LDN and Psoriasis Success Stories are there any?

I have been on the Ulcerative Colitis forum with my story and how LDN help put me into total remission. My daughter has psoriasis and ran across a You Tube video on LDN someone posted on the UC forum. That led to this video on psoriasis.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lzQD3CyOvN4

That led me to find some success stories with psoriasis and LDN. I have not been able to find much on this subject on this forum. My daughter has struggled with psoriasis for years and I am advising her to try this.

I saw results for my condition after 6 weeks. The girl in the video mentions 6 months. (this cost me by the way about $25 per month)

Are there any success stories here concerning LDN and psoriasis?

Susie,

Sorry to hear of your "double" whammy. This is a tough thing to go through for so long.

Here is my whole story on the UC forum.

https://www.healingwell.com/community/default.aspx?f=38&m=2099301

If your GI is unwilling to talk about this it may be time for a new GI. There are many success stories like mine. There are many forum topics in UC concerning LDN.

There is a reoccurring theme of non acceptance by the traditional medical world where covering up symptoms seems to be more acceptable than the possibility that an alternative might provide remission. My GI had never heard of LDN either. Otherwise he was on track to cut my colon out.

I introduced a friend of mine at church to the homeopath/MD, Dr. Sam Benjamin who helped me. She told me that one of the things he is doing for her is acupuncture and she is feeling better. She just started seeing him a few weeks ago and is already having a better time of it.

Sometimes it is hard to step out of the box. Look up LDN topics in the UC forum. You will see that that the traditional medical world throws up some barriers. I have not been able to find anything negative about LDN.

I ad to the post I referred to every so often as an update. I have been symptom free for over 1.5 years now. I have been off of the LDN for about 6 mos.

Feel free to contact me by email and I will be happy to give you my phone number if you want to talk.


Mike

I have a question on LDN therapy. It's not appropriate for people on the Duragesic patch, what I've always called by the generic Fentanyl patch. I've used this for the better part of the last 7 years (minus the 2 years in NM where my docs were idjits) to control my pain and I'm literally bedridden without it.

Quick summary: Psoriasis led to steroids, which led to Cushings Syndrome & weight gain, psoriasis worsened with the growing obesity. At 500 lbs I got an endocrinologist to take me seriously & they discovered Hashimoto's thyroid disorder as well as the Cushings. The psoriasis flared wildly while they regulated my hormones, I got up to 600lbs before losing successfully. I lost to 400 on my own with diet and exercise, most importantly also my hormone meds. I decided to pursue the adjustable gastric LapBand and lost down to 250!! My psoriasis improved also. 3 years after my LapBand, when starting w a new doc & a complete physical my cancer was found, endometrial Stage 3c. I've kicked THAT to the curb, with a LOT of work and effort, I was within 6mo of being terminal so the treatments were SEVERE. I did 50% of my lifetime grey coverage for radiation in 5 months, full body exposure. Then 6 mo off to heal. Then I did the ovarian cancer chemo but at a weekly dose instead of monthly, lasted thru 8mo of weekly treatments. This month is supposed to be my REMISSION SCAN!!!

So - the pain is from my joints & spine. I aged my weight bearing joints approx 20 years being overweight & exercising to lose the weight. (I'm 44, so my joints are 64) I have no cartilage at ALL left in my knees, osteoarthritis in ALL my weight bearing joints & I have literally blown out ALL of my lumbar discs. Then, the radiation was heaviest in my pelvis region, which meant my lumbar. Radiation shrinks things, so my already damaged spinal column is now ravaged with spinal stenosis (narrowing of the canal). Between my spine, joints & arthritis I feel blessed to walk everyday, even when I'm limping! I'm out of the wheelchair!

But without the opiates, I don't walk. Hell, I barely can get out of bed without them. I'm trying right now to get a spinal implant from Medtronic, the neuro-stimulation version. I STILL need to get my plastic reconstructive surgeries for the excess skin done, and with the opiate load I'm on now, they are concerned that post op pain won't be manageable. So, hoping that the implant works and I can reduce my opiate load enough to get RID of Fentanyl patches!!!

HOWEVER, I'm concerned about using painkillers at all with the LDN treatment. Is that possible? Is it simply the long acting opiods that's a problem?? I'm praying the implant will allow me to give up ALL pain meds, but I'm trying also to be realistic.

