r-ALA experiment

[Ulter]

Use less is right MS and th'wolf

We are seeing more and more that r-ALA is much more powerful than it was first thought. Try not to exceed 300mg in a day while it's making you pee so much. This side will go away by the way with regular use.
This side is not in ANY of the literature. No where, not a word. If anyone sees anything about it please let me know.
Some of this stuff is new and the dosing is still kind of tricky.
One of the doctors who is buying it from us for his patients in Texas gasped when I told him our customers were taking 600-900mg a day. He uses 300-600mg for his Hep C patients that haven't gone to cirrohsis yet. You all are healthy so 600mg seems to be too high.
BTW he is so impressed with the results thus far that he is insisting that all his new patients buy r-ALA when they begin therapy. Next time he orders I will ask if I can post his name.

 

[The Shadow]

Hmmm, I've also had a problem with increased thrist and dehydration on r-ALA. My lips and skin are constanly parched now, and I drink and pee 24/7. It's just like when I'm on a contest diet!!

YES....I am getting those symptoms as well.....with regular ala - as I hit 3-4 grams per day I grt dehydration headaches......I am drinking SO much water that I am up at least twice during the night and I still wake up dry with cottonmouth///skin is in shitty condition.....I'm gonna hose down a slip n slide with olive oil and take a header

 

[Fonz]

That's not the problem Fonz.....I drink plenty water. The glycogen storage is working fine with the r-ALA, but I am still peeing too much and getting dehydrated. In other words the water is going in one end and out the other without stopping off to hydrate the rest of my body inbetween (aside from my muscles). At a guess, this is the same phenomena that Ula experienced, resulting in a large reduction in interstitial and plasma fluid (and therefore her remarkably quick weight loss). Although it's prolly due to changes in insulin secretion (which is a good thing), there must be someway to counteract it without raising insulin levels????? I've tried potassium supps without success, so now I'm upping all of my electrolytes. I'll let you know if it helps.

If I can't get it sorted, I may also have to ditch the r-ALA. Dry skin, interrpupted sleep from polynocturia, and dehydration induced migraines are not just minor side effects for me!

Increase sodium.

Increased sodium ingestion reverses the sodium-potassium pump and increses hydration via water retention.

Glycerol is another option.

Fonz

 

[MS]

I should have mentioned that I have been consuming a lot of glycerol.....I put a CUP of the stuff in every batch of hunza bread I make (instead of honey). It is strange that my body FEELS like it's lacking sodium even though I'm not limiting my sodium in any way, and the glycerol hasn't helped. This really is strange, but I'm still betting on reduced hyperinsulemia as the main cause. Women are so much more prone to fluid retention when insulin levels go up. I'll just cut back and see what happens. I think this is is good thing overall, since I am normally very prone to sodium induced fluid retention. I'll keep you posted.

 

[Fonz]

I should have mentioned that I have been consuming a lot of glycerol.....I put a CUP of the stuff in every batch of hunza bread I make (instead of honey). It is strange that my body FEELS like it's lacking sodium even though I'm not limiting my sodium in any way, and the glycerol hasn't helped. This really is strange, but I'm still betting on reduced hyperinsulemia as the main cause. Women are so much more prone to fluid retention when insulin levels go up. I'll just cut back and see what happens. I think this is is good thing overall, since I am normally very prone to sodium induced fluid retention. I'll keep you posted.

OK.

Might not be this, but:

Glycerol is a diuretic if you don't consume enough water.

I think tha ratio was 50ml glycerol to 1600ml water.

Fonz

 

[MS]

True FONZ, but the only thing that has changed in my diet is the r-ALA. Same carb, same sodium, same glycerol intake as before. The glycerol has been in there for years. It is quite clear that r-ALA has some additional water repartitioning/diuretic effects in me that are difficult to account for. I also find it interesting that many of us non-diabeic (presumably healthy) folks have noticed this even though it hasn't (to my knowledge) been cited as a side effect in use with diabetic patients. As I have speculated since Ulter's first post regarding Ula's 2 week/10 lb weight loss, there's a lot of water going somewhere, although I have not personally lost weight, I have misplaced some water!! I would think if it were a purely diuretic effect that I would have also noticed some weight loss??

 

[macrophage69alpha]

there is definitely a change in electrolyte balance, likley due to increased membrane permeability as well as higher glycogenation of tissues.

try varying increasing/decreasing sodium intake..

increasing is probably better for most people...

ala is, given its mechanism, very likely potassium sparing.

this is a just a superficial analysis, will be looking into it further..

though have noticed that this is experienced more by people with a low sodium diet..

 

[rez]

a couple questions..

do you find that r-ala works best with specific carbs...not just carb amounts? ie difference in taking it before sugar or sweet potato?
other thing, wouldnt it be wiser to take the r-ala with a pure hi carb meal not a high carb/fat meal...eg better to take it with lollies than full-fat icecream...the carbs are "taken care" of but what about the hi fat content?
or am i missing the point?

thanks for this post...now i know why my skin is soooo dru and my nose is even peeling!
ive now lowered my dose to 100-200mg per day usually in the morning.

 

[MS]

My personal experience is that r-ALA works more dramatically with high carb/high fat meals. But that may just be because my glucose sensitivity is pretty good otherwise. I found almost no difference in glucose AUC when I ate pure high GI carbs with or without r-ALA, and no difference at all with low GI carbs (specifically chick peas), but there was a significant difference in AUC when I ate Pizza with or without r-ALA. Keep in mind my carb meals are not very large anyway.....the most I would eat in a normal carb meal is 100g, averaging 300-350g per day total of mostly low GI carbs and low fat intake. Pizza is more of a high fat exception than the rule.

 

[rez]

My personal experience is that r-ALA works more dramatically with high carb/high fat meals. But that may just be because my glucose sensitivity is pretty good otherwise. I found almost no difference in glucose AUC when I ate pure high GI carbs with or without r-ALA, and no difference at all with low GI carbs (specifically chick peas), but there was a significant difference in AUC when I ate Pizza with or without r-ALA. Keep in mind my carb meals are not very large anyway.....the most I would eat in a normal carb meal is 100g, averaging 300-350g per day total of mostly low GI carbs and low fat intake. Pizza is more of a high fat exception than the rule.

may i ask what exactly what response you get after your pizza meal that makes you know its working for you?