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Substance P, Trichodynia and Pain

4/17/2014

Written by Ward W. Bond, Ph.D.

UPDATED: How many of you deal with a nagging burning pain in your skin, most notably on your scalp that radiates across you face? Is your hHow many of you deal with a nagging burning pain in your skin, most notably on your scalp that radiates across you face? Is your hair falling out? That condition is called Trichodynia, also called burning scalp syndrome, and it’s characteristics are burning or itching of the scalp, scalp sensitivity, or a feeling of pain when one combs one’s hair. Trichodynia also has a close association with hair loss.

So you’ve tried everything and nothing works. Well, the secret to this is reducing Substance P naturally. But first, let’s discuss what is Substance P.

Substance P problems do not occur from moderate day to day stress. Extra substance P kicks in when stress is more intense. This could be an acute high level of emotional stress, physical pain, injury, an accident, fibromyalgia, PTSD, or ongoing stress of an energy-depleting emotional nature. Substance P is highly inflammatory by nature, a natural method of helping to deal with acute stress but problematic if stress is ongoing. Individuals with a history of such stress are more likely to experience Substance P issues later in life from the ongoing stress of day to day life, especially if such stress is energy-depleting and tends to be chronic.

Substance P involves symptoms in large nerves and nerve endings, especially at night when you lay down to sleep or while you are sleeping. How many of you deal with these following symptoms:

Restless legs
Painful feet
Upset digestion
Vaginal discomfort
Chest-related symptoms (including funny pains that move around).

These symptoms are caused because your brain stem tries to discharge the buildup of Substance P down primary nerve structures so that it can cool off and you can go to sleep.

Substance P excess also manifests in skin and muscles. Your skin may itch in a generalized way, as Substance P is released out nerve endings (a problem that can happen during the day or at night). It sometimes feels like something is crawling around under your skin. In some cases individuals with too much Substance P are sensitive to physical touch meaning that touch is uncomfortable or even painful to a greater or lesser degree.

Now let’s get to the point you’ve all been waiting for. How to get rid of excess Substance P.

The following is a protocol to help you succeed in reducing excess levels of Substance P.

Exercise – walking or any exercise with a repetitive motion. Swimming, cycling are few examples.
Hobbies in which allows you to use repetitive movements of your hands.
Stretching will help discharge Substance P from the nerve endings.

Nutrients to help remove excess Substance P

Cayenne Capsules - All hot peppers contain a substance called capsaicin. When applied to tissues, capsaicin causes release of a chemical called Substance P. When hot peppers artificially release Substance P, they trick the nervous system into thinking that an injury has occurred. The result: a sensation of burning pain. When capsaicin is applied regularly to a part of the body, Substance P becomes depleted in that location. This is why individuals who consume a lot of hot peppers gradually build up a tolerance.

Quercetin Capsules - Naturally helps to remove excessive Substance P from nerves. Take 1-2 at bed, or use during the day. This bioflavonoid has anti-histamine action and should be taken daily. Use 1-2,000mg twice daily.

Carnosine - Carnosine is highly concentrated in the brain where it acts to protect brain cells. It works as part of your brain's antioxidant network as well as directly buffering brain cells from wear and tear. It helps reduce surplus histamine release in mast cells that may irritate your nerves. It also has rejuvenating effects on brain cells.

Acetyl-l-Carnitine helps naturally discharge Substance P from the nerves. It is for memory and cognitive function. It promotes better cellular energy and supports the natural production of both serotonin and dopamine.

Magnesium - Low magnesium enables excessive Substance P response. In other words, if you are cruising through life with a lack of magnesium – sort of stressed, sort of irritable, and then something traumatic happens (emotional or physical) or you simply have a period of high stress for an extended period of time, then you will be susceptible to these high demands pushing you body into a condition of substance P overload. That can be how one can get fibromyalgia or PTSD in the first place. Side note: did you know low magnesium can cause itching of the skin, the desire to use profanity (mostly Tourette’s) and unhealthy sexual obsession.

Omega 3's - This should be in both forms of Flax Oil and Fish Oil. Make sure you buy quality and only use the best brands. Omega 3's are vital for healthy nerves. Many people find that improving their Omega 3 levels greatly improve the discomfort.

Inositol – Substance P reduces the body ability to absorb an important nutrients called Inositol. Inositol improves neural function, balancing fat stores in the liver and preventing cholesterol buildup in the arteries.

