LDN/ Low-Dose Naltrexone - How This Medicine Works Differently Than Most Medications.

LDN OR AKA LOW-DOSE NALTREXONE IS CONFUSING TO SOME PEOPLE THAT MAY HAVE JUST DISCOVERED INFORMATION ABOUT THIS PROMISING DRUG.  WITHIN THE PAST YEAR OR SO, THERE IS AN OVERFLOW OF INFORMATION THAT CAN BE FOUND ONLINE.  JUST TYPE LDN IN GOOGLE AND SEE THE NUMEROUS RESULTS THAT APPEAR AND DISCUSS THIS DRUG.  PEOPLE ARE BEGINNING TO HEAR THE WORD MORE, SEE IT HERE AND THERE AND IT'S RAISING CURIOSITY, BECAUSE LDN REALLY DOES SOUND TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE.... WELL, PEOPLE I'M ON IT AND I'M GETTING BETTER WITH NO SIDE EFFECTS AND IT DOESN'T DEPLETE MY FUNDS BECAUSE IT'S SO REASONABLY PRICED - THE GOOD NEWS IS TRUE AND IT GIVES HOPE TO MANY.  

THIS IS AN ARTICLE THAT IS RELATIVELY RECENT, PROVIDES  MUCH VALUABLE INFORMATION THAT EXPLAINS WHAT DISEASES IT TREATS, HOW IT HEALS YOUR BODY, STRENGTHENS IMMUNE SYSTEM, RECENT RESEARCH , NOTED CAUTIONS (REGARDING FILLERS & ER LDN), LDN & CANCER (PROVIDES SOME IN DEPTH INFO PERTAINING TO CANCER & LDN 

I HAVEN'T READ MUCH INFORMATION THAT HAS PROVIDED IN DEPTH DETAILS ABOUT LDN AS A TREATMENT FOR CANCER.  BELOW (IN THE DARK GREEN COLOR) YOU WILL FIND ALL THE DATA ON  LDN & CANCER.  

I SHOULD MENTION THAT I AM CURRENTLY TAKING LDN 2MG (FEELING FABULOUS BTW - 1ST TIME IN 4 YRS:) AND I CAN ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT LDN THAT YOU MAY BE UNSURE OF.  I'VE RESEARCHED THIS DRUG THOROUGHLY BEFORE I WAS CONFIDENT THAT I WANTED TO TRY IT, SO I HAVE PLENTY KNOWLEDGE. DO NOT HESITATE TO CONTACT ME WITH QUESTIONS/CONCERNS/COMMENTS :)  

HAPPY 2012 TO ALL   

LINK IT - Low-Dose Naltrexone - How This Medicine Works Differently Than Most Medications.

Article from PROHEALTH.COM 

Low-Dose Naltrexone for Autoimmune Diseases and Fibromyalgia? The Unfinished Story

ProHealth.com
by Joseph Mercola, MD*
December 21, 2011

“Some leading experts believe that low-dose naltrexone (LDN) holds great promise for the treatment of millions of people suffering with autoimmune diseases, central nervous system disorders, and even cancer and HIV/AIDS." - Joseph Mercola, MD

One of the Rare Drugs that Actually Helps Your Body to Heal Itself

It is not often that I advocate the use of prescription drugs, but low-dose naltrexone (LDN) is one of those rare exceptions that may hold the promise of helping millions of people with cancer and autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's, fibromyalgia, and Crohn's disease, just to name a few.

As a pharmacologically active opioid antagonist, LDN (used 'off-label' in very small doses) works by blocking opioid receptors, which in turn helps activate your body's immune system.

How LDN Harnesses Your Own Body's Chemistry to Fight Disease

The latest research in Experimental Biology and Medicine just confirmed that LDN does in fact target the opioid growth factor (OGF) / opioid growth factor receptor (OGFr) pathway to inhibit cell proliferation. Previous research by professor Ian S. Zagon of The Pennsylvania State University, who also conducted the Experimental Biology and Medicine study, found that OGF regulates the growth of cancer cells, and all cancer cells use the OGF-OGFr pathway in growth regulation. It is through this mechanism that LDN is thought to exert its profound inhibitory effect on cancer growth. 

