Lipoic acid in autoimmune disease

[NHE]

The Immunomodulatory Effect of Alpha-Lipoic Acid in Autoimmune Diseases.
Biomed Res Int. 2019 Mar 20;2019:8086257.

• Αlpha-lipoic acid is a naturally occurring antioxidant in human body and has been widely used as an antioxidant clinically. Accumulating evidences suggested that α-lipoic acid might have immunomodulatory effects on both adaptive and innate immune systems. This review focuses on the evidences and potential targets involved in the immunomodulatory effects of α-lipoic acid. It highlights the fact that α-lipoic acid may have beneficial effects in autoimmune diseases once the immunomodulatory effects can be confirmed by further investigation.

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[ElliotB]

Lipoic acid is an important antioxidant. I just learned that it is often used for diabetics who have nerve-related symptoms including burning, pain, and numbness in the legs and arms which I was pleasantly surprised to find out (source webMD). Although I have been taking the R form of lipioc Acid for more than a year, a few months ago I increased the dosage as recommended in an article posted here on TIMS. And over the past few months, my nerve pain has diminished a lot. But a few months ago, I also started using THC to see if I could get some relief as the CBD I had tried almost two years ago. I think it is helping a bit but am not certain it is. But after reading more about Lipoic acid and its use for nerve pain, I am wondering if the relief I am experiencing is related more to the Lipoic acid.

Apparently high dose Lipoic acid is now approved and being used in Germany for the treatment of these nerve-related symptoms. I am going to try to find out more about the high dose treatment and may increase my dose to see if I can get additional relief.

200 to 400 mg/day is typically the recommended dosage for generally healthy people. I was taking 300mg/day but am now taking 1200mg per day and have been for several months.

Here is a link to the webMD article:
https://www.webmd.com/vitamins/ai/ingre ... ipoic-acid

According to a pubmed.gov article on the German trials (there have been about 15), dosages of 600mg - 1800mg daily have been studied. The results seem to be favorable. Here is a link to the pubmed.gov article:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10595592

[NHE]

Apparently high dose Lipoic acid is now approved and being used in Germany for the treatment of these nerve-related symptoms. I am going to try to find out more about the high dose treatment and may increase my dose to see if I can get additional relief.

How much r-lipoic are you taking? Is it the stabilized form, e.g., Na-r-lipoate?

[ElliotB]

NHE, I had actually updated my post above and included that info while you made your post, I am now taking 1200mg per day and have been for several months.

And yes, it is a stabilized form of R-Alpha Lipoic acid.

Some interesting conclusions to the pubmed.gov article include "Oral treatment for 4-7 months tends to reduce neuropathic deficits and improves cardiac autonomic neuropathy. 4.) Preliminary data over 2 years indicate possible long-term improvement in motor and sensory nerve conduction in the lower limbs."

Although Lipoic acid is not cheap, it is not expensive either and as such there is little money to be made with it from BIG pharma so I doubt this treatment will get much attention.

[NHE]

Although Lipoic acid is not cheap, it is not expensive either and as such there is little money to be made with it from BIG pharma so I doubt this treatment will get much attention.

Dennis Bourdette at Oregon Health & Science University has been studying lipoic acid in MS for years.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?te ... lerosis%22