These messages where originally sent to Linda Cummings on 01/10/93 in the Fidonet Chronic_Pain Echo:

LC>My problem is that my body, most likely, according to the Birmingham Pain Clinic, has very low endorphins to stimulate.

Ok, then lets fix that:

THE most fascinating book I have EVER read (I live in a very isolated valley, so there is nothing to do but read, so I read a LOT!) is:

“Super-Memory: The Revolution; Discover the creative alchemy of memory. New solutions for health and learning, success and re-membering.” By Sheila Ostrander and Lynn Schroeder. ISBN 0-88184-691-0

This book covers the history of memory research. It is not a 'how to remember this or that' type of book. I haven't come across a subject that this book has not some how touched upon, which brings us to enhancing endorphin production.

Out of context of the opening here may not be the best but I'll give it a shot.

Lets start in the last chapter of our chronicle here first, we jump to chapter 19: “Mind/Memory Fitness Machines” from page 263:

“Why did the electro-acupuncture treatment work so effectively on drug addiction? Dr. Wen wondered….

“Dr. Wen's idea was to track endorphins in the rats' brains … Endorphins (from ENDOGENOUS and MORPHINE – 'Built-in morphine') are pain killers the body manufactures and are many times more effective than morphine. When the body is given a massive doses of morphine, the part of the brain that manufactures neurotransmitters shuts down. When a person tries to kick drugs, the body is in agony because the neurotransmitters are depleted and the 'little factories' in the brain don't start up production of the body's natural pain killers for some time.” [I trying explains why you hurt, not say you have a morphine addiction…hope you understand…]

….

“Batch number two of heroin-addicted rats was luckier. They went cold turkey and then had electro-acupuncture stimulation through metal clips attached to their bodies. The rats were stimulated at 111 hertz. WITHIN FORTY MINUTES OF APPLYING THE VOLTAGE, THE BRAIN'S ABILITY TO PRODUCE ITS OWN NEUROTRANSMITTERS WAS REHABILITATED. WITHIN THREE TO FIVE DAYS IT REACHED NORMAL. Within forty minutes withdrawal pain was gone and within three to five days addiction withdrawal and symptoms were gone.” [See also the work of Dr. Bob Beck on further pages… Also look for info on Rife devices from other areas.]

Next we jump back to chapter ten (10) “Gray Matter Music” and the works of Dr. Alfred Tomatis a famous ear, nose, and throat specialist, a member of the French Academy of Sciences.

Pg 126: Dr. Tomatis's invention of the Electronic Ear “bombards the inner ear with certain high frequency sounds that gradually allow the ear to hear a wider and higher rage of frequencies. It made a slightly abrasive hissing noise mingled with the music. The sequences of the selections made little difference; it just had to have high-frequency sounds in at least the 8,000 hertz and higher range. [You can't start out at 8,000Hz your ear has to build up to it.] Those high sounds seemed to be ambrosia for the brain. After hearing the frequencies for 100 to 200 hours, the brain seemed to be become harmonized and energized and sent out signals to the rest of the whole system. [The book “Sound Therapy For The Walk Man” by Patrica Joudry ISBN 0-9691687-0-5. Goes into great detail.]

Chapter 11: “The 'Ear Force': The Overlooked Memory Power”:

Pg 132: Dr. Tomatis says the ear “is not only for hearing, but is also intended to use sound to provide a charge of electrical potential to the brain. The cortex then distributes the resulting charge throughout your body….HIGH FREQUENCIES SPED UP THE RECHARGING PROCESS OF THE BRAIN BATTERIES.”

“Can you just switch on your stereo and instantly recharge your brain cells? Not exactly, not unless you're already an inner ear athlete. The beneficial sounds can't help you if you can't hear them. To be able to hear high frequencies, most people have to have the inner ear 'opened.” …. Tomatis invented the Electronic Ear, a device that is like a 'fitness center for the middle ear.'….”

”….Once the middle ear had been tuned to high-frequency response, then the brain responded swiftly to the recharge. Ear Force = Brain Force…the ear is meant to benefit the entire organism psychologically and physically.“

Pg 134: “Brain Drain Sounds” Low-frequency sounds, on the other hand, he [Tomatis] found, could act as brain drain sounds - poison for the brain. Low-frequency noise from traffic, airports, or construction sites not only could induce hearing loss but could actually drain the brain of energy….Low pounding sounds of rock music are designed to force you into mechanical movement, Tomatis says, but can discharge your mental and physical energy….”

