically dependent body. I went to his office a couple weeks back and was telling him about my blood pressure being low, 93/63, and still taking losartan 100mg. Why am I taking blood pressure med on that it is so low? He literally said to me , well Jerry, your taking Gabapentin, Ambien, and Xanax, all sedatives, part of reason pressure is so low. Immediately my thought was you gotta be kidding me, you just said that, you are prescribing them to me. Well, went to a psychiatrist and the Doctor agreed with me that I should have never been prescribed Ambien, or Xanax with my background, and She never would have prescribed me these medications unless it was short term, 2 weeks or less. Trusting Doctors is tough for me right now.

Hello @jerryw, Welcome to Connect. I take R-Ala as part of my supplements for neuropathy but I only have numbness and no pain. I posted my story in another discussion here - https://connect.mayoclinic.org/comment/310341/. @bobcardi63 started a discussion on Nuphoria but so far no members have shared their experience - Has anyone ever used 'Nuphoria' products?: https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/has-anyone-ever-used-nuphoria-products/.

If you have a specific product that you are looking at you might want to do a search at the top of Connect to see if others have posted on the topic. There looks to be 38 discussions and 1,125 comments found when searching for neuropathy supplements - https://connect.mayoclinic.org/search/?search=neuropathy+supplements.

Unless I can find a science related reference or study on a product and my doctor or neurologist says it can help, it's a no for me. The Foundation for Peripheral Neuropathy does list supplements that some people with neuropathy have found helped some but I think it's probably different for each of us depending on vitamin deficiencies or other medical conditions we may have whether or not they will help -- https://www.foundationforpn.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Complementary-and-Alternative-Treatments-Revised-2020-final.-1.pdf.

Do you mind sharing more about your neuropathy diagnosis and the symptoms you have?
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Hello John. I went to my EMG today and nothing g was abnormal. Just did below knees and feet. My MRI revealed L2L3L4L5,S1, all have bulging disc but none herniated, also L5L4 have osteoarthritis, and L5 and L4 have foraminal stenosis. So I suppose it to be SFN, or from Back. Don't see Neurologist until March. Thoughts?

Hi Jerry, I’m wondering if there may be some pinched or compressed nerves. Might be something to discuss with the neurologist.

Jerry have you tried using ice socks to help with burning feet? They helped me when my feet are burning in evening.

Hello John. Thanks for response. You mean pinched or compressed nerves in back? Or lower legs, ankles? Would pinched nerves give me a regular EMG? I thought if EMG was regular that this would mean Small Fiber Neuropathy? Also, what brand NA-R-Alpha Lipoic Acid do you take? Also, I was reading on Foundation for Peripheral Neuropathy, that small fiber nerves are very robust and do heal. Have you ever read that? Thanks. Jerry

I was thinking pinched nerve in the spine where you have the bulging discs. I believe that can cause nerve pain in the legs and elsewhere and depends on the nerves that are involved.