Further, LDN also works with your body's immune system through its interactions with your body's endorphins.

Though most commonly referenced in relation to your mood, endorphins also play a role in pain relief, immune system regulation, growth of cells and angiogenesis (the growth of blood vessels that feed a tumor). 

Typically, LDN is taken at bedtime, which blocks your opioid receptors, as well as the reception of endorphins, for a few hours in the middle of the night. This is believed to up-regulate vital elements of your immune system by increasing your body's production of metenkephalin and endorphins (your natural opioids), hence improving your immune function.

In addition to cancer, LDN has shown promise for the treatment of the following diseases:

Hepatitis C
Diabetic neuropathies
Lupus
Dermatomyositis (an inflammatory muscle disease)
Ulcerative Colitis
Multiple sclerosis
Autism
Crohn’s disease
Chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS)
Alzheimer’s disease
HIV/AIDS
Hashimoto’s thyroiditis
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
Parkinson’s disease
And Fibromyalgia [1,2,3]

How can one substance impact so many different diseases? As written on the non-profit Web site LowDoseNaltrexone.org , which is an excellent resource for more information:

"The disorders listed above all share a particular feature: In all of them, the immune system plays a central role. Low blood levels of endorphins are generally present, contributing to the disease-associated immune deficiencies."

Impressive Results in Cancer Treatment

In 1985, Dr. Bernard Bihari discovered LDN enhanced patients' response to infection with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. Years later he found that his patients with cancer and autoimmune disease also benefited from LDN. 

Dr. Bihari has reportedly treated more than 450 cancer patients with LDN with promising results, including cancers of the bladder, breast, liver, lung, lymph nodes, colon, and rectum. According to Dr. Bihari, nearly a quarter of his patients had at least a 75% reduction in tumor size, and nearly 60% of his patients demonstrated disease stability. He believes LDN's anti-cancer mechanism is likely due to an increase in the:

• Number and density of opiate receptors on the tumor cell membranes, making them more responsive to the growth-inhibiting effects of the already present levels of endorphins, which in turn induces apoptosis (cell death) in the cancer cells

• Absolute numbers of circulating cytotoxic T cells and Natural Killer cells, as well as killer cell activity 

An impressive study released earlier this year exemplifies LDN's potential anti-cancer effects, in this case to treat ovarian cancer. The study found:

• LDN administered for six hours every two days reduced DNA synthesis and cell replication in tissue culture.

• Exposure to LDN in combination with cancer drugs had enhanced anti-cancer action.

• Mice with established ovarian tumors treated with LDN had repressed tumor progression by reducing DNA synthesis and angiogenesis -- but not altering cell survival, indicating it is non-toxic.

• LDN combined with a chemotherapy drug, cisplatin, alleaviated the toxicity associated with cisplatin.

• LDN treatment upregulated the expression of the opioid growth factor, which is the only opioid peptide that tends to inhibit cell growth of ovarian cancer cells. 

Says Dr. Burton M. Berkson, MD, who has attested to achieving phenomenal results with low-dose naltrexone in both cancer patients and those with autoimmune diseases:

"It is difficult for many to believe that one drug can accomplish so many tasks. But LDN does not treat symptoms as most drugs do. It actually works way 'upstream' to modulate the basic mechanisms that result in the disease state."

Your Doctor Probably Doesn't Know About Low-Dose Naltrexone

LDN has been an FDA-approved drug for over two decades, conventionally used to treat drug- and alcohol addiction at doses of 50mg to 300mg. Much lower doses (3 to 4.5 mg) are used for LDN's immunomodulating properties as discussed above, but it has not yet been submitted for FDA approval at this low dose. None of the pharmaceutical giants back it, as at an average price of $15 to $40 for a month's supply, the income potential isn't very promising. 

This means there are no friendly sales reps visiting your doctor talking about the potential benefits of this drug in very low doses, and as a result very few physicians are aware of LDN. So, if your physician is not familiar with LDN, you will need to bring it up to him or her, or, alternatively, seek a health care provider who is already knowledgeable at using LDN as a form of treatment. There are a number of pharmacies and compounding pharmacies in the United States and Canada that are reliable sources of the compound in low-dose form.

