Saturday, June 21, 2008

LDN Update....

It has been just over 1 1/2 years since I began LDN. I am still amazed at my progress. I have not had an episode or any new symptom. I did switch, about 2 months ago, to the highest dose, 4.5 mg. I am feeling much better. I had to use the wheel chair at Disneyland recently, but that isn't the first time I had to do that. This time, I decided to use the chair because of the heat and crowds, which saps my energy.

Here is an explanation of how it works:

LDN boosts the immune system, activating the body's own natural defenses.

Up to the present time, the question of "What controls the immune system?" has not been present in the curricula of medical colleges and the issue has not formed a part of the received wisdom of practicing physicians. Nonetheless, a body of research over the past two decades has pointed repeatedly to one's own endorphin secretions (our internal opioids) as playing the central role in the beneficial orchestration of the immune system, and recognition of the facts is growing.

Witness these statements from a review article of medical progress in the November 13, 2003 issue of the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine: "Opioid-Induced Immune Modulation: .... Preclinical evidence indicates overwhelmingly that opioids alter the development, differentiation, and function of immune cells, and that both innate and adaptive systems are affected.1,2 Bone marrow progenitor cells, macrophages, natural killer cells, immature thymocytes and T cells, and B cells are all involved. The relatively recent identification of opioid-related receptors on immune cells makes it even more likely that opioids have direct effects on the immune system.3"

The brief blockade of opioid receptors between 2 a.m. and 4 a.m. that is caused by taking LDN at bedtime each night is believed to produce a prolonged up-regulation of vital elements of the immune system by causing an increase in endorphin and enkephalin production. Normal volunteers who have taken LDN in this fashion have been found to have much higher levels of beta-endorphins circulating in their blood in the following days. Animal research by I. Zagon, PhD, and his colleagues has shown a marked increase in metenkephalin levels as well. [Note: Additional information for Dr. Zagon can be found at the end of this page.]

Bihari says that his patients with HIV/AIDS who regularly took LDN before the availability of HAART were generally spared any deterioration of their important helper T cells (CD4+).

In human cancer, research by Zagon over many years has demonstrated inhibition of a number of different human tumors in laboratory studies by using endorphins and low dose naltrexone. It is suggested that the increased endorphin and enkephalin levels, induced by LDN, work directly on the tumors' opioid receptors — and, perhaps, induce cancer cell death (apoptosis). In addition, it is believed that they act to increase natural killer cells and other healthy immune defenses against cancer.

In general, in people with diseases that are partially or largely triggered by a deficiency of endorphins (including cancer and autoimmune diseases), or are accelerated by a deficiency of endorphins (such as HIV/AIDS), restoration of the body's normal production of endorphins is the major therapeutic action of LDN.

You owe it to yourself to seriously check out LDN, if you have diseases that are considered auto-immune.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hi Pam!

I have MS, too...and have been taking LDN since 2000. It is great stuff, has stopped my progression.

Tickled to see you putting this in your blog, would love to see as many MS and other folks learn about LDN and start using it themselves.

Have you seen the videos at YouTube on LDN? I think there are some uploaded by Dr. Skip (Skip's Pharmcy) of the recent LDN conference in Nashville.

Be Well,
Rhonda

PS Love your blog title!

Pandora Lee Pensiero said...

Hi Rhonda!

Thanks for posting! I know people with M.S. read the site, but most never post. I have been doing so well, that it seems boring to post the same thing about my condition every few days. Last time I looked on YouTube there was only one LDN video and it was not easy to hear. I will look again and then post them. Thanks for the tip. I did watch Skip's talk at the last LDN conference, which was very interesting. He had lots of stats from people like us. I found that very informative!

Today will be a test for me. I have to go to a baby shower in 105° degree weather. I am worried they will have it outside. And...I have my 2 year granddaughter with me. We'll see how I do. I may stay or may be going home early. Anyway, thats for the post!

Pam