1. 1. First, Do No Harm

(premium non nocere) Naturopathic medicine uses therapies that are safe and effective

1. 1. The Healing Power of Nature

(vis medicatrix naturae) The human body possesses the inherent ability to restore health. The physician’s role is to facilitate this process with the aid of natural, non-toxic therapies.

1. 1. Discover and Treat the Cause

(tolle causam) Physicians seek and treat the underlying cause of a disease, not just the effect. Symptoms are viewed as expressions of the body’s natural attempt to heal. The origin of the disease is removed or treated so the patient can recover.

1. 1. Treat the Whole Person

(tolle totum) The multiple factors in health and disease are considered while treating the whole person. Physicians provide flexible treatment programs to meet individual health care needs.

1. 1. The Physician as Teacher

(docere) The physician’s major role is to educate, empower, and motivate patients to take responsibility for their own health. Creating a healthy cooperative relationship with the patient has strong therapeutic value.

1. 1. Prevention is the Best Cure

(praevenire) Naturopathic physicians are preventive medicine specialists. Physicians assess patient risk factors, heredity and susceptibility and intervene appropriately to reduce risk and prevent illness.

Naturopathic Scope of Practice

The legal aspects of practicing naturopathic medicine vary from state to state in the U.S. and from province to province in Canada. In those states in which naturopathic physicians may be licensed as primary health care providers, N.D.’s (or N.M.D. in Arizona) may see patients for general health care and for the diagnosis and treatment of acute and chronic conditions. Their scope of practice may include, but is not limited to, nutritional science; botanical medicine; naturopathic manipulation; physical medicine; acupuncture; homeopathy; mind-body medicine; natural childbirth; minor surgery; prescription rights for most legend drugs (requiring a prescription) listed in the Physician’s Desk Reference; and all methods of laboratory, x-ray and clinical diagnosis. The State of Arizona offers the widest scope of practice for naturopathic physicians in the U.S.

-With respect, Dr. Dave

A guide to focused amino acid therapy: TYROSINE PLUS&TYROSINE with MUCUNA FORMULA’S by Dr. David Arneson, NMD thesourcenmc@msn.com

I’ve spent the last 8 years detoxing and treating all forms and levels of alcoholism and drug addiction. I also have treated patients for all levels of psychiatric drug withdrawals including anti-depressants, anti-anxiety, and other psychotropic medications. The key to returning brain neurochemistry to some sense of normalcy is to use the proper repair materials. Consider the following statement:

If we truly want to treat the deficiencies created by the use of alcohol and drugs, or any other drug that has a negative effect on brain neurochemistry, then we need to understand one thing clearly – like a house that has been damaged in a storm, we need proper building and repair materials. The body/mind house only knows nutritional building materials. One cannot say absolutely that all will respond completely to such nutritional treatment regimes. Yet in our experience, well more than 80% do respond favorably to such nutritional focus. The reason for this is quite clear: The only way to repair the damage, or to facilitate the return to normal function, is to utilize the knowledge of nutritional biochemistry. In holistic medicine, this is known as functional medicine, molecular medicine or cellular medicine.

Our first formulas had basic issues—mainly cost and the number of capsules that had to be done daily. It wasn’t uncommon in the first year or so for a patient to be taking 15- 20 capsules twice per day. 4 years ago we generated our first amino acid kits—lowering the cost by 40% and reducing the number of capsules to 12 or less twice per day. Yet, the cost and the number of capsules still seemed to be an issue…also, we wanted to add a mineral complex to the basic regimes. Our latest endeavor has succeeded in lowering the cost and reducing the caps to no more than 7 twice per day—and yet we believe that this is the best formula. These formulas are based on one fact. The primary neurotransmitters—master neurotransmitters—are serotonin, dopamine, norepinephrine, and epinephrine. GABA can also be considered in this process. Every biochemical process in the human body depends on the proper levels of these neurotransmitters. When we bring these back into balance most other biochemical and neurochemical processes come back into balance. These neurotransmitters do not exist only in the brain—in fact, only 5% of the serotonin is found in the mind. Serotonin is the primary gut neurotransmitter and also regulates clotting function and has a role in cardiovascular health. Nor-epinephrine and epinephrine also are produced in the adrenal glands to help us deal with stress. Nor-epinephrine is also critical in the production of the sleep hormone melatonin and the production of sex hormones. These are ‘Global” neurotransmitters involved in every major function of the biochemical reactions in the human body/mind. It is rare that we can treat just one of these neurotransmitters and expect everything to work normally—nothing works in a vacuum—and every biochemical process is intrinsically tied to every other process. Get the master neurotransmitters balanced, and in tune with the others, and all other processes move toward balance. In the past, we used multiple formulas for multiple issues. The more that I reviewed this process over the last few years the more I thought how simple this could really be. The type of drug was not the major issue—bringing back the balance in these neurotransmitters was the issue.