CAUTION: Important LDN Points to Consider if You Use It

• Avoid slow-release (SR) or timed-release naltrexone. You want to be sure the LDN you receive is in unaltered form that allows you to receive the full dose quickly. Slow-release formulas may not give you the full therapeutic effects.

• Be aware of inactive fillers. Part of the LDN capsule will contain a "neutral" filler material. However, there is some evidence to suggest that calcium carbonate as a filler could interfere with the absorption of LDN. So to be on the safe side, avoid LDN capsules that contain calcium carbonate fillers.

Ideally, if you are interested in using LDN as a potential treatment consult with a knowledgeable health care practitioner who can guide your therapy and also help you find a reliable compounding pharmacy.

* Source:

Dr. Mercola is the founder of the world's most visited natural health web site, Mercola.com. You can learn the hazardous side effects of OTC Remedies by getting a FREE copy of his latest special report The Dangers of Over the Counter Remedies by going to his Report Page.

1. Low-Dose Naltrexone Reduces the Symptoms of Fibromyalgia" by Sean Mackey, et al., Apr 22, 2009. See also "Inexpensive drug naltrexone appears to relieve fibromyalgia pain in Stanford pilot study." 

2. A second, longer term fibromyalgia trial at Stanford by Mackey et al., was recently completed but is not yet published: See ClinicalTrials.gov listing for "Effects of Low Dose Naltrexone in Fibromyalgia." 

3. A clinical trial to characterize the "Role of the Endogenous Opioid System Underlying Modulation of Experimental Pain," employing naltrexone in patients with temporomandibular disorder (TMD), is currently (Dec 2011) recruiting participants at the University of Florida. 

MMP Vaccination That Blocks Inflammatory Response, Has Potential To Treat Crohn's Disease

Crohn's Disease, Lupus, rheumatoid arthritis are only a few autoimmune diseases that create an inflammatory response in the body when it is not necessary, which leads the immune system to attack the body's healthy tissue. This as we know, can result in terrible symptoms and damage to the tissue being attacked.
A group of researchers created a vaccination that would produce antibodies only against the MMP2 & MMP9 enzymes, the enzymes responsible for unnecessary inflammatory as seen in Crohn's patients. Could being immunized with this antibody be the answer to treat Crohn's Disease and other autoimmune conditions? Is this a safe solution?
Read below to read the article.

Vaccination Creates Antibody that Blocks Autoimmune Activity in Mice
ProHealth.com
December 28, 2011


The team is excited both by this ‘vaccination’ method's potential for treating Crohn’s disease in humans, but by its potential application in treatment of many other diseases as well.

After years of work on the problem, researchers at Israel’s Weizmann Institute believe they’ve found a way to “turn the tables” on autoimmune disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis and Crohn’s disease. These disorders turn the immune system against the body's own tissues.

In an animal model of Crohn’s disease, Prof. Irit Sagi, PhD, and her research group have tricked the immune systems of mice into targeting a key villain in the autoimmune process - an enzyme known as MMP9 (a member of the matrix metalloproteinase family).

As outlined in their report, published Dec 25 by Nature Medicine, MMPs can cut through collagen and other support materials in the body. And, when working normally they are crucial for cellular mobilization, proliferation, wound healing, and other jobs. But when some members of the family – especially MMP9 – get out of control, they can "aid and abet" autoimmune disease and cancer metastasis.

The team therefore focused on finding ways to block these proteins in hopes of finding effective treatments for a number of diseases.

Originally, Dr. Sagi and others had designed synthetic drug molecules to directly target MMPs. But these drugs proved to be fairly crude tools that had extremely severe side effects.

• The body normally produces its own MMP inhibitors, known as TIMPs, as part of its tight regulation program for keeping these enzymes in line.

• But as opposed to the synthetic drugs, these natural inhibitors work in a highly selective manner.

• An arm on each TIMP is precisely constructed to reach into a cleft in the enzyme that shelters the active bit – a metal zinc ion surrounded by three histidine peptides – closing it off like a snug cork.

• “Unfortunately,” says Dr. Sagi, “it is quite difficult to reproduce this precision synthetically.”

