In the US, I know that ALA is available at Long's Walgreeen's, Rexall,
Trader Joes's, Whole Foods, and Walmart among other pharmacies and
health food stores.  Any of those up there?

really knowing

Do you have health food stores? If no luck:

http://www.iherb.com/alphasustain.html  Jarrow brand - slow
release.

A new abstract:

 Pharmazie. 2005 Oct;60(10):772-5.     Related Articles, Links

    Lipoic acid improves glucose utilisation and prevents protein
glycation and AGE formation.

    Thirunavukkarasu V, Anitha Nandhini AT, Anuradha CV.

    Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Annamalai
University, Annamalainagar, Tamil Nadu, India.

    The present study investigates the antiglycating effect of
alpha-lipoic acid (LA) in high fructose-fed rats in vivo and its
potential to inhibit the process of glycation in vitro. In addition, the
effect of LA on glucose utilisation in rat diaphragm was also studied.
Rats fed a high fructose diet (60% total calories) were administered
with 35 mg/kg b.w, lipoic acid (LA) intraperitoneally for 20 days. The
effects of LA on plasma glucose, fructosamine, protein glycation and
glycated haemoglobin in high fructose rats and on in vitro glycation
were studied. In vitro utilization of glucose was carried out in normal
rat diaphragm in the presence and absence of insulin in which LA was
used as an additive. The contents of glucose, glycated protein, glycated
haemoglobin and fructosamine were significantly lowered on LA
administration to high fructose-fed rats. LA prevented in vitro
glycation and the accumulation of advanced glycation end products.
Further LA enhanced glucose utilization in the rat diaphragm. This
effect was additive to that of insulin and did not interfere with the
action of insulin. The findings provide evidence for the therapeutic
utility of lipoic acid in diabetes and its complications.

    PMID: 16259126 [PubMed - in process]

Susan

Wonderful! Congratulations.

About ALA or burning feet? If the latter, it sounds like
it's second opinion time. That's not good enough.

Good luck in your search. Others may be able to offer advice
on the specialty area.

Cheers, Alan, T2, Australia.

Hi there Trinity,

Burning feet is often caused by peripheral neuropathy, and normally it is
advisable first off to get your bg levels down. But you've obviously
achieved excellent control, so that's covered.
But damage can also be caused by blocked blood vessels in the legs, (called
claudation), or deformed red blood cells, which prevents sufficient blood
(and therefore oxygen) from reaching the feet, and in particular the nerves
there. Have you been tested for this problem? Any qualified podiatrist can
do this test. Most doctors will simply feel for a good pulse in the foot,
but sometimes this is not sufficient to detect a problem. In either case,
the end result is damage to the nerves of the feet.

So what can be done to help lower the pain or even heal such damage?

There are a number of strategies and helpful substances that might do some
good. Some very good ideas can be found at;
http://www.geocities.com/bsy53/dn/neuropat.html
A MULTIDISCIPLINARY APPROACH TO DIABETIC NEUROPATHY TREATMENT

The authjor explains why your doctor does not appear to know much about all
this;
"The average time it takes medical research findings to enter clinical
practice is best measured in decades. But this problem is known and may be
rectified, eventually; see (Owen, 1995). Until that time comes around, it is
the patient who is the ultimate loser. In the meantime, the best strategy is
to arm oneself and/or one's physician with as many pertinent facts as are
necessary
to make more fully-informed decisions about the management of your neuropath
y.

There is a vast amount of medical research extant on sound, valuable
remedies that ultimately end up ignored for lack of promotion (usually due
to limited profit potential) in spite of being, demonstrably, the most
effective ones available. Thus we have found a treatment which emphasizes
the judicious use of nutrients together with the novel use of some
prescription drugs. "

I do recommend that you read the whole article for a better understanding of
what you can do to that might help yourself to deal with your condition.

Please note that the author states; "First, it is important to get an
examination by a physician to get a correct diagnosis."

Having dealt with a detailed look at neuropathy and it's causes, he then
explains how nutritional therapy might help as an adjunct to the more
traditional medical assistance;
"So the aim of a nutritional treatment is to:
Change the lipid characteristics of blood corpuscles to make them more
deformable.
Induce angiogenesis; (regenerate the capillaries thus obviating the
consequences of continuing  neural hypoxia).
Encourage nerve growth.
Increase the overall oxygen-delivery capacity of the blood circulation
system."

Secondly, he recommends that ALA is combined with gamma-linolenic acid
(GLA), which is found in oils extracted from either Evening Primrose Oil
(EPO) or borage seeds. Most of those who take the oil in capsules use EPO.

"Recent experimental work confirms that GLA-aLA (equimolar) conjugate is so
effective that it completely reverses the effects of the broken neurotrophic
mechanisms that correlate with diabetic neuropathy."

"It is well documented that the first step in the conversion of the
essential fatty acid (EFA) linoleic acid to gamma-linolenic acid (GLA) is
broken in diabetics. In more severe cases the EFA metabolism is broken in
two places....  The result of this broken process is shortage of GLA and its
metabolites; prostacyclin and prostaglandins. Diabetic neuropathy is a
progressive disease that is most probably caused by the effects of a chronic
deficiency of prostacyclin and prostaglandins. This is central to the
pathogenesis of diabetic neuropathy."

Thirdly, he also recommends that Vitamin C be added to the combo, because;
"........ showed that a novel essential fatty acid derivative ascorbyl-GLA
was 40 times as efficacious as GLA as a treatment for neuropathy.
........... but the same study showed that GLA plus ascorbate was over 75%
as efficacious as ascorbyl-GLA.
Ascorbate (vitamin C) is flushed from the human body every 5 hours, so it is
prudent to always take it together with the GLA."

Do take note that ALA is an anti-hyperglycemic, which means it can lower bg,
so once you start taking it, it would be wise to monitor your bg levels and
make adjustments if necessary, to prevent a possible hypo.

He then goes on to discuss vitamins and minerals and other nutrients that
may also prove beneficial. Some of them are readily available in ordinary
foods, so I leave that for you to work out.

In some other studies on this subject, it is recommended that the triple
combination of ALA, EPO and Vit C be taken on an empty stomach about 1 hr
before a meal, preferably breakfast, for best absorbtion. My stomach has not
complained to date, but remember, YMMV.

As for purchasing ALA, the brand I use is made by Solgar, a US company, and
sold in many countries, including Australia. I found that if I enquire, many
health food shops can order it in for you. It all depends on what is
approved for use and sale in Canada.

I hope this helps,

Annette