Does the LDN affect surgeries? I'm facing several reconstructive ones, as I said, and I think part of my lack of scars (so far, touch wood) is from my over active immune system...I always heal the incision perfectly. No keloids, no raised edges.

I KNOW that the majority of my issues medically are auto-immune. The LDN sounds great to try! I went to Cancer Treatment Centers of America, they believe in fighting cancer on ALL fronts. They have naturopaths, acupuncture, Eastern medicines as well as Western medicine, mind body work, organic food, etc. Acupuncture worked a nice treat, esp w the menopause symptoms! I HATE needles, so it was a HUGE deal for me to try it! It works GREAT. I'm fascinated by the idea of LDN. Hey, during cancer I drank slippery elm bark tea - GROSS - its like trying to swallow snot, but I did it a while, trying to do everything I could. LDN is a walk in the park!

Will it help with pain? I know it says it helps inflammation, which should make a difference, but I was hoping for some anecdotes about how it helped with pain. My psoriasis now is centered on my left hand, both elbows and the bottoms of both feet. You and the moderator discussed in a message thread that the psoriasis is worse on one side of the body? Mine is the left side... I'm right dominant but fairly ambidextrous. I can eat and write with my left hand, probably playing cello in my younger years helped a lot w left hand dexterity!! :) Its been worse on one side for YEARS. Dunno why its my left...often wonder, no answers.

anyways, I was hoping for some info on how LDN helps pain; its effects around surgery (should I discontinue beforehand? I have to donate blood ahead of surgery, does it affect that?) I'm concerned my PCP won't buy this... ANY info will be greatly appreciated! Thanks.

Hi Portnoy44 an welcome to the psoriasis forum. I do not know anything about LDN other than what Colgone has posted here at the forum. Like Colgone said you have really had some serious challenges and I hope that some how you can get some help. Looks to me like you have your work cut out for you on doing some research to see if you can find answers to some of your questions.

Anyway, I wanted to pop on here and say hello and welcome aboard....Susie

Colgone, thank you so much for posting this.......Susie

Hi,
I have Crohn's and have been on LDN since June of this year. I have Crohn's-related arthritis that flared severely just prior to that. I started a short course of steroids to get it under control, then started with LDN. Since then, my arthritis has been under control and my gut issues seem to be, too. I have had chronic arthritis-related swelling in my knees for three years. That is gone now, too. I assume the Pred knocked it out and maybe the LDN has kept it at bay. I also take Pentasa daily as my maintenance med.

As for LDN and pain killers. You cannot take LDN with opiates such as Vicodin and Oxy. LDN blocks the receptors, rendering the meds useless and ineffective. I've been advised to stop taking LDN for several days before taking any opiates. I take it before bedtime. But I worry if I were out and in a crash at night or something, medical personel would try to treat me with opiates and they wouldn't work. They also advise that you get off them 4 days to a week prior to surgeries or dental work for this same reason.

As for getting a doc to prescribe LDN: My rheumy turned me down. My primary care doc, who is Dutch and much more open to alt meds, prescribed it after I printed out a bunch of research and presented it to her. My GI was much slower to come around. He did listen, however. He took 3 wks to review the paper work I presented to him and he agreed to prescribe it, as long as I agreed to take have a repeat colonoscopy within six months to guage its effectiveness. I thought that was a fair request.

As for psoriasis, my hubby has it really bad. I'm at a loss for how to help him. He does a piss poor job of moisturizing, which drives me absolutely nuts! But I worry about him taking the immune modulating meds. He's a pharmacist and is around sick people a lot. I know those meds would compromise his immune system. I was laid off and freelance from home - not nearly enough to support our family. I'm really at a loss for what we can do to help him. It looks so uncomfortable and painful. I feel like our familly got the crap shoot of autoimmune disorders!

jenis said...
Hi - Just to say I was the one on the youtube video link above with psoriasis - LDN has helped enormously, so hopefully it can help others too. It did take about 4-6 months to take effect though, so have patience :)
Thanks

Jenis - Not sure if you will see this, but I have psoriasis (psoriatic arthritis) and just started LDN one month ago. I am confused about dosage, as I am aware that, depending on an individual's condition(s), they can benefit (and not benefit) from different doses (1mg - 4.5mg, for instance). What dosage did you take for your first 6 months on LDN? Did you try different dosages? Thanks so much for any feedback you might be able to provide.