Pg 135: Tomatis “founded a whole new scientific discipline Audio-Psycho-Phonology (APP), and the research fills volumes of scientific journals and books.” [Alas they are mostly in French, I'm still working on German, one at a time please..]

Pg 136: “The Ear Force and Acupuncture”: “… The major acupuncture point for whole body anesthesia is #86 on the Heart/Lung meridian, on the shell of the ear. Electrically stimulating this point has now been proven to produce endorphins - the body's own natural pain/stress relievers and pleasure producers. Research in Hong Kong showed specific electrical frequencies enhance endorphin production. (See p. 263 [Above]) There would seem to be endorphin-producing sound frequencies widespread throughout Sound Therapy classical music selections. These sound frequencies must stimulate this point on the ear through the earphones because virtually all Sound Therapy tape listeners report stress/pain relief…”

We'll leave Sound Therapy behind for the moment and move on to “Sophrology Musical Memory Booster” on page 146:

“Dr Raymond Abrezol, the Swiss Sophrologist, has taken a musical technique he developed to help people overcome pain and turned it into a memory booster. Aware of the body-balancing effect of baroque music, Abrezol created “Turning Sound” - baroque organ music with certain frequencies electronically altered, music that moves gently, rhythmically, back and forth from one brain hemisphere to the other. He added a breathing signal to further draw the listener into the rhythmic pattern, a harmonious pattern that seems to lift one into an another state.

Abrezol gave tapes to his clients and other doctors. A popular form of pain control had been born! Throughout the 80s “Turning Sound” sold widely in Europe and has proven to be great boon in natural childbirth…”

Now we move onto chapter 18 “Eat To Remember” first a cation from page 237: “Phenylalanine has also been successful as an appetite suppressant and diet aid. (A caution: Many diet sodas contain aspertame [NutraSweet {TM}]. This artificial sweetener is a peptide, made by combining phenylalanine with another amino acid, aspartic acid. [Two or more linked aminos equal a peptide.] In extremely large dosages, phenylalanine can increase blood pressure. If you consume a lot of diet soda and also take supplements of phenylalanine, check your blood pressure. In addition, some people report an allergic reaction to phenylalanine. It also should not be used by people with an inherited inability to metabolize phenylalanine.).

Pg 238: “Miraculous Natural Pain Control Breakthrough”: ”…

“– the nutritional control of chronic pain - has generated worldwide excitement in recent years. Tests on supremely grateful patients have resulted in reams of glowing reports from [many places]: 'Excellent relief from low back pain,' 'complete relief from whiplash,' 'excellent relief from osteoarthritis pain', the list goes on and on. Relief from cramps, migraine, neuralgia, postoperative pain, fibrositis…All were patents who'd previously tried pain drugs and gotten no relief from them. Both pain and pain drugs, of course, can lower mind/memory abilities.

“This natural food substance is totally nontoxic, has no side effects [See notes on personal experiences at the end of messages please]. because it's not a drug, it is not [physically] habit forming, is long lasting and safe. What is this amazing, miraculous substance? Phenylalanine, the now famous amino acid. [I skipped the chapters here where it became famous. ]

For pain, D-phenylalanine is used, the mirror image of L-phenylalanine. (L stands for “laevo” or left-handed, and “D” for “dextro” right-handed.) Some formulations, called DLPA, combine both D and L forms.

“Research at both the University of Chicago Medical School and John Hopkins University School of Medicean showed DL-phenylalanine to be 85% to 90% effective for the control and reduction of chronic pain. Studies showed the analgesic effect of DLPA equals or exceeds that of morphine and other opiates derivatives. Morphine and other opiates frequently impair memory and mental functions, leaving people confused and disoriented. Nontoxic DL-phenylalanine could surely be an incredible boon to the approximately 50 million Americans suffering intracable pain from arthritis, back injuries, or osteoporosis. How does it work?”

“Endorphins to the Max”

“The brain produces its own powerful pain-relieving compounds called endorphins, similar to morphine. Pain signals during an injury tell the brain to release these pain-relieving chemicals. People have often reported crawling out of a sever car accident, unaware of their injuries, and felling no pain until later.

“Giving people endorphins directly to control pain requires injecting endorphins directly into the brain or spinal cord, a dangerous procedure. In addition, the body's enzyme system constantly destroys endorphins. [Maybe you have to many enzyme's not to few endorphins?]

