ALA
October
24,
2011
effective for diabetic nerve pain
In patients with nerve pain related to diabetes antidepressant drugs, anticonvulsant drugs, and opium derived pain killers are regularly prescribed to control pain. However, these powerful drugs (loaded with side effects) rarely provide complete pain relief and fail to prevent worsening of neuropathy (a disease of the nervous system that often causes severe pain).
Doctors in the Department of Neurology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston analyzed data from 5 controlled clinical trials consisting of 1160 patients with diabetic nerve damage. In four of the studies (Alpha-Lipoic Acid) provided significant improvement in nerve pain/damage.
600mg of by injection was effective for diabetic polyneuropathy within 3 weeks and 600mg of by mouth daily improved signs and symptoms within 5 weeks – both doing it safely. The study is published online September 2011 in the journal Therapeutics and Clinical Risk Management.