Re: RA & on LDN for past 4 1/2 months

[Guest guest]

may be you should go back to1.5 mg and if you do not have high blood pressure

try D_phenylalanine.it helps with joinys pain.

http://www.iherb.com/ProductDetails.aspx?pid=8607

with this code you get 5 dollars off your first order

ZAH179

>

> Hi,

>

> I'm 55, female and have had severe RA since 1994 and diagnosed with mycoplasma

fermentens (as one of the culprits in RA). I've been on various meds (every

painkiller under the sun, prednisone, thalidomide (it's a TNF alpha inhibitor),

methotrexate, minocin, Enbrel and recently Humira). I stopped taking Humira

early in January of this year ('09) and began taking LDN at the end of that

month at a low dose 1.5 mg but within a several weeks raised it up to standard

4.5 mg. at night. I've been on 4.5 mg. now for 8 weeks. Since I stopped the

Humira I've had to have my left knee aspirated twice and was injected with 40

mg. of Kenalog (a steroid). I've been on one long continuous RA flare since I

stopped the Humira, with relief only when my knee was aspirated and injected

with Kenalog. Skip Lenz told me that is sometimes takes some 3-4 months before

you will notice an effect (for the immune system to re-balance itself). The pain

and inability to get out of bed is so intense I don't know if I can hold out for

another month, never mind two. (I also think it works differently on men than

it does on women, due to our hormones and biochemistry.)

>

> I cannot keep from urinating at night with the LDN ---I wake up to pee every

night at about 4-5 am and cannot get back to sleep, even though I'm exhausted

and remain so thoroughout the day until evening comes. Needless to say, my sleep

is a disaster and probably contibuting to the exhaustion (though I take

Melatonin and Valium to sleep---don't seem to help any more). Has anyone else

had these problems? Did they eventually resolve?

>

> In the earlier stages of 4.5 mg. I'd wake up at that early hour with little to

no pain. Within the last several days though, I wake up stiff as a board, with

knives in all my joints and exhausted --- I no longer experience those few,

early morning hours of being pain-free.

>

> Even though I had that brief window of relatively low pain in those early

morning hours, I'd always had/have stiffness, pain, swelling and fatigue begin

again after 7 am and continue on during the day until early evening (about 6pm).

Perhaps the endorphin high just doesn't last in my body? Has anyone else had

this reaction? Does it eventually subside?

>

> I'm thinking of adding Humira back on along with LDN. I read in the

LDNers.org database that one man was still on Remicade while on LDN and doing

much better (he was able to drop all the other meds except for Remicade).

>

> Any thoughts, suggestions, advice? I'm at my wit's end here with LDN.

>

> Thanks.

>

> Tatiana

>

[Guest guest]

With all the immune suppressing medications you've been on I'd bet you have

candida yeast overgrowth. See below.

Other reasons of negative responses to LDN by Dr. Jaquelyn McCandless

Re: ldn

As usual, I need to emphasize that seldom is LDN a stand-alone treatment, but

accompanies other strategies their body needs, especially a healthy diet.

It takes some people longer to respond to LDN, and they may be colonized with

pathogenic yeast and bacteria that could be slowing response.

There is a phenomenon that happens to some people that as the immune system is

shifting (usually from T2 to T1) right after starting LDN, the immune system

drops and people get an infection, cold, flu, cold sore, etc. which is usually

short lived. Candida tends to overgrow or a virus will flare up. These

infections are usually short-lived unless something needs treatment. As usual, I

need to emphasize that seldom is LDN a stand-alone treatment, but accompanies

other strategies their body needs, especially a healthy diet.

Are you a big bread/carbohydrate/sugar eater?

Ever been tested for candida (yeast) or gut bacterial infestation?

Ever been checked for hypothyroidism?

Would you be willing to stop all casein (milk products) and gluten (wheat, rye,

barley and oats) for a week and see if you feel better? A study done several

years ago showed that 30% of us have some degree of celiac disease

(intolerance/allegy to wheat) even though the clinical symptoms may not be

obvious enough to alert most people to that. When anyone in that 30% of persons

stops eating wheat, they feel a lot better. The LDN may be acting like the

opioid antagonist it is and causing a withdrawal reaction from taking away your

fix, even if only for a few hours.

Try to hang in for awhile longer, and it will probably get better. These

setbacks usually do not last long unless something like a yeast infection is

stubborn without specific treatment.

Dr. JM

=====

Q: Dr. JM or anyone- Does LDN cause candida?

A: LDN has been noted to aggravate yeast infections and other latent pathogens,

viruses, etc. as the immune system is making early adjustments. It is good to

have natural yeast remedies on board when LDN is started (grapefruit seed

extract, Candex, lauricidin, hi-potency probiotics, etc) to help offset this

possibility. (And of course a good dietary regime that does not encourage gut

inflammation which is usually the predecessor to pathogen invasion).

Dr. Jaquelyn McCandless

posted by

[Guest guest]

hey there...you should read 's story about Remicade. It's listed under "taking LDN for Crohn prevention"

From: tpalma1717 <tpalma1717@...>Subject: [low dose naltrexone] RA & on LDN for past 4 1/2 monthslow dose naltrexone Date: Monday, June 8, 2009, 4:06 AM

Hi,I'm 55, female and have had severe RA since 1994 and diagnosed with mycoplasma fermentens (as one of the culprits in RA). I've been on various meds (every painkiller under the sun, prednisone, thalidomide (it's a TNF alpha inhibitor), methotrexate, minocin, Enbrel and recently Humira). I stopped taking Humira early in January of this year ('09) and began taking LDN at the end of that month at a low dose 1.5 mg but within a several weeks raised it up to standard 4.5 mg. at night. I've been on 4.5 mg. now for 8 weeks. Since I stopped the Humira I've had to have my left knee aspirated twice and was injected with 40 mg. of Kenalog (a steroid). I've been on one long continuous RA flare since I stopped the Humira, with relief only when my knee was aspirated and injected with Kenalog. Skip Lenz told me that is sometimes takes some 3-4 months before you will notice an effect (for the immune system to re-balance itself). The pain and inability to

get out of bed is so intense I don't know if I can hold out for another month, never mind two. (I also think it works differently on men than it does on women, due to our hormones and biochemistry. )I cannot keep from urinating at night with the LDN ---I wake up to pee every night at about 4-5 am and cannot get back to sleep, even though I'm exhausted and remain so thoroughout the day until evening comes. Needless to say, my sleep is a disaster and probably contibuting to the exhaustion (though I take Melatonin and Valium to sleep---don' t seem to help any more). Has anyone else had these problems? Did they eventually resolve?In the earlier stages of 4.5 mg. I'd wake up at that early hour with little to no pain. Within the last several days though, I wake up stiff as a board, with knives in all my joints and exhausted --- I no longer experience those few, early morning hours of being pain-free. Even though I had that brief window

of relatively low pain in those early morning hours, I'd always had/have stiffness, pain, swelling and fatigue begin again after 7 am and continue on during the day until early evening (about 6pm). Perhaps the endorphin high just doesn't last in my body? Has anyone else had this reaction? Does it eventually subside?I'm thinking of adding Humira back on along with LDN. I read in the LDNers.org database that one man was still on Remicade while on LDN and doing much better (he was able to drop all the other meds except for Remicade).Any thoughts, suggestions, advice? I'm at my wit's end here with LDN.Thanks.Tatiana