R-lipoic acid

Reported Uses

• NOTE: see Herb & Supplement Effectiveness Rating Definitions table
• age-related cognitive decline [Insufficient Evidence]
• age-related macular degeneration [Insufficient Evidence]
• age-related testosterone deficiency [Insufficient Evidence]
• alcoholic liver dz [Possibly Ineffective]
• altitude sickness [Possibly Ineffective]
• Alzheimer dz [Insufficient Evidence]
• anthracycline-induced cardiotoxicity [Insufficient Evidence]
• arthralgia, aromatase inhibitor-induced [Insufficient Evidence]
• atrial fibrillation [Insufficient Evidence]
• back pain [Insufficient Evidence]
• beta-thalassemia [Insufficient Evidence]
• bipolar disorder [Insufficient Evidence]
• burning mouth syndrome [Insufficient Evidence]
• CABG [Insufficient Evidence]
• cancer [Insufficient Evidence]
• cardiovascular dz [Insufficient Evidence]
• carpal tunnel syndrome [Insufficient Evidence]
• cataracts [Insufficient Evidence]
• cervical dysplasia [Insufficient Evidence]
• chronic fatigue syndrome [Insufficient Evidence]
• CKD [Insufficient Evidence]
• dementia, HIV/AIDS-related [Possibly Ineffective]
• diabetes mellitus [Possibly Ineffective]
• diabetic nephropathy [Insufficient Evidence]
• diabetic neuropathy [Possibly Effective]
• diabetic retinopathy [Possibly Ineffective]
• dry eye dz [Insufficient Evidence]
• dysmenorrhea [Insufficient Evidence]
• erectile dysfxn [Insufficient Evidence]
• female infertility [Insufficient Evidence]
• fibromyalgia [Insufficient Evidence]
• glaucoma [Insufficient Evidence]
• heart failure [Insufficient Evidence]
• hemorrhoids [Insufficient Evidence]
• hepatotoxicity, toxin-induced [Insufficient Evidence]
• herniated disc [Insufficient Evidence]
• HIV/AIDS [Insufficient Evidence]
• HTN [Insufficient Evidence]
• hyperlipidemia [Possibly Effective]
• hyperprolactinemia, antipsychotic-induced [Insufficient Evidence]
• hypertriglyceridemia [Insufficient Evidence]
• hypotension, orthostatic [Insufficient Evidence]
• impaired glucose tolerance [Insufficient Evidence]
• interstitial cystitis [Insufficient Evidence]
• Lyme dz [Insufficient Evidence]
• male infertility [Insufficient Evidence]
• metabolic effects, antipsychotic-induced [Insufficient Evidence]
• metabolic syndrome [Insufficient Evidence]
• migraine prophylaxis [Insufficient Evidence]
• miscarriage prevention [Insufficient Evidence]
• muscle strength [Insufficient Evidence]
• mushroom toxicity (Amanita phalloides) [Insufficient Evidence]
• neck pain [Insufficient Evidence]
• nephropathy prophylaxis, contrast-induced [Possibly Ineffective]
• neuropathic pain [Insufficient Evidence]
• nonalcoholic fatty liver dz [Insufficient Evidence]
• obesity [Possibly Effective]
• pain, chronic [Insufficient Evidence]
• periodontitis [Insufficient Evidence]
• peripheral arterial dz [Insufficient Evidence]
• peripheral neuropathy, chemo-induced [Insufficient Evidence]
• persistent olfactory dysfxn, post-COVID-19 [Insufficient Evidence]
• polycystic ovary syndrome [Insufficient Evidence]
• preterm labor prevention [Insufficient Evidence]
• radiation exposure [Insufficient Evidence]
• schizophrenia [Insufficient Evidence]
• sciatica [Insufficient Evidence]
• skin aging [Insufficient Evidence]
• tinnitus [Insufficient Evidence]
• vertigo [Insufficient Evidence]
• vitiligo [Insufficient Evidence]
• Wilson dz [Insufficient Evidence]
• wound healing [Insufficient Evidence]
• wrinkled skin [Insufficient Evidence]

Reported Doses

Safety/efficacy may not be established; reported doses may be derived from limited or potentially inadequate studies w/ variable regimens, multi-ingredient products, or where concentration of active ingredients may vary widely

Effectiveness Ratings

[see Herb & Supplement Effectiveness Rating Definitions table]

age-related testosterone deficiency

[Insufficient Evidence]

Dose: 800 mg PO bid

Alzheimer dz

[Insufficient Evidence]

Dose: 600 mg PO qd; Info: used w/ standard tx

anthracycline-induced cardiotoxicity

[Insufficient Evidence]

Dose: 600 mg PO qd

arthralgia, aromatase inhibitor-induced

[Insufficient Evidence]

Dose: 240 mg PO qd

back pain

[Insufficient Evidence]

Dose: 800 mg PO qd

beta-thalassemia

[Insufficient Evidence]

Dose: 600 mg PO qd; Info: given before meal

burning mouth syndrome

[Insufficient Evidence]

Dose: 600 mg PO qd

CABG

[Insufficient Evidence]

