[Grammadur]

Can anyone shed some light on why we aren't supposed to have chocolate? I don't remember where I heard this but I'm sure this is just some sort of evil joke. Right!?!?!

Sally

[GalenaFaolan]

For some caffeine can cause an increase in pain. Chocolate has caffeine in it. I drink coffee, eat what I want, etc and it nothing makes my pain less or more. I think when it comes to dietary changes, it's up to the individual person what they do or don't eat and drink. You don't have to cut out chocolate or anything else if you don't want to. :-D

Hugs,

Karen

[Mslday]

Dear Dr. Hooshmand,

Question: Why are you against eating chocolate?

Answer: Chocolate, except for being an "upper", almost identical to cocaine, has no redeeming value.

It does not release any endorphin, and has nothing to do with endorphin or any pain relief.

Chocolate contains "phenyl etholamine", a chemical very close to cocaine. It is also extracted from the same cocoa tree. This chemical strongly stimulates the secretion of adrenaline and nor-adrenaline (nor-epinephrine). These are the chemicals that are released by the sympathetic system.

When you have a nerve block, the sympathetic system's release of epinephrine is reduced by about 10 mg (10 thousandth of a gram). A chocolate bar provides 10 gm of the stimulant chemical (1000 times higher than the block's reduction). So the best way to aggravate RSD is having a piece of chocolate, also it is addicting similar to cocaine.

H. Hooshmand, M.D.

I don't know how true Dr Hooshmands position on chocolate is, but this is probably where the myth comes from.

For the record I am very careful with my diet now, but chocolate is one of those rare indulgences I do not deny myself of. We all need treats every now and then.

I focus on an anti-inflammatory diet and it has helped me very much.

MsL

[lostmary]

Chocolate is the cure for everything!

I've heard the same thing about chocolate, but I've heard it for all sorts of problems. I drink coffee, love chocolate, and I've not given up either one of them. You need to follow your own body on how it relates to different things. If it causes you discomfort then I'd say not to partake, if it doesn't, be like me and really really enjoy it.

Hugs
Mary

[dreambeliever128]

I switched to decaf coffee awhile back. I do love chocolate though but trying to cut down on it. I maybe eat a small piece of it a day.

For Valentines Day my son-in-law got me a 3 lb heart made of chocolate. I have been giving some of it away to keep from eating it myself. Chocolate doesn't seem to bother my pain.

Ada

[ali12]

I have heard the same thing about chocolate but cant say it really affects me!! I absolutely love chocolate and dont know what I would do without it some days!!! I always seem to use chocolate to comfort me when the pain is really bad - I am a huge stress and comfort eater!!!!

I have just started drinking coffee and love it but only have a bit of it as it can give me a headache if i'm not feeling too good. I drink maybe a cup a day to try and wake me up and maybe one during school but that is about it at the most.

I really think it depends on the indivual as to how you react. Everyone is different when it comes to dealing with this illness. Personally though, I cant say I notice a difference in pain if I drink coffee or have some chocolate - I just try and limit how much I have.

[dreambeliever128]

One thing I wanted to mention is when you have Fibromyalgia you crave carbs and sweets and I find this to be so true. I have to have sweets off and on all day but I use mostly sugarfree foods. They still have the carbs though.
I don't know if you have the Fibro but it seems to come with RSD moreso then not.

Ada

[ali12]

Originally Posted by dreambeliever128

One thing I wanted to mention is when you have Fibromyalgia you crave carbs and sweets and I find this to be so true. I have to have sweets off and on all day but I use mostly sugarfree foods. They still have the carbs though.
I don't know if you have the Fibro but it seems to come with RSD moreso then not.

Ada

Thanks for posting this Ada - it explains a lot to me!!! I am always craving swees and chocolate - I can go through a few packets a day lol. It's really hard for me to try and cut down and some family members think that I could just "stop" eating so much if I wanted. I have been on a few diets and none have really worked for me since RSD.

I saw my Pain Management Doctor a few months ago and he said that he was 99.9% certain I had Fibro has I was sensitive in most of the spots but because of the RSD, it was hard to be 100% certain. I've read up on most of the symptoms though and I do have nearly all of them - especially the fatigue, that is a big one for me!!!!

Thanks again for posting this - it explains a lot to me and I never really thought that the Fibro could be contributing to the cravings!!!

[mrsD]

I looked this up...

Chocolate contains phenylethylamine, NOT phenylethanolamine.

It does affect endorphins:
http://www.chm.bris.ac.uk/webproject...ethylamine.htm

It is not really closely related to cocaine.

Cocaine comes from:

Coca is a plant in the family Erythroxylaceae, native to north-western South America. The plant plays a significant role in traditional Andean culture. Coca leaves contain cocaine alkaloids, a basis for the drug cocaine, which is a powerful stimulant.

from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coca

Cocoa come from:

Cacao trees are small, understory trees that need rich, well-drained soils. They naturally grow within 20 degrees of either side of the equator because they need about 2000 millimeters of rainfall a year, and temperatures in the range of 21 to 32 degrees Celsius. Cacao trees cannot tolerate a temperature lower than 15 degrees Celsius (59 degrees Fahrenheit).[32]

more on cocoa trees:
http://www.cocoatree.org/thecocoatree/growingcocoa.asp

Here is a list of phenylethylamines...it is a long list. Notice Cocaine is not on it:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phenethylamine

This is a list of cocaine analogues:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_cocaine_analogues

Very different from phenylethylamines.
The coca plant does not make cocoa beans.

I really think the link of chocolate to cocaine is tenuous at best.

This is pretty interesting:
http://www.chocolate-chemistry.com/phenylethylamine.php

Don't miss the sentence about sexual activity in that article!

and here is another quote to put it in perspective:

How strongly phenylethylamine can affect us is disputed, since studies show that a large part of the phenylethylamine ingested orally is metabolised before it reaches the central nervous system. One theory suggests that the sensitivity varies in each individual, and that some persons therefore are able to feel the effect of phenylethylamine even when it comes in very small doses. This would also explain why some people never go through a stressful day without reaching for the chocolate bar, while others don't even like the taste of chocolate.

As far as a typical candy bar having 10 GRAMS of phenylethylamine?
NOT so.
My stash of Special Dark Hershey's each bar is 41 grams in weight.
of that 2 grm protein
12 grams fat
25 grams carbohydrate == 39 grams just for those ingredients. Where will 10 grams of phenylethylamine come in? answer...no where... phenylethylamine is only present in small amounts in chocolate.
I find that quote from Dr. Hooshmand incomprehensible.

Hi,

Just a thought, but does anyone else besides myself feel they have neurotoxins in their system to detox?