“In a major breakthrough, scientists found that DL-phenylalanine blocks the enzymes that destroy endorphins. Thus chronic pain could be controlled by the brain's own natural pain-relieving substances, and actions of DLPA occur completely natural means. DLPA relieves pain with absolutely no side effects - no 'drugged' feeling, no memory fog, no clouded mind or fuzzy alertness as happens with many strong pain-relieving drugs. No [physical] addiction. Moreover, pain relief is selective: chronic pain is relieved, but you are not anesthetized, you can still sense a hot pot on the stove. Another big plus is that DLPA also eases the depression and misery that so often go along with debilitating chronic pain.

“For pain relief, tablets of 375 mg. of DLPA, 6 a day, 2 before each meal, have been prescribed by researches. DLPA worked even better when vitamins C and B6 were taken too. We have tried out DLPA for back pain and headaches and found it highly effective.”

Pg 239: “Endorphin Power v. Addictions”

”…It seems that natural substance phenylalanine and DL-phenylalanine can boost mental/creative abilities safely with no addiction. They can supply nourishment instead of a downer afterward. Phenylalanine works by causing the brain to increase both its production its stores of the neurotransmitter norepinephrine. In addition, DL-phenylalanine relieves pain and depression and has a euphoriant quality because it prevents the destruction of endorphins and enkephalins, then brain's own natural morphine.”

Pg 240: “Both phenylalanine and DLPA have already proved a boon in helping some people get off addictive drugs, by providing the mental benefits with no side effects at low cost…” [and on and on it goes, but I think I've made my point now.]

Here are a few personal experience with all of the above glop..

A neighbor of mine gave Karen some DLPA, he didn't want it because it gave him a headache. Karen has taken DLPA from Sundown Vitamins of Ft. Lauderdale, FL, with no side effects. When she got low she switched to GNC brand and that gave here chest pains, so she went back to Sundown [Many other drugs have given her chest pains, or breathing problems, so this may be unique to her]. GNC is the 'health food store' in several of our malls around here. One store seems only interested in body building, the other seems more general in nature, so try more than one place to find it.

I'm forever having to remind Karen to take these with her meals, like the above info says. I'd hate to see what her depression would be like if she stoped taking them. Since she hasn't stopped taking them, we can't conclusively say they are doing her any good.

It says above to take with Vitamin “C”. One of the leading nutrition gurus in this country told us how to find the correct amount to take. Basically you start out at 500 mg and go up 500 mg at a time to you find that it gave you diarrhea, then back off a few hundred mg. I found that I can take 3000 mg a day, but not 4000 mg. If you have some problem like a cold you may be able, and need, to take much more, like up to 8000 mg a day (in one case).

I tried listening to the Turning Sound tape while I was working, I found it most irritating. Perhaps if I was in a nice relaxed place it would have been helpful. Karen tried it once while we where driving down the road, she gave no real indication of what she thought about it.

Karen can't listen to tapes at home because of problems with her family. My parents are more open minded, but we don't listen to them there either, because of not wanting to answer a zillion questions; they also only listen to their doctors about any thing, don't want to hear any thing from us. My grandmother hasn't been to a doctor in 30 years, she uses things like spice poultices ect, she seems in far better health, at twice their age, than my parents, who seem to go to the doctor each week for some thing or other. They pop pills with no idea whats in them. Karen and I are trying to go with things like herbs, and more basic foods to stay health, things that we know whats in them. What WAS in that last pill you just took?

I've listened to the Sound Therapy tape, for weeks at a time while at work. These tapes seem to be unique, you can still hear every thing that is going on around you while you are listening with headphones on (the only way that they are effective). I can't say that I've found any improvement in memory, sleep reduction (a useful side effect), or pain reduction (I don't have any to reduce). But I must add that I haven't been listening to them 7 days a week like the instructions say. They say you have to listen to them at least four hours a day EVERY day, any where from 100 to 300 hours before you notice any effect. It is pleasant listening so it is not as bad as it sounds, you actually miss it when you can't hear it. I can't listen on the weekends because of the aforementioned parent problem.

Alvan Tolavor (Spelling?) in his book “Future Shock” gave a stern warning about the brain-food/electronic-mind-stimulation, that it is psychologically addicting…

You must have a portable tape player that can play metal tapes at up to at least 16,000 Hz, to use any of the above tapes, otherwise don't bother…I went through three Sonys, they kept breaking…

I just found about this new link to Dr. Tomatis's work. Check it out and let me know what you find…