United Brachial Plexus Network, Inc.

Has anyone tried this for neuropathic pain?

I've read a post here a while back where someone got neuro-pain relief with no side effects, unlike prescription pharmaceuticals. The post seems to have disappeared, so I'm reposting these articles that I've posted on a Spinal Cord Injury website.

Other people have reported success with DLPA there as well.
http://sci.rutgers.edu/forum/showthread.php?t=99405




http://www.relieve-migraine-headache.com/dlpa.html
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DLPA - Natural Pain Killing Power

What is DLPA?

DLPA, other wise known as DL-phenylalanine, is an essential amino acid. More specifically, it's a form of the amino acid phenylalanine. Recently, DL-phenylalanine has been getting attention in the medical world for its ability to reduce chronic pain and depression.
But the research came to this conclusion in a round about way, because it isn't this amino acid that actually does the job, it's endorphins.

Endorphins are neurotransmitters that are found in the brain. They are your body's natural painkillers that work similar to morphine or codeine. Not only do they relieve pain, they also have been connected to "euphoric" feelings, such as the so called "high" that comes with prolonged, strenuous exercise ("runner's high"). Read more about Endorphins.

What if, instead of pumping drugs into our bodies to relieve pain, we could use the natural substances that are already there? That was the idea that Dr. Seymour Ehrenpreis had. He found that by injecting DL-phenylalanine he could raise endorphin levels and cut down on pain. And instead of being terribly addictive like morphine, it was non-addictive, non-toxic, has few or no side effects, and got stronger the more it was used.

Essentially, DLPA slows down the enzymes that "eat up" endorphins. That way, the endorphins have longer to do their work.
So what exactly is it good for?
DLPA has been found to be most useful for chronic pain and depression. It has also helped with symptoms of PMS, and even cut down on inflammation. Chronic pain might include back pain, arthritis, pain due to diseases such as cancer, and, of course, headache.

As you can imagine, this may be a great help for those with chronic headaches and especially migraine. Studies have found that migraine sufferers also have low endorphin levels, which is double trouble when you're trying to fight pain!

Read this article about DLPA by Dr Ritchi Morris for more.
How do I take it?
DL-phenylalanine is available without prescription at health food stores and pharmacies around the world. It's taken as capsules. Talk to your doctor, and read the above articles about dosage information. Most simply it can be taken 1 capsule a day, but your doctor may suggest an off/on schedule since it continues to work after you stop taking it.
DLPA can be purchased at a good price at online retailers such as vitacost. Be sure you're getting DL-phenylalanine and not L-phenylalanine. Remember, this is a fairly new treatment and your doctor may not be familiar with it. Direct him to the above articles for more information.



http://www.doctoryourself.com/pain.html
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D- or DL-PHENYLALANINE
Unlike left-handed, essential L-Phenylalanine, the D- or "right-handed" form of this common amino acid is not actually a nutrient but an amino acid analgesic. It is non-prescription but is rather costly for an effective dose. Practitioners using DLPA (Dextro-Levro-Phenyl-Alanine) normally employ it for chronic pain that is unresponsive to other measures. Arthritis or lower back pain would be examples. While no substitute for medical or chiropractic care, DLPA may well be a most suitable companion.

The dose of DLPA needed may vary from person to person, and is generally determined by starting with perhaps 1,000 mg daily for two weeks and then gradually increasing to a level that provides relief. If 3,000 mg per day doesn't work after a month's time, it probably will not work at all. About two-thirds of those using it will report real improvement in this time. If they don't, then stop. There is no point in wasting money.

For this stuff is not cheap. Tablet potency is commonly around 300 to 500 mg, so a person might well need to take quite a few each day. I used to think that DLPA was way too pricey until I saw a few prescriptions where the pills cost several dollars apiece (and this was over a decade ago, long before the even more expensive "Viagra").

The good news is that persons reporting pain relief will generally be able to LOWER their dose gradually and will often be able to maintain pain-free status with less DLPA than before. It is a bit unusual for an analgesic substance to work BETTER over time and require LESS; the opposite is the rule. (Consider morphine, for instance.) DLPA has a long duration of action yet the body does not seem to build up a tolerance to it.

You will probably not find just "D-phenylalanine" for sale, hence the focus here on DLPA. It is the D-form that is active; you CANNOT therefore substitute the levro- ("L") form that is so widely found, at far lower cost, in foods and stores. The "L" form will not work. If the bottle does not specifically state its contents as "DL," you can be certain they are just trying to sell you the useless "L" form.