Dose: 100 mg PO tid; Start: 2mo before surgery, then cont. x1mo after surgery

carpal tunnel syndrome

[Insufficient Evidence]

Dose: 600 mg PO qd; Alt: 600 mg IV qd x30 days, then 600 mg PO qd

cervical dysplasia

[Insufficient Evidence]

Dose: 600 mg PO qd

CKD

[Insufficient Evidence]

Dose: 1.6 g PO qd

diabetic nephropathy

[Insufficient Evidence]

Dose: 450-600 mg IV qd x14 days; Alt: 300-600 mg PO qd; Info: used w/ conventional tx

diabetic neuropathy

[Possibly Effective]

Dose: 600-1800 mg/day PO divided qd-tid; Alt: 600-1200 mg IV qd

dysmenorrhea

[Insufficient Evidence]

Dose: 600 mg PO qd x5 days; Start: before menstruation; Info: used w/ or w/o mefenamic acid

erectile dysfxn

[Insufficient Evidence]

Dose: 600 mg IV qd x14 days; Alt: 800 mg PO bid

heart failure

[Insufficient Evidence]

Dose: 600 mg/day PO in divided doses

hemorrhoids

[Insufficient Evidence]

Dose: 200 mg PO qd

hepatotoxicity, toxin-induced

[Insufficient Evidence]

Dose: 250 mg PO bid

herniated disc

[Insufficient Evidence]

Dose: 404 mg PO bid; Info: used w/ steroids, opioids prn

HIV/AIDS

[Insufficient Evidence]

Dose: 300 mg PO tid

hyperlipidemia

[Possibly Effective]

Dose: 100-1200 mg PO qd

hyperprolactinemia, antipsychotic-induced

[Insufficient Evidence]

Dose: 600 mg PO qd

hypertriglyceridemia

[Insufficient Evidence]

Dose: 100 mg PO qd

hypotension, orthostatic

[Insufficient Evidence]

Dose: 430-788 mg PO qd

impaired glucose tolerance

[Insufficient Evidence]

Dose: 600 mg IV qd x14 days; Alt: 800-1200 mg PO qd

interstitial cystitis

[Insufficient Evidence]

Dose: 600 mg PO qd

male infertility

[Insufficient Evidence]

Dose: 600 mg PO qd; Alt: 300 mg PO bid

metabolic effects, antipsychotic-induced

[Insufficient Evidence]

Dose: 600 mg PO qd

metabolic syndrome

[Insufficient Evidence]

Dose: 600 mg PO qd

migraine prophylaxis, adult pts

[Insufficient Evidence]

Dose: 300-400 mg PO bid

migraine prophylaxis, peds pts

[Insufficient Evidence]

Dose: 300 mg PO qd; Info: for pts 10-19 yo; used w/ flunarizine

miscarriage prevention

[Insufficient Evidence]

Dose: 100 mg PO qd; Info: used w/ vaginal progesterone

muscle strength

[Insufficient Evidence]

Dose: 300 mg PO qd; Start: 150 mg PO qd x2 days

neck pain

[Insufficient Evidence]

Dose: 600 mg PO qd

neuropathic pain

[Insufficient Evidence]

Dose: 600 mg PO qd; Start: 600 mg PO tid x3wk; Info: used w/ pulsed radiofrequency tx

nonalcoholic fatty liver dz

[Insufficient Evidence]

Dose: 600 mg PO bid

obesity, adult pts

[Possibly Effective]

Dose: 300-1800 mg PO qd

obesity, peds pts

[Possibly Effective]

Dose: 300 mg PO bid; Info: for pts 10-17 yo

pain, chronic

[Insufficient Evidence]

Dose: 400 mg PO qd-bid; Info: for pts w/ mild to moderate idiopathic pain

peripheral arterial dz

[Insufficient Evidence]

Dose: 300 mg PO bid

peripheral neuropathy, chemo-induced

[Insufficient Evidence]

Dose: 240 mg PO qd; Alt: 600 mg PO qd

persistent olfactory dysfxn, post-COVID-19

[Insufficient Evidence]

Dose: 300 mg PO bid

polycystic ovary syndrome

[Insufficient Evidence]

Dose: 400-2000 mg PO qd; Info: used w/ or w/o inositol

preterm labor prevention

[Insufficient Evidence]

Dose: 400 mg PV qhs

radiation exposure, peds pts

[Insufficient Evidence]

Dose: 400 mg PO qd

schizophrenia

[Insufficient Evidence]

Dose: 100-300 mg PO qd; Info: used w/ antipsychotic tx

sciatica

[Insufficient Evidence]

Dose: 600-800 mg PO qd

skin aging

[Insufficient Evidence]

Dose: apply 5% cream topically to face bid

tinnitus

[Insufficient Evidence]

Dose: 600 mg PO qd

vertigo

[Insufficient Evidence]

Dose: 600 mg PO qd

vitiligo

[Insufficient Evidence]

Dose: 100 mg PO qd; Info: used w/ phototherapy

wound healing

[Insufficient Evidence]

Dose: 300 mg PO 1h prior to and 300 mg PO immediately after hyperbaric O2 tx