Theanine – this herbal compound derived from Green Tea will help reduce one’s stress and help them to maintain focus during the day. Safe for children and adults.

Phosphatidylserine – This brain nutrient is excellent in reducing cortisol levels that keep you in the vicious cycle of chronic stress.

Tryptophan – This amino acid will help the body to relax and sleep at night and reduce or eliminate the restless leg feeling that comes along with elevated levels of Substance P. Best taken with 50-100mg of Vitamin B6.

Things to Avoid

Caffeine – Many people under stress tend to live on caffeine. This is a nerve irritant and it’s best to be avoided until you reduce your Substance P levels along with reducing your stress.

Sugar – Many people also lean on eating too much sugar while under stress. Sugar is also an irritant to the nervous system. Use Stevia or Xylitol as a substitute.

UPDATED: Things to Try for Your Burning Scalp

ALON Labs Scalp Calming Formula - The Alón Scalp Calming Formula represents the latest science in fighting the main culprits of scalp aging - chronic inflammation and sun induced genetic damage. Our serum is the culmination of intense research and testing that uses targeted ingredients in a synergistic approach to address the underlying mechanism of scalp itchiness, redness, and to promote hair health.
http://www.alonlabs.com/collections/products/products/scraping-calming
Head & Shoulders Anti-Itch Shampoo or their Cool Relief - I know, many people look for something exotic to help the burning scalp, but out of all the medicated shampoos, this one seems to work the best.
Flaxseed Oil - This is a must! Flaxseed Oil helps to put back the needed Omega 3s back into the hair and skin. Works more effectively than Fish Oil for this purpose.
Borage Oil - Take 480-640mg of Borage oil at bedtime to improve sleep. It can help with the skin itching. Also use an organic Borage oil soap. The combination will help to improve skin health and has brought big relief to many people with high substance P levels. (HIGHLY RECOMMENDED)
Allegra - Yes, it's not natural, but how much discomfort do you want to endure? Histamine is a tricky little thing. Allegra is an anti-histamine and can help reduce the discomfort. But one must get rid of the excess histamine that has built up in the body. Vitamin B3 (Niacin, the one that makes you flush) can help rid the body of excess histamine. It'll be uncomfortable for about an hour, but you'll feel happier mentally and your circulation will improve. Start small with 100mg and take it with food to reduce the flushing sensation. If you turn red, it's working. Don't forget to take the Quercetin daily!
Go to the doctor or dermatologist to find out what your hormonal levels are doing. Is your hair overly sensitive to Dihydrotesterone and are the androgens causing the problem. If so, add Saw Palmetto, Pygeum to reduce the effects of DHT on the hair follicles.

There you have it, a decent beginning to reducing your high levels of Substance P and get you back to feeling better.

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There's an Athlete in All of Us!

4/16/2014

Recently I had the honor to interview 'again' former LA Laker Big Game James Worhty and for Angels pitcher Chuck Finley in Anaheim, CA during the largest natural health conference in the world.

Both are still in shape after retirement and that's a good thing. Watch both my TV interviews with them and you'll what keeps them going strong, healthy and vibrant!

By the way, I'm not short. James is 6'9" and I'm 6'0", but I felt like it standing next to him.

- Ward W. Bond, Ph.D.

AMBEIN and PTSD

4/3/2014

What can you say? Another soldier taking the lives of others, this time at Ft. Hood, TX. A soldier who was suffering with PTSD due to a tour in the Middle East and the death of his mother and grandfather within a couple of months. He was on multiple medications to help with this condition, but unfortunately medication isn’t the cure to PTSD as it is very complicated to understand much less treat effectively. One medication mentioned by the media as Ambein. More on that in a moment.

What is Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)? This condition is when the ‘Fight or Flight’ response is pushed to its very limit. But in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), this reaction is changed or damaged. People who have PTSD may feel stressed or frightened even when they’re no longer in danger.

The NIMH defines PTSD as “a condition that develops after a terrifying ordeal that involved physical harm or the threat of physical harm. The person who develops PTSD may have been the one who was harmed, the harm may have happened to a loved one, or the person may have witnessed a harmful event that happened to loved ones or strangers.

PTSD was first brought to public attention in relation to war veterans, but it can result from a variety of traumatic incidents, such as mugging, rape, torture, being kidnapped or held captive, child abuse, car accidents, train wrecks, plane crashes, bombings, or natural disasters such as floods or earthquakes.”