Our earlier criteria for natural pain relievers included safety and healing value. The safety of DLPA is very good indeed. It is non-addictive and virtually non-toxic. Some estimates place its safety on a par with vitamin C or fructose. Still, it is not to be used during pregnancy. Persons with phenylketonuria (PKU) obviously should not take any extra phenylalanine. Persons with high blood pressure should take DLPA after meals. Outside of these, there are virtually no adverse effects.

Added value may come from the fact that phenylalanine is converted by the body into phenylethylamine. Low levels of phenylethylamine are correlated with clinical depression; if DLPA raises these levels there is a real biochemical benefit. As a pain-killer, it seems to act by keeping enzymes called enkephalinase and carboxypeptidase A from breaking down the body's own morphine-like natural painkillers, the enkephalins and the endorphins. This makes a lot of sense: if the body relieves its own pain, a safe mechanism is probably at work. DLPA appears to assist that mechanism.

Research has indicated that migraine, joint pains, neuralgia and even postoperative pain respond to DLPA, and it has been reported to reduce inflammation. DLPA does not deaden normal sensation even when taken for a lengthy period. Prescribed medication usually may still be taken with DLPA without interference. Consult the Physician's Desk Reference ("PDR", found at any doctor's office, pharmacy, or library) for information on any drug you may be taking or considering.

The most dramatic pain-relief case I have seen was when a friend of mine had a large number of old dental fillings replaced within a short period of time. As a result, he experienced ongoing and severe jaw pain that no pharmaceutical pain-killer could touch, and the dentist tried them all. In desperation, my friend tried DLPA, about 3,000 mg/day. He reported immediate improvement, and truly profound relief shortly thereafter.

http://www.lef.org/protocols/health_con ... ain_01.htm

Phenylalanine does not work as rapidly as aspirin and other pain medications (Balagot RC et al. 1983). This is because phenylalanine helps relieve pain by increasing the body's supply of endorphins rather than by attacking pain directly (Kitade T et al 1990; Russell AL et al 2000). In animals, DL-phenylalanine has been shown to block the activity of carboxypeptidase, an enzyme that degrades enkephalins, endogenous morphine-like substances. DL-phenylalanine administered orally before acupuncture prolonged the pain relief induced by acupuncture. In 56 patients, tooth extraction was performed while the patients were under acupuncture anesthesia. In addition to the acupuncture, 18 of the 56 patients also received 4 grams of DL-phenylalanine orally 30 minutes before the extractions. The pain-relieving capacity was excellent in eight of the patients, good in six of them, fair in three, and poor in one. The patients who had excellent and good pain relief were compared to 38 patients who received a placebo. The effect in the patients who received DL-phenylalanine in addition to acupuncture was significantly increased (P ‹.01) by 35 percent (Kitade T et al 1990).



Some people cannot use phenylalanine. These include those who have a genetic deficiency called phenylketonuria (which prevents the body from metabolizing phenylalanine), people who have high blood pressure (phenylalanine can further elevate blood pressure in people who already have high blood pressure), and those who have cancer (phenylalanine can promote the division of cancer cells) (Guyton AC et al 2001; Mahan LK et al 1996).

Thanks for that post Richard!

I've gone on a two day break from the DLPA to see if I noticed any difference. Pain is back by about 30-50% worse. I'm going to stay off it for the next few days to make sure it isn't anything to do with weather pattern changes (barometric changes seem to severely effect pain levels).

I'll report on it again in a couple of weeks, after I've started up on it again.

Christopher

Very curious as to how this will work for you. Thank you for being willing to share the information as well as your personal findings.

I am going to schedule an appointment with my doctor and see if this will "play nice" with my other medication.

Thanks so much for posting this! My husband weaned himself of the various pain relievers he was on early on, and while he copes with the pain well on most days, it really wears him down. I will be interested to hear your updates, as I think he might be willing to try this route for relief.

> Very curious as to how this will work for you. Thank
> you for being willing to share the information as
> well as your personal findings.
>
> I am going to schedule an appointment with my doctor
> and see if this will "play nice" with my other
> medication.


I personally don't see how an Essential Amino Acid that is naturally occurring in major food sources should conflict with other medications. Unless your doctor has told you not to eat meat or drink milk. But you never know, always good to ask.

On the first listed link above, Dr Wise Young (one of the world's leading neuro-scientists/researchers for Spinal Cord Injuries) posted this in regards to his understanding of DLPA...

