DPA (d-phenylalanine) is an amino acid that destroys the enzyme that breaks down endorphins. Endorphins are feel-good chemicals that you experience with an endorphin rush when you go for a run or when someone gives you a big hug, when you show kindness to someone or an individual does something nice for you.
Taking the amino acid, DPA, as a supplement helps to raise your endorphins and helps when you feel weepy and overly emotional AND reduces the need to self-medicate with treats as a reward or for comfort. This amino acid is a favorite with so many of my clients and community because it makes them feel so lovely.
My recommendation has always been to chew the DPA capsule for the best effects and to get results quickly (in 2-5 minutes) but I’ve now changed my recommendation. Instead of chewing the whole capsule I now recommend opening the capsule into your mouth.
New DPA recommendation – open the capsule instead of chewing it
I’ve updated the Antianxiety Food Solution Amino Acid and Pyroluria Supplements blog as follows:
When it was in a gelatin capsule, the warmth of the mouth dissolved the gelatin and you could eat the capsule together with the DPA. With the cellulose capsule, chewing it leas to much of the DPA getting partially stuck in the chewed capsule, which is not very pleasant to chew and swallow. The DPA is simply much more palatable and effective when it’s opened up into the mouth, rather than chewed. There is one caveat – the taste of the DPA itself – but if you’ve been chewing it you’ll be fine opening the capsule going forward.
My favorite DPA product is Lidtke Endorphigen. It contains 500mg and a tiny amount of vitamin B2 and vitamin B6.
You’ll notice the bottle says: “Maintain healthy endorphin levels to ease minor pain.” Physical pain relief is one of the side-benefits of DPA, but you could easily replace this statement.
Results for weepiness and a deep heart-ache, and the taste of DPA
Missy shares how DPA helps her deep heart-ache sort of feeling:
I have found I was using this product incorrectly. If you are feeling fine, you do not feel much of anything from it. But today I was weepy and felt that deep, heart-ache sort of feeling. I chewed 1000 mgs (2 capsules) and it DID help lift that awful feeling within 15 minutes.
Notice that she said if you’re feeling fine you don’t feel much at all. This is true of all the amino acids – they only make a difference when you need them.
Missy chewed the capsule but with the new cellulose capsule it’s much more palatable when it’s opened up into the mouth. She also reported what about half my clients say:
Tastes like slightly bitter dark chocolate. 🙂
The remainder of my clients don’t like the taste at all, although many say the taste grows on them. I’ve always been in the dark chocolate camp and find it quite pleasant tasting.
If you have a really hard time with the taste of the DPA, you can mix it with a small amount of GABA powder (assuming low GABA is also an issue) or inositol powder (if low serotonin and obsessions and ruminations are also an issue) as both of these are naturally quite sweet.
Results for a compulsive desire for food
Nanner finds that opening a capsule into her mouth gets rid of the compulsive desire for food:
It really helps! Whenever I notice I am opening cupboards when I cannot possibly be really hungry, I open one capsule and pour it into my mouth, let it dissolve. I like the taste! The compulsive desire for food goes away, and I am able to re-focus my attention and get on with my day. Amazing! Now, I just need to form a new habit and remember to DO IT!!! Lol
Take note how quickly this works for her. She is actually opening cupboards and on the prowl for a treat or reward, recognizes this and has some DPA and viola, she no longer needs the sweet comfort she was seeking. In an ideal world she would be taking DPA a few times a day until she has good levels of endorphins. In this instance there would be no cupboard prowling. But as you can see, it can be used on-demand with excellent results.
DPA, glutamine, GABA, tryptophan (or 5-HTP) and tyrosine are ALL powerful for eliminating sugar cravings – is it low endorphins?
The individual amino acids DPA, glutamine, GABA, tryptophan (or 5-HTP) and tyrosine are ALL powerful for eliminating sugar cravings, often within 5 minutes. It seems that this wonderful benefit – over and above the anxiety-reducing and mood-boosting benefits – is often overlooked or poorly understood.
If you’re not certain if your cravings are comfort/reward cravings the best way to figure it which neurotransmitter deficiency is affecting your sugar cravings is to do the amino acid mood questionnaire and also review the list on this blog for further clarification: The individual amino acids glutamine, GABA, tryptophan (or 5-HTP), DPA and tyrosine are powerful for eliminating sugar cravings, often within 5 minutes
The big clue with low endorphins is that you may also feel weepy, overly emotional and sometimes experience physical pain. The emotional connection to the treat – be it chocolate or ice-cream or cookies – feels very real and very strong too and you can’t imagine having to give up this treat you clearly deserve.
Resources for you related to this blog
Here is one paper, which discusses how DPA inhibits or breaks down enkephalins (endorphins are closely related compounds) and as a result helps with depression and pain, and acts as an anti-inflammatory. This paper, discusses beta-endorphins and the reward mechanism and how they can induce euphoria, reduce pain and ease addictions and distress. Despite that fact that this is discussed in the context of drugs and alcohol, more and more research is showing parallels between drug and food cravings.
Here is the amino acid questionnaire
You can find the DPA and other amino acid products I use with my clients here.
As always, thanks for sharing your feedback and questions on my facebook page and in all the blog comments. It allows me to write blogs like this and share your own feedback and experiences.
I have to say that I agree with Sandra’s sentiments and so do most of my clients:
Honestly I think the whole world needs this!
Do let us know if DPA has helped you with reducing weepiness, comfort/reward eating?
