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Alpha lipoic acid supplements

Has anyone taken this? I have read good things about it for overall health benefits.

A few internet searches would indicate that this is a miracle drug rather like that in the song "Lily the Pink": for she invented medicinal compound, most efficacious in every case.

 

 

I take alpha lipoic acid when I mix scotch and wine together. Every time I think how stupid to mix scotch and wine.

ALA prevents hangover.

So meaning, no real benefit?

Isn't that a Philadelphian Cocktail? Nine parts Scotch, twenty-two parts wine and one TKI.

Image result for xr-21  +   Image result for wine = Image result for alpha lipoic acid

 

Obviously a difficult question to answer. That teaches me to shut the fuck up.

How come your first image isn't working? frown

Hi,

It's a difficult question to answer as there's really very little proof it could help. 

For example, there's a study that suggest it might have sone benefit in a rather exotic leukemia, but not in the not common overs such as CML. And even then, it's just a single small study. 

http://www.cancerjournal.net/article.asp?issn=0973-1482;year=2016;volume...

We need to be careful of bad science and I noticed that most pages admit this and leukaemia or cancer in general are not from reputable sources, which puts a big red flag over the claims made. Usually these sort of sites have an agenda that is not aligned with the interests of patients. 

I think everyone else was just having a bit of light hearted fun, so please don't take any comments personally. With cancer, sometimes it pays off to try to have a sense of humour about it otherwise it can all seem bleak every now and then. 

David. 

 

Sorry, TBrand. I have come across this substance on other health message boards. Across the Intenet, the various promoters of the product make outrageous and unsubstantiated claims for its efficacy. The fifth result in my Google search lists the various illnesses which may benefit from alpha lipoic acid. The substance does not appear to be approved for use by major national drug approval agencies.

https://www.everydayhealth.com/drugs/alpha-lipoic-acid

Alpha-lipoic acid has been used in alternative medicine as a possibly effective aid in weight loss, treating diabetic nerve pain, healing wounds, lowering blood sugar, improving skin discoloration caused by vitiligo, and decreasing complications of coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery. Alpha-lipoic acid may have been combined with other plants or extracts in a specific preparation to treat these conditions.

Alpha-lipoic acid has also been used to treat rheumatoid arthritis, Alzheimer's disease, alcoholic liver problems, altitude sickness, heart-related nerve problems, HIV-related brain problems, or eye problems caused by diabetes. However, research has shown that alpha-lipoic acid may not be effective in treating these conditions.

Other uses not proven with research have included treating glaucoma, migraine headaches, high blood pressure, heart failure, dementia, carpal tunnel syndrome, leg pain caused by sciatic nerve damage or peripheral artery disease (PAD), anti-aging of the skin, and other conditions. 

Alpha lipoic acid (ALA) impacts the aldehyde dehydrogenase pathway (upregulates). That is its main benefit. It also acts as an anti-oxidant.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23238616

Aldehyde dehydrogenase is what is needed after alcohol intoxication (hangover). Alcohol metabolism by the liver generates an overabundance of aldehyde. Aldehyde is what causes hangovers. ALA  speeds up aldehyde deydrogenase activity so a hangover is minimized or even eliminated.

Regarding CML - ALA has no benefit that has been observed. ALA is an anti-oxidant (similar to blueberries, etc.) and so is good for you to take - but no different than any other anti-oxidant in that regard.

 

Just saw this post and thought I would share my experience with it. Back in 2010 when I had just started dasatinib after developing liver toxicity on imatinib I noticed I was getting tingling and numbness in my feet and ankles. At that time there was another nice CML forum other than the LLS site. I posted this concern and was told about ALA. The suggestion was taking 300mg. per day and I would know within 3 weeks if it was going to work. It was suggested that this was used by some diabetics for neuropathy.

I ran it by my doc and he said I could give it a try but he did not recommend it for longer than 6 months. Long story short, it did appear to work within the 3 weeks. I took it for about 8 weeks and stopped and had a "relapse" a year or two later. Tried it again and have not had neuropathy symptoms since.

Coincidence? Who knows, but it appeared to work, had no side effects and I only took it for a short period of time.