Getting the Immune System to Create MMP-9 Antibodies

Then co-author Dr. Netta Sela-Passwell began working on an alternative approach as a student and later a PhD researcher in Dr. Sagi’s lab. She and Dr. Sagi decided that, rather than attempting to design a synthetic molecule to directly attack MMPs, they would try coaxing the immune system into targeting MMP-9 through immunization.

Just as immunization with a killed virus induces the immune system to create antibodies that then attack live viruses, an MMP immunization would trick the body into creating antibodies that block the enzyme at its active site.

Together with Prof. Abraham Shanzer of the Organic Chemistry Department, they created an artificial version of the metal zinc-histidine complex at the heart of the MMP9 active site. They then injected these small, synthetic molecules into mice and afterward checked the mice’s blood for signs of immune activity against the MMPs.

The antibodies they found, which they dubbed “metallobodies,” were similar but not identical to TIMPS, and a detailed analysis of their atomic structure suggested they work in a similar way – reaching into the enzyme’s cleft and blocking the active site.

The metallobodies were selective for just two members of the MMP family – MMP2 and 9 – and they bound tightly to both the mouse versions of these enzymes and the human ones.

As the team hoped, when they had induced an inflammatory condition that mimics Crohn's disease in mice, the symptoms were prevented when mice were treated with metallobodies. “We are excited not only by the potential of this method to treat Crohn’s,” says Dr. Sagi, but by the potential of using this approach to explore novel treatments for many other diseases.”

Yeda, the technology transfer arm of the Weizmann Institute, has applied for a patent for the synthetic immunization molecules as well as the generated metallobodies. Millions of autoimmune disease sufferers can only hope that human trials of this promising 'vaccination' concept will proceed soon.

Source: Based on Weizmann Institute News Release, Dec 26, 2011

More harm from Biologic Drugs, "The Best" New Drugs Out There (That's sarcasm people)

I found this article in my drafts section.  This is too important of an article to not publish. 

I believe there's probably a lot of actions that the FDA take that would surprise us if we knew about them.  I understand the gist of how the FDA works just by reading a handful or 2 of articles that are discouraging in regards to the drugs they choose to approve and the ones they choose not to approve.  

This article reminds me of an article I read about the drug Cymbalta.  During the trial stages, It wasn't just 1 case of death that ocured during the trial period.  It was FIVE 5.  The drug was approved by the FDA despite the deaths which were all suicides.  The FDA considered this drug to be safe for the treatment of depression/joint pain (i think too).  Here is an exert of an article about Cymbalta.

"Cymbalta has been associated with suicidal behavior since Traci Johnson, a healthy volunteer involved in a trial at Eli Lilly's clinic at Indiana University Medical Center in Indianapolis, killed herself in one of the clinics showers. Johnson, who did not suffer from depression, was taken off the drug and given a placebo four days before she hung herself in one of the clinic's showers on February 7, 2004. Johnson was the fifth patient to commit suicide after taking Cymbalta in clinical trials. After her death one-fifth of the volunteers have quit the Cymbalta trial."

This article and others that I have read discourage people and cause them to question the FDA's approval process for new drugs.  In my opinion, a drug that is considered safe, when infact there were 5 suicides that took place during the trial stage, should not be considered as "safe" and should have never been approved.  Makes you wonder what the FDA considers "not safe". Also makes people think about their motivation for approving the drugs they do.  Everyone that reads and keeps up to date on what's happening over there in the FDA shack, know and have caught on to them.  It's very obvious,  the FDA IS NOT making decisions and taking safety measures that are appropriate and done in a methodical way that is in the best interest of the people.   Read the following and if you don not know the reason by now, you will after reading this - 


"Cymbalta is an important drug for Eli Lilly, as some analysts believe its annual revenues can reach $3 billion by 2009. Cymbalta recorded $94 million in revenues in five months that it was on the market last year and $107 million the first three months of this year."                   It's no coincidence that when the patent for Effexor expired, Cymbalta was the new drug that Eli Lilly and pharm reps were pushing.  



Sadly, because of the FDA's federal position, citizens really don't have much power or say in the way they operate and make decisions.  so, our only choice as an informed and proactive member of society, is to naturally lose trust in good decision making and for us to do our OWN research before saying yes to a treatment.  It's your life that's on the line ... protect it.