Has it also helped with easing physical pain too?
And have you noticed DPA works best when opened up onto your tongue? And are you in the dark chocolate camp and find it quite pleasant tasting?
Trudy,
I first tried DPA after reading about it on your blog and found it helpful for raising my mood. (Lidtke Endorphigen 1 cap/day.) I have chronic Lyme which creates severe difficulty with sleep, anxiety, depression. The DPA definitely helped curb my weepiness. Six months ago my neurologist took me off DPA saying it would be too stimulating to my nervous system. (Chemical Rx’s are a nightmare for me; so I also had been using Lidtke tryptophan for sleep, but stopped when it caused bad jaw clenching. Same issue, plus body aches, with 5-HTP.) I have since begun using DPA again; I really need the endorphin boost. Do you have any insights on whether DPA is considered stimulating? Whether it interferes with sleep? Or suggestions for time of day to take it? Thank you!
Misha
There is no evidence that DPA is too stimulating whereas DLPA is known to be stimulating (it works like a combination of DPA and tyrosine). That said anything is possible which is why using the amino acids is based on the questionnaire and trials to see how a person responds. The best way to know if sleep is affected is to monitor sleep when using it and when not using it
When I hear all this it tells me a client needs DPA:
– “found it helpful for raising my mood”
– “The DPA definitely helped curb my weepiness”
– “I have since begun using DPA again; I really need the endorphin boost”
With regards to Lidtke tryptophan and 5-HTP causing jaw clenching and body aches – this makes me suspect either low serotonin is not an issue or too much was used.
I do have excellent results with GABA for Lyme anxiety and insomnia – more here https://www.everywomanover29.com/blog/gaba-helps-with-lyme-anxiety/ and the pyroluria protocol seems to help a great deal too. Dr. Klinghardt believes pyroluria needs to be addressed in all Lyme patients.
Also in case you’re not familiar with Dr. Darin Ingels, his book “The Lyme Solution” is excellent https://www.everywomanover29.com/blog/the-lyme-solution-by-dr-darin-ingels/
Trudy thx for sharing your knowledge. It’s deeply appreciated. I will definitely revisit pyroluria and look into testing. Re: DPA, unfortunately my sleep is bad whether I take it or not. I’m a regular GABA user, and while it’s been useful for daytime anxiety, it has not produced sound sleep (yet I continue to take it at night).
In case helpful to others, here’s more about my experience with Tryptophan and 5-HTP…
I started taking Lidtke tryptophan (also used tryptophan complete) several yrs ago mainly for insomnia and worry. Took 1000mg tryptophan; 6 months ago slowly dropped to 250mg after neurologist pointed out link to my teeth clenching. I had not known this was side effect. Even at lower does it still caused clenching. Switched to 5-HTP. Tried 200mg dose (recommended by Klinghardt trained Lyme ND) which caused debilitating muscle ache; backed off to 50mg but still clenched. Now, I don’t take either.
Initially it seemed like the tryptophan helped with my sleep (one dose late afternoon; one late evening), but over long run neither product has resolved my insomnia. I currently use sublingual melatonin and 200mg of Zen (GABA) (and frequently magnesium foot bath) before bed and/or one of the many times I awake during the night. I also used these supps when I was taking Tryp and 5-HTP. Unfortunately I continue to suffer difficult sleep (apparently classic Lyme symptom), which adds to day-time anxiety and other neurological Lyme issues.
Thx again for all you contribute to those of us trying to find our way through difficult health challenges toward well-being.
Misha
Thanks for sharing your tryptophan and 5-HTP experiences. I would still want to rule out if it’s too high a dose. Some of my clients do really well with a pinch or dab.
As I mentioned I have yet to see this side-effect and it so often eases TMJ and clenching. But everyone is different and we must acknowledge that not everything will work for everyone. If we were working together I’d explore other ways to support serotonin and the pyroluria protocol may be one way.
can i use DPA with 5 htp and NAC? I still don’t feel my mood and cravings are controlled with these 2. Thanks
Teri
I have clients use DPA with 5-HTP (or tryptophan) all the time and there are no known issues that I am aware of. Each is addressing a different deficiency – DPA addresses low endorphins (and weepiness and comfort cravings) and 5-HTP addresses low serotonin (and feeling down, ruminating anxiety and afternoon-and-evening cravings)
I don’t use NAC much so can’t comment on this. May I ask what you’re using this for and how it’s helping?
Would it be more accurate to say neurotransmitters versus endorphins? I think this belief about endorphins is a hard to kill myth. I have read where endorphin release usually requires more rigorous exercise/long-distance running or pain(such as childbirth) whereas the positive experience most of us get from exercise or treats is due to dopamine and serotonin. The positive experience from hugging is due to oxytocin.
Lisa
I’m curious why you say “this belief about endorphins is a hard to kill myth”? I’m also curious if you resonate with the low endorphin symptoms I mention and have ever trialed DPA? That may convince you!
Other than that I can share from years of experience that desire/cravings/addiction for treats or alcohol (and other “drugs of choice”) can be driven by low levels of any of the neurotransmitters and low endorphins are definately one of them.
Here is some additional reading supporting some of this: this paper mentions DPA for alcohol driven intake https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2829941 and this one mentions sugar addiction and enkephalins https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17617461
Hi can you take DPA or amino acids if you are still taking SSRI
RGog
I am not aware of any issues with DPA being used with SSRIs. There are precautions with tryptophan and 5-HTP.