Let’s talk military since those are the ones we hear most about in the news. Picture yourself in a dangerous area with constant threat of attack. You don’t know if you will live or die from minute to minute. Will you be shot, blown up or drive over a landmine? Think about this fear never leaving you day in and day out, night after night. Your mind and body never getting rest or more importantly never feeling peace that we all desire to have in daily life.

Understanding how fear memories are created may help to refine or find new interventions for reducing the symptoms of PTSD. This is not a problem with one’s genes, let’s make that clear. We need more research in the area of the brain. Studying parts of the brain involved in dealing with fear and stress also helps researchers to better understand possible treatments of PTSD. One such brain structure is the amygdala, known for its role in emotion, learning, and memory. The amygdala appears to be active in fear acquisition, or learning to fear an event (such as touching a hot stove), as well as in the early stages of fear extinction, or learning not to fear.

Let’s talk Ambien. I personally hate this drug. Millions of Americans are hooked on it. Ambein, a member of the class of medications known as hypnotics, was approved by the FDA in 1992. It was designed for short term use to combat insomnia and was a welcome change from the prevailing sleep aid at the time, Halcion, which had been implicated in psychosis, suicide, and addiction and had been banned in half a dozen countries. Ambein works by activating the neurotransmitter GABA and binding it to the GABA receptors in the same location as the benzodiazepines such as Xanax and Valium. The extra GABA activity triggered by the drug inhibits the neuron activity that is associated with insomnia. In other words, it slows down the brain. Ambien is extremely effective at initiating sleep, usually working within 20 minutes. It does not, however, have an effect on sustaining sleep unless it is taken in the controlled release form.

Ambein has posted warnings that seemed to be ignored by doctors. Patients need to learn to read the side effects before deciding taking any drug, especially Ambien. The prescribing information warned, in small print, that medications in the hypnotic class had occasional side effects including sleep walking, “abnormal thinking,” and “strange behavior,” these behaviors were listed as extremely rare, and any anecdotal evidence of “sleep driving,” “sleep eating,” or “sleep shopping”—all behaviors now associated with Ambien blackouts—were characterized as unusual quirks, or attributed to mixing the medication with alcohol. I personally know people who took Ambien and ended up in the bathtub in the middle of the night wearing nothing but tennis shoes. This is not normal behavior. Ambien causes a deep depression, a depression that is classified as severe hopelessness. When a user is on Ambien they don’t know that the drug is causing these problems.

In many of the mass shootings we are seeing today, Ambein is a drug that is found in a few of these cases. Also, think about how many people are sitting in prison for some bizarre crime they committed from the nightly use of Ambien. The court system doesn’t generally recognize an Ambein defense, but that’s another story. I could write an encyclopedia on the dangers of Ambien, but I hope this short article will give you some insight that it is a drug to be avoided at all costs. It’s time the FDA removes this drug from the market.

If you are taking Ambein, look for another alternative. If you have a loved one taking it, please be more aware of their behavior. The next question is how does one stop Ambein and how does one overcome the side effects. First, talk with your doctor about getting off of Ambein. While one is doing that, the following suggestions will help get the mind back on track and remove the side effects naturally.

Nutritional Help:

Fish Oil – The brain needs the essential fatty acids EPA and DHA to function in a healthy manner. These fatty acids are needed to reduce depression and improve focus.
Vitamin B3 – This vitamin can be very helpful in promoting a positive outlook and is the nutrient of choice when one has been on Ambien. It can be taken in the form of Niacinamide. The form of B3 called Niacin will cause flushing of the skin. This improves blood circulation and the flushing can last 30 minutes to an hour, but very effective in improving one’s mental state.
Theanine – This nutrient helps to calm the nerves, but helps the brain to improve its alpha state. Alpha brain waves allows us to be calm and focused at the same time. Very effective and no side effects.
B-Complex – One needs to be taking all the B vitamins daily. B1 helps with mental health. A dose of 50-100mg daily is sufficient. B vitamins help to convert food into energy and are needed for a healthy nervous system.

The nutrients above are to help those regain their mental health after taking Ambein. It is not a cure for PTSD.

I hope you find this article helpful in the explanation of PTSD and the effects of using Ambein.

“These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This article is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.”