Positives

• One patient noted that after using alpha-lipoic acid, they regained the ability to “smell the rain on the pavement” after experiencing alternating loss and distortion of smell and taste Reddit.
  
  
• In another report, a patient found that alpha-lipoic acid was part of a targeted intervention that became a “game-changer” for their recovery Reddit.
  
  

Negatives

• ALA averages 5.8/10 across 62 reviews on Drugs.com, with 32% reporting a negative experience; one patient prescribed it for burning mouth syndrome described throat burning, stomach pain and bloating each time they retried it Drugs.com.
• Patients on insulin or oral hypoglycemics taking ALA report amplified blood-sugar drops, and Health Canada has flagged ALA as a possible trigger for insulin autoimmune syndrome causing serious hypoglycemia Health Canada.

Hurdles & Side Effects

• A patient described the financial burden of maintaining a supplement protocol, including alpha-lipoic acid, which costs “a few hundred bucks a month,” but considered it a worthwhile investment for their health Reddit.