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Info on endorphin & supplements/micronutrients

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Here's what I've been able to dig up so far.

Before I go any further, I want to make the usual caveats clear. I'm doing this

research primarily for applications that will work for *me*, and

LifeExtension has been one of my most-relied-upon sources for over 20 years,

since Pearson and Shaw began publishing their work in a paperback form I could

afford. ;-) For as long as I've followed their work, they've proven repeatedly

to be among the most diligent and fair sources for info. on supplements -

perhaps THE most - that I've ever encountered; unlike so many of their peers,

they benchmark against science, quote anecdotal evidence as anecdotal evidence,

pay close attention to risk factors, and from what I've seen have never hyped

anything without giving fair attention to possible risk factors and missing

information. This in spite of the fact that they now sell products under their

own label. Their products may be overpriced for my tastes, but their

information has, time and again for me, been priceless.

Beginning halfway down the page at this URL...

http://www.lef.org/protocols/prtcl-086a.shtml

....and continuing for several pages, they discuss pain management, frequently

referring to endorphins. It may take a couple of readings to parse out the

information relevant to endorphin production support, which seems to be the

operative desired effect with LDN.

GENERAL

The general upshot seems to be that a fairly nondescript supplement regimen, one

which would have been termed " radical " 20 years ago but might seem downright

pedestrian today, is the " base " ticket for optimizing endorphin production and

use...the point from which you more or less start and then tweak to match your

own personal requirements. The regimen includes a *potent* (stress formula,

geriatric, or high-potency) full-spectrum one-a-day vitamin, supplemented by

extra vitamin C (up to 6g/day, doubled or tripled for smokers or those under

high stress), plus calcium and magnesium (magnesium *especially* important for

men; this from recent Health Canada recommendations) and vitamin E, and possibly

extra vitamin B6 as well, since B6 is important to the production of many vital

substances involved in the manufacture and use of endorphins.

Of these, only B6 seems to be one to keep an eye on; some people need very large

amounts, but those amounts taken by a normal person could result in

nerve-related symptoms, and B6 is doubly tricky because many of its most

dramatic effects on seriosu conditions take weeks to achieve, but an excess of

B6 in someone who doesn't need it could take *months* to get over. I treat

risks pretty casually with most supplements, but B6 is one vitamin I handle with

care.

SAMe

I've been hot on the trail of SAMe (s-adenosyl-l-methionine) primarily due to

its possible value as a renoprotective (kidney tonic) for some time. Finally

" scored " some at a local supplement shop after making a discreet inquiry. (It's

currently cleared for sale in Canada as of the first of this year, but the

paperwork on this substance hasn't been completed by the government, so stores

can't officially sell it.) Well, I later learned that it also seems to act as a

neurotransmitter *normalizer*, and could have dual benefits for MS, since it

would " normalize " b-endorphin and acetylcholine as well. HOWEVER, it is

possible that it could partially undo some of the endorphin-stimulant effect of

LDN, so this might be something to watch for. All I know is that the first day

I took it was the first day in weeks that I had been able to relax and STAY

relaxed in many weeks.

SAMe is tricky stuff. It has a number of potential side effects and also a

buyer-beware situation: there are two forms of it, one more bioavailable than

the other, and also comes in a liquid form, apparently even more potent. It

also has to be protected from heat and light - it apparently decays quite easily

- and there are apparently a lot of " iffy " formulations from lesser-known

manufacturers. This is one substance I am very glad I took a fair bit of time

to research before trying...it does not look like a substance to be taken

lightly.

ASCORBATE (Vitamin C)

Not too long after b-endorphin was discovered, it was also discovered that

ascorbate levels seem to correspond with b-endorphin production; I can't quote

the info since the books I got this from are long passed from my possession

(several discussed this) but this followed in at least a few cases from

observations that improvements in general sense of wellness accompanied

increased levels of vitamin C in the diet.

Ascorbate is water-soluble, does not work alone, and is also a mild diuretic.

This means that increasing ascorbate intake also increases your need for other

water-soluble nutrients including B vitamins, electrolyte minerals (potassium,

sodium [which is excessive in most diets anyway], calcium, and magnesium) and

trace minerals such as zinc, manganese, iron, copper (also frequently excessive

and a mineral which, like iron, should be viewed with considerable caution),

vanadium and molybdenum, to name the best-known. Improving and diversifying

one's diet is a good way to insure reasonable levels of most of the

harder-to-get minerals. One-a-day formulas tend to

More to come later...don't take anyone's word for anything on this stuff;

research, research again, verify, check your verifications. Every metabolism is

unique, and nothing is completely safe or harmful for everyone.

Again, I repeat...I'm not a doctor...I just bill like one.

-Cub-

At 12:43 PM 4/28/04, you wrote:

>Has anyone used LDN for CFIDS/CFS?

>

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