New to LDN

Well I started LDN 4 days ago. Haven't really felt different yet except for I am sleeping like a rock. I didn't start it until Thursday night so I had the long holiday weekend because so many people said they had trouble sleeping at least the first week. I seem to be opposite of that, hope that isn't a bad sign, I am knocked out and sleeping later than usual! I almost feel like I am taking a sleeping pill not something for my Crohn's! Ha ha!

I've been taking LDN since around last December or January. I started at 2 mg then went to 4mg after a few months. I felt great after 3 months. Then I started to decline a little and inquired about overgrowth of Yeast (candida) to the same doctor who introduced me to LDN. He said he didn't believe in yeast overgrowth, etc.

Right now I have good days and semi-not so good days. I still feel better than before LDN, but I think I have Candida. I did an experiment where I cut out all sugar and bread for 3 days and on the 3rd day I felt horrible. Just like having the flu (body aches, cold chills, head ache). I have a call into my doctor again about the overgrowth, but they are waiting for my blood test to come back to see if I am in a flare... So we'll see how that goes.

Oh and if you think you are currently in a flare, I recommend taking 10mg of prednisone until you start feeling better (a week or two). Then SLOWLY taper down to 5 mg for two weeks, then every other day for a week. This way you won't flare from the taper and gives the LDN a fresh start with a healed system. 10 mg of prednisione is said to be safe and not interfere with LDN.

spooky,

Do you know if they started with a low dose of difulcan? I've read that if you start high that it can cause flu like symptoms due to the die off.

Hi all:  Why is it important to not compound LDN with lactose?  I would worry that substituting binding agents would interfer with how its absorbed as it was researched and formulated.  (just asking so I know how and what to ask for when I talk with the GI next)

 

As far as fish oil/vit D - I take them seperatelty, I take big doses of VIt D3 - 5000 IU per day.  Its sold over the counter but usually by pharmacies that have high volume bariatric patients.  One of the dieticians I know is doing her pHD on vit D - and she feels you could never take enough to overdose yourself and it is so hugely important for bone acretion.  It also plays a role in atherosclerosis - some how calcium gets deposited in blood vessel walls making them stiffer without enough Vit D3. 

 

 

My daughter uses the Avicel filler.

The published clinical trial shows most patients (76%) responded by 4 weeks to LDN, but some took 8 weeks to respond. (Of course, like any med, it didn't work for every patient.) So it looks like you need to give it at least 4 weeks, and up to 8 weeks, to achieve a response. If by 8 weeks there is no response, then the likelihood of achieving a response is slim-to-none. 

Of course, response doesn't mean remission. By one month 29% achieved remission, and by two months it was 53%. "Remission" in the clinical trial was defined as a CDAI score of 150 points or less. 

The clinical trial says CRP decreased from a median value of 2.6 (it says "normal" is less than .8) at baseline to a value of .9 by the 12th week. ESR (sed rate) also decreased.

The trial had only 17 participants, and followed them for only 16 weeks, so there is no long term clinical trial data on LDN. 

Has your doc considered Nystatin, which is safer than Diflucan?

Dr. Galland claimed have healed a Crohn's patient through an anti-yeast diet and nystatin, so Diflucan certainly might help, with or without LDN.

Like any med, Diflucan has the potential for side effects - including the rare but serious side effect of liver damage. http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/medicines/100000771.html

Nystatin, on the other hand, can cause side effects, but no serious ones.  

staci100 said...
She didn't mention it. What makes it safer.....maybe I need to inquire with her. Do you think this may be hindering a response to the LDN? I've read other people's posts where they say that yeast can keep LDN from working.

Yes, LDN won't work if you're yeasty. Once you've gotten that taken care of, hopefully you'll start feeling the positive effects of LDN.

I don't know the name of the test. I know that I have way too much yeast in my body and have since I started Humira in Feb 08. Couldn't hardly get rid of thrush, and then constant yeast infections that would appear to go away but return in a couple of weeks. Today, I still have a problem with yeast infections. Not that bad but enough to aggravate me. I will be honest with you, I am personally fed up with mainstream science as it is. I feel like everyone wants my money and wants to shove pills down my throat or stick a needle in me knowing that my disease will not go away. Everything I've done so far causes such scary side effects. I am going to start the Diflucan today but on Monday I am going to call and get the prescription changed to Nystatin. I agree with you....there is no reason to take something with such serious side effects when I can take that. Also, another dr. I went to lately said that I am highly acidic which also goes along with having too much yeast in my body. So, I really do feel certain that it needs to be treated. Especially since I am taking the LDN.