Pfizer says patient died in oral RA drug study

(AP) – Apr 22, 2011

NEW YORK (AP) — Pfizer Inc. confirmed that one patient who was taking its drug candidate tofacitinib, a pill designed to treat rheumatoid arthritis, died during a recent clinical trial and said the death was connected to the drug.

The world's largest drugmaker said the patient died of respiratory failure. Three other patients who were treated with tofacitinib during the study died as well, but those deaths were not determined to be drug-related. Two of those deaths occurred several weeks after the patients stopped taking tofacitinib. Tofacitinib, formerly called tasocitinib, is being tested as a treatment for moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis, a chronic autoimmune disease that causes inflammation, usually of the hands and feet.

More than 1,000 patients have taken tofacitinib during clinical trials, and Pfizer said late Thursday that overall death rate for patients in those studies is similar to what has been observed in other biologic treatments for rheumatoid arthritis.

The late-stage trial was called ORAL Sync. Pfizer said in March that tofacitinib met its main goals in the 792-patient study. The patients received either 5 or 10 milligrams of the drug twice per day. Some patients received a placebo. The trials involved patients with moderate to severe active rheumatoid arthritis who have not been helped by an older class of drugs including methotrexate. Pfizer will present full results from the ORAL Sync trial on May 27 at a conference of the European League Against Rheumatism.

Earlier this month Pfizer said the drug met its goals in a separate late-stage trial.

Pfizer said the other deaths included a patient who died of acute heart failure, one death caused by brain injury following trauma, and one case of worsening rheumatoid arthritis. The brain injury death occurred 22 days after the patient stopped taking tofacitinib, and the patient who died of worsening rheumatoid arthritis had stopped taking tofacitinib six weeks earlier.

Analysts downplayed the report, saying the deaths are not unusual in studies of rheumatoid arthritis drugs. Credit Suisse analyst Catherine Arnold said the death rates in studies of tofacitinib are similar to approved therapies like Humira and Simponi, made by Abbott Laboratories and Johnson & Johnson, respectively. Arnold said that, according to Pfizer, there is some evidence the patient whose death was connected to tofacitinib had pre-existing lung disease. However the patient did not have a diagnosed lung disease.

Citi Investment Research analyst John Boris said investors were more likely to focus on the patient who died of acute heart failure. He said rheumatoid arthritis drugs like Humira, Simponi and Enbrel are restricted in patients with a heart failure because rheumatoid arthritis is linked to the disease and because there is evidence that those drugs can worsen congestive heart failure.

Boris said it's possible that drugs like tofacitinib have a similar effect. He still expects the drug will eventually be approved and reach $800 million in annual sales.

Humira, Simponi and Enbrel are all injectable drugs that work by suppressing an immune system cell called TNF-alpha, or tumor necrosis factor alpha. Tofacitinib blocks janus kinases, a type of enzyme that is involved in inflammatory diseases and other illnesses.

The most common side effects of treatment with the drug have included bronchitis, headache, infections, and gastrointestinal symptoms like nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. More serious side effects in a mid-stage trial included lower levels of a type of white blood cell called neutrophils, higher cholesterol levels, and increased creatinine levels.

Copyright © 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

Telemedicine - Outpatient Care for IBD Patients By Using A Computer - Trial Link & My Opinion

I came across this journal clinical trial and thought I'd post this, I've never heard of this and probably many people have never heard about it as well. It's called "Telemedicine" in which the IBD patient is able to communicate with their health care provider from afar by using something called "Collaborative Imaging", all done with the use of a computer and an internet connection. Check it out.

http://www.nature.com/ajg/journal/v106/n12/full/ajg2011329a.html


My thoughts on this.... It sounds awesome because you could easily follow up with your doctor during those times that we are ill and it's difficult to leave the house. Also, it's hard to find good doctors and some people (like myself) have to travel about 2 hours to see my doctor that I am thankful I have found. BUT it's a pain in my ass to have to drive that far. This method of interaction over the internet would allow both parties to communicate more easily, better adherence to following the protocol and alot less missed appointments. How many of us cancel those appointments because of the long drive and reschedule for another day... like when we aren't having a blizzard.