"I had not heard of this before. It is interesting. Wise."

Just goes to show, that even the best doctor might not have a clue either, which leaves the research up to you... or finding a specialist that does know.



FYI - I have been taking Vitamin D regularly as well. I posted a study earlier, published by The Mayo Clinic in regards to major deficiencies in Vitamin D with those having Chronic Pain.

Makes sense since the sun is one of the major sources of Vitamin D and those with Chronic Pain
are probably not out running around outside with their shirts off!

(this is from the link that Richard provided above)
http://www.lef.org/protocols/health_con ... ain_01.htm
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Phenylalanine and Pain

Phenylalanine is an essential amino acid found in milk and meat (Mahan LK et al 1996). It was first tested to treat pain in a 1978 study. Researchers discovered that injecting phenylalanine intraperitoneally (into the peritoneal cavity of the abdomen) blocked pain in 70 percent of mice subjected to painful stimuli. The pain-blocking action actually grew stronger with time (Ehrenpreis S 1978). Scientists later tested the pain-blocking capacity of phenylalanine on 10 patients who had chronic pain that did not respond to treatment. All patients found pain relief with this simple amino acid (Ehrenpreis S 1978). There were no harmful side effects, and no one became addicted (Ehrenpreis S 1978).

I was attempting a 2 week test of no DLPA & started up on it again yesterday. (only made it 6 days w/out )

Didn't see the need to be so miserable all the time. I think it is just starting to cool down the blazing fire a bit and the Steam Roller is now in reverse in my arm/hand.

It's amazing how easily I always forget how damn nasty and life consuming this neuro-pain is until it's eating your soul away again.

I recommend people giving this a try if they can. I take 1000mg on an empty stomach (which causes a bit of discomfort for 10-20 min.) 2X a day

Chris, interesting post have tried every legal and not so legal drug over last 20 years so will certainly give this a go and update on progress. Also have often wondered if and how barometric pressure can have have an effect on the pain? Just recently started taking notes of pressure on bad pain days.

Alan

Does it come in just a tablet on its own? a lot of the supplements i take (powdered energy drinks, etc) have this in it as well as vitamin D and other amino acids. It makes sense about the endorphins. I found that out early on that the more active i was , the less i feel the pain. I am currently on 1800 mg of nerontin and amitryptaline. I tried to wean myself but it wasnt working yet. I have been feeling less than desireable affects from the neurontin and really need to deal with it. I also read your posts regarding neurontin and suicidal thoughts and agree wholeheartedly that i see a substantial change in my disposition and moods. and i am very forgetful and sometimes have a hard time pulling something out of my head. i blamed my head injury but now wonder if its the meds. I have yet to find a pain guy that understands this injury well enough to be effective. all my new guy wanted to do was put me on cymbalta!!!! I am just wary of taking meds for depression when i have never had a problem with depression. I would do just about anything to get off the meds!

Trimommy,
As far as I understand (I read it somewhere, but can't remember where) DLPA is best ingested and absorbed without other foods, but with Vitamin B-6 (which is included in the capsules that I purchase: DPLA 1000mg with B-6 from "Country Life") to assist with absorption. I'll post another link below with more details on dietary facts.

Be careful with the neurontin and just about every other pain medication in regards to your state of mind! I always tallied up my depression as the natural result from all the major life changes that followed my accident (career, girlfriend, over all life style). But the more that I would ween off the meds, the better my attitude would become and the better I could tolerate the pain and the life changes as well. I also thought that the forgetfulness was do to the head injury.

Neurontin is more or less a huge wet blanket over the whole neurological system, thats why it works for epilepsy & pain. Every aspect of your neurological system gets affected by it (at least in my personal account). Memory, thought process, emotions, tactile sensation/perception, etc. etc.). I was on cymbalta as well (I was depressed, which I know the neurontin contributed to).

I'm much better off all the meds then I was when I was on them. My ability to fight the pain and depression is a thousand fold better, than when I was on the drugs. No one could convince me of that when I was taking them, because no one else knew how nasty and debilitating the pain was, except me.

Being physically active again is the best single thing I could do for the pain, my spirit, and over all well being. If Dan's sling was around 5 years ago, I often wonder how things would have been different. I had four different slings made in attempts to get active again, but in the end they only compounded the frustration and discomfort my injury had brought about (not being able to put them on independently, not supportive enough, and hard core chafing).

I wish you the best of luck with all of your choices. I know its a very difficult road to be on, but trust that others have made it work out before you.

Christopher