The formulas derived are based on the knowledge of how anyone drug or alcohol works on the brain. Tyrosine Plus was generated to address problems that occur with the use of alcohol, marijuana, SSRI antidepressants, benzodiazepines, and other less caustic mind-altering chemicals. TYROSINE with MUCUNA has an added component which is the mucuna—other than that they’re basically the same formula. Mucuna is a plant-derived extract of a natural form of l-dopa. L-dopa is an intermediate product made from tyrosine. L-dopa eventually becomes dopamine, which becomes norepinephrine, which then becomes epinephrine. The problem in treating a dopamine deficiency is that tyrosine to L-dopa is a rate limited reaction—this means that it doesn’t matter how much tyrosine you put into your system you can only make so much L-dopa—therefore only so much dopamine, etc. Yet, L-dopa to dopamine is not rate limited—this means that the reaction needed to repair the dopamine circuit can go on unimpeded. This formula is what we use on opiate dependency, methamphetamine, cocaine, antidepressants such as Effexor or others that act principally on nor-epinephrine neurotransmitters circuits. The formula works well on depression that is a result of a dopamine deficiency.

There are phase one formulas that we suggest for the first few months of treatment. Phase two formulas are generally maintenance formulas. I have quit labeling the kits as an opiate, alcohol, methamphetamine, etc. This is for privacy and anonymity issues. From now on they’ll simply be marked with the neurotransmitter labels. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact me via the e-mail address is supplied above.

The following is a list of the component parts of each formula—with an explanation as to why it is needed.

1. 1. Multiple Vitamin

the definition of a vitamin, and many minerals is “an essential co-enzyme”. Vitamins and minerals push biochemical reactions forward. As an example, Vitamin C is an essential coenzyme in the formation of all the neurotransmitters. To do amino acid therapy without a vitamin complex is akin to trying to cut a board with a circular saw that is not plugged into an electrical outlet.

1. 1. Omega Complex

these omega fatty acids are derived from fish oil. If one has a sensitivity to fish oil the kit can be made up with flax seed oil the only herbal source of mixed omega oils. Omega 3’s and Omega 6 fatty acids have many roles in the human body/mind. There are known to have greater efficacy in treating depression than anti-depressants in general. The reason is clear—these fatty acids embed in every cellular membrane in the human body/mind. This gives the membrane integrity and stability. The idea is to return each cell, whether a skin cell or a nerve cell, back to some sense of normal functioning. If we can regenerate normal cellular membrane function the patient will return to some sense of normal functioning.

1. 1. Tyrosine Plus and Tyrosine with Mucuna…
      1. The minerals and vitamins listed are either essential co-enzymes or co-factors needed to push the reaction forward to optimize the performance of the neurochemical pathways. For example—Calcium is not a co-enzyme—it is a co-factor…the release and re-absorption of the neurotransmitter is calcium-dependent.
      2. 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP) is the amino acid necessary for the production of serotonin and melatonin. Serotonin is essential in healthy gut function and cardiovascular function. It is also the neurotransmitter that allows for balanced mental health.
      3. Tyrosine is the amino acid that converts into L-dopa. L-dopa than is converted to dopamine. Dopamine is converted to norepinephrine and that is eventually converted to epinephrine.
      4. Mucuna ( in the Tyrosine with Mucuna formula only), bypasses the rate limited reaction that limits the tyrosine to L-dopa reaction—this allows for a more dramatic boost in production of dopamine (the feel-good neurotransmitter), and also the increase in production of norepinephrine and epinephrine which are critical for the healthy reactions to stress.
      5. Methionine is the amino acid that converts directly to S-Adenosyl methionine—or SAM-e which is a critical co-enzyme necessary for the conversion of dopamine to norepinephrine.
      6. Glutamine is the amino acid that converts to GABA. GABA is the primary inhibitory neurotransmitter which keeps the stimulatory neurotransmitters in check. In fact, GABA receptors are where anti-anxiety medications (such as valium, etc) work. Glutamine also helps to keep gut cells healthy so that absorption of nutrients is maximized.
   2. Adrenal support capsule

almost all patients that need the Tyrosine with Mucuna formula are adrenal fatigued…this cap supports adrenal function until the systems are normalized. Not in phase two formulas.

Communication: Since I am hearing impaired I rarely take phone calls to address questions. Yet, I want anyone utilizing these formulas to feel absolutely free in contacting me via the internet. Unless I am out of town I answer emails 6 days per week. I have full confidence in the products that we have developed. These are exactly the same formulas that we use on our in-house patients.

With respect, Dr. Dave