Therapeutic action of D-phenylalanine in Parkinson's disease.

Arzneimittel-Forschung (Aulendorf) 26(4):577-579, 1976

An open field trial of D-phenylalanine was made in 15 patients with Parkinson's disease of 6 months' to 13 years' duration. All medication was suspended 10 days before the trial, and the patients received only 200mg-500mg D-phenylalanine daily, divided into 2 doses, for 4 weeks. Positive results were highly significant in relation to rigidity, walking disabilities, speech difficulties, and mental depression, but no significant therapeutic results were obtained in regard to tremor. The therapeutic action on the total development of the disease may be considered highly significant. The results suggest a special cholinergic origin of tremor in Parkinson's disease, and in these cases a combination of the amino acid with anticholinergic agents should be tried.


A patent was issued for its use in PD in 1984
http://www.freepatentsonline.com/4431670.html

Thanks Rick....combine this with all of Paula's comments about acetylcholine and I am very quickly in over my head!

As a matter of fact, I've had pretty much the same kind of positive results. It's interesting. I have a son who is severely ADHD and the drs used to give him various forms of speed to slow him down. I find that the energy drinks have a curious calming effect on me. I time their use very carefully... certainly don't want to drink one after mid afternoon. I've also tried mixing them with an acai smoothie and drinking it slowly over a couple of hours with good results.
I mentioned this result to my md who really didn't take me seriously at all... oh well.

I have found this form to be really great. It's called Livewire and it is a package of individually wrapped chews. Impossible to find in stores but can order online. I love these as they seem to not last quite so long as the liquids and therefore you can control the level and result. I've ordered them online through http://www.cvs.com

My dad avoids caffeine because it seems to increase his shakiness.

Have any of you found that to make a difference?

tried 4 tsp in water this morning ...this stuff has me shaking like a dry leaf in gone with the wiind..... mdd

I tried one bottle last week. Half of it, then a quarter twice through the afternoon. No shaking problems. No miracles either, but enough positives to keep it on the "test urther list.

I tried coffee twice in my life and it made me tremor inside so hard that the tremor made me almost sick...this was working 11-7 shift in a nursing home before I was 20 yrs old.....haven't tried it again and the smell of it brewing sometimes makes me feel sick, probably my body recalling the reaction I had from drinking it!

Hi,

How exactly does this work for you? Does it boost metabolism of levodopa?
Lessen dyskinesia?

Thanks!

Laura

Our consensus of the energy drink is now this: you will feel really pretty good....but then pay for it later. We liken this to the adderol we use on an as needed basis, which does work, but you will feel like total crap after it wears off. Our neuro told us this would happen. It's odd how addictive it is supposed to be, because of the horrible after-effects. But if you have a meeting or something and have to definitely be "on", well, it's an option to have this.

At any rate, we aren't drinking this anymore. The drink we drank has l-phenylanaline in it, which I have read is a precursor to levodopa which is a precursor to dopamine (and apparently phenylanaline is a precursor to other neurotransmitters as well). This explains to me how it works, also because of the fava bean experiments that have been done....where if you sprout them, or nuke them before sprouting (see the thread on fava bean white rat report) you increase the phenolic amount significantly. That's why many PWP are sprouting the beans instead of cooking them and eating them that way. Phenylanaline is a natural substance found in foods like meat, which is OK for the body to take, but when added to other things to make aspartame, is neurotoxic (and other horrible things like making formaldehyde as a by-product of metabolization).

Maybe taking so much raw phenylanaline simply wears things out upstairs, I don't know. I just know that if you feel that crappy after drinking one, it can't be good.

Sorry to rain on anyone's parade-heck, if this works for you and you don't have any ill effects, maybe it's OK for you, we are all different after all and who can say for someone else. Just wanted to update our experience with this.