Crystal's MS,Transverse Myelitis and LDN Website

National MS Society has been an LDN-resistant group but is softening considerably as of late. Gave $44,000 to Penn State - animal study to determine the outcomes of high dose vs. low dose.  Encephalitis in rats - high dose makes worsens rats' conditions.  Low dose improves rats' conditions.

Jill Smith, MD - In progress, a Phase II trial of LDN in Crohn's disease at Pennsylvania State University [USA]

Crohn's disease can involve any part of the intestine.  It occurs in 100 to 200 persons/100, 000.  Some of the signs and symptoms are pain, diarrhea, weight loss, anemia, malnutrition, ulcers, arthritis (peripheral) , skin lesions and iritis.  Ideology unknown but may may be due to any one of the following: infection, change in bacteria, defective mucosal integrity, immune response impairment and can run in families - chromosome 16 abnormality.  Stress, smoking and ASAIDS worsens the illness. Incorrect diet can exacerbate Crohn's.

Bacteria have an increased permeability through the walls of the intestine, leading to increased macrophages, leading to increased inflammation.   Impaired T-cell function [what are supposed to be the quarterbacks of the immune system] leave neutrophils/ macrophages largely ignorant of their proper functions.  They no longer recognize threats as they should and instead go on a rampage.  [Part of the last sentence was mine, as I had to finish the sentence after the fact, based on what I remembered.] 

Those who have Crohn's have a less diverse population of bacteria.  It is to be determined whether this is a cause or the result of Crohn's.  Problems found in present treatments: depressed immune system, cost, compliance, IV infusions.

Goal: to improve the immune system function rather than focus on controlling the inflammation.

Dr. Smith goes on to discuss the action of LDN regarding endorphins and opioid receptors. 

LDN administered to mice having colitis - evaluation reveals inflammation is decreased.  Pro-inflammatory cytokines are decreased when using LDN as opposed to the results using Nal.....  [ I didn't get the full name of the drug.]  No liver changes, etc.

New Crohn's study: 40 persons maximum.  22 entered so far.  The study is blinded.  7 month study.  Final results not yet in.  Colonoscopies/ biopsies, histo, chemistries, C-reactive protein, plasma cytologies done periodically.  Scores reveal LDN is working so far.

Advantages: Orally administered, down-regulates cytokines, cost effective, minimal side effects.

Those physicians who have FDA Identification #'s need to submit their data to the FDA.

Dr. Berkson recounts a patient who came to him after having been told he would likely die within 3 weeks.  Three years later, following treatment, the patient's prostate cancer and bone mets, RA and lupus are gone.

Another patient having pancreatic cancer with mets to the liver (adeno-carcinoma) had come to Dr. Berkson after having had 21 days of chemotherapy at a major cancer center in Texas.  The patient's WBC and platelets had dropped significantly and he had been advised that there was no hope. 

Follow-up CT scans revealed no new lesions.  The patient was feeling well and discontinued treatment - of his own volition.  His disease then advanced.  The protocol was resumed; the patient improved; the tumors decreased in size.  It is recommended that LDN be taken for life.

Dr. Berkson is seeing the best results using LDN in the treatment rheumatoid arthritis and lupus.  One such patient later took Humera and developed B-cell lymphoma.

The presentation was backed by slides.

Terry Grossman, MD "is a leading expert on anti-aging and life extension therapies, and the founder and medical director of Frontier Medical Institute in Golden, Colorado."

 Private Practice Experiences

Dr. Grossman discusses a patient having renal cell cancer, a baseball-sized tumor of the right kidney, stage 4 (definition: invading the viscera or distant mets), having a high mortality rate.  Renal cell cancer is the 6th largest cause of cancer death, responding poorly to chemotherapy and radiology.  The patient had essentially been told that he would die, despite the fact he had had surgery, including removal of nearby lymph nodes.

When the patient came to Dr. Grossman, he placed the patient on a no sugar diet, low glycemic load foods, 85% organic [foods in general, was my understanding] but any meat should be 100% organic, increased water and green tea.  In addition, the patient took a multi-vitamin/ mineral supplement daily, ate graviola, took fish oil and protolytic enzymes.

The patient was placed on low dose naltrexone 3mg, and IV vitamin C (used as a drug, leading to the production of H2O2 in order to kill cancer cells) was administered daily [I failed to note how long the Vit C was given], starting at 25gm and increased to 75gm at 1/2gm/minute.

In addition to the LDN and IVC, the patient was given Insulin Potentiated Chemotherapy (low dose chemo at 10-20% of the normal dose.

Notes taken by: Janet Buskell (Thanks Janet)