What actually is LDN?

[Grahm]

Does this have to be prescribed by the Dr. and what are you actually using it for? MC or other problems as well?

thanks for any info,
Connie

[tex]

Connie,

Here is my opinion on how LDN relates to MC, from the "Treatments" page of the Microscopic Colitis Foundation website:

Treating Difficult Cases

Some cases are unresponsive to conventional treatments. There can be many reasons for this, but it can be especially problematic when additional autoimmune (AI) diseases are present. There doesn't seem to be any medical research available to either support or disprove this observation, but epidemiological evidence appears to suggest that in cases where various conventional treatments have been tried without success, there is a possibility that one or more issues associated with other AI diseases may be preventing remission of MC symptoms.

Low dose naltrexone

In situations such as this, some patients have been able to resolve their MC symptoms by the use of low-dose naltrexone (LDN). While still in the experimental stages, and not yet accepted by most mainstream medical practitioners, treatments using LDN have established a surprisingly good success rate among many AI diseases that are otherwise refractory to treatment.

This is an off-label treatment for naltrexone, using doses that are only a small fraction of the amount normally prescribed for it's labeled uses. But if taken properly, it is said to reset the immune system nightly, resulting in the suppression of autoimmune-induced inflammation. Since LDN does not appear to be effective for patients who have only MC (and no additional AI diseases), and yet it does seem to be effective at relieving MC symptoms for many patients who also have other AI diseases, it seems likely that LDN may be capable of resolving MC symptoms by virtue of effectively treating other AI issues (other than MC) that have been preventing the remission of MC symptoms, despite a treatment program that would normally be expected to resolve the MC symptoms.

http://www.microscopiccolitisfoundation ... tions.html

Unless it is ordered from an overseas pharmacy, it does require a prescription, and many physicians are reluctant to write a prescription because it is not an "officially approved" medical treatment.

Tex

[Zizzle]

Connie,
LDN stopped my Dermatomyositis symptoms and systemic inflammation over 12 weeks. It also gave me extra energy and vastly improved my mood. For MC, it calmed my food sensitivity reactions, and my sensitivity overall, but I still had some D. It was prescribed by my integrative medicine doctor after I asked for it (you have to ask, they won't suggest it). My rheumatologist was dumbfounded and amazed by my results, but when I asked if he'd be willing to prescribe it for me, he said no. I guess it's not in his pre-approved set of poisons.

You can find out a lot more here:

www.LDNresearchtrust.org

www.lowdosenaltrexone.org

There are also several Facebook groups devoted to LDN. One is called "Got Endorphins" and the other is IBD and LDN Chat group.

[tex]

My rheumatologist was dumbfounded and amazed by my results, but when I asked if he'd be willing to prescribe it for me, he said no. I guess it's not in his pre-approved set of poisons.

That's a good description of a typical reaction by a medical specialist. They're impressed by real world results, but they're shackled by the medical system. That's sad (in addition to cruel).

Tex

[T]

Zizzle
Thanks for sharing the links on LDN.I have been reading everybodys post on LDN for quite A while.
I have CC,allergic rhinitis and suspect rheumatoid arthritis.I was taking krill oil to helped with the joint pain.Well 3 weeks ago I suddenly became intolerant to soy so I stopped the Krill oil (which contained soy)and now the joint pain is back .
I have A follow up with my PCP next week and I was going to ask her about testing me for arthritis I am now going to ask her for LDN.
I downloaded the info to take with me

Thanks

Terry

[brandy]

Mercolas krill oil is soy free, I think

[Grahm]

Thanks so much for all of this information.

Love,
Connie