Guest guest Posted May 3, 2004 Report Share Posted May 3, 2004 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? > > > >---------- > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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