The Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of Canada Endorses LDN?

In an article on their website entitled Opioid boost may ease Crohn’s symptoms, the CCFC gives Low Dose Naltrexone (LDN) a positive review. Of course they are cautious and don’t really endorse LDN, but this is at least a step in the right direction.

Dr. Keith Sharkey – the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of Canada Chair in IBD Research – believes it is worthwhile for patients interested in LDN to consider and discuss this treatment option with their doctors. “Talk to your doctor and ask whether it’s safe and appropriate for you,” he said. And he goes on to suggest that “further clinical trials are absolutely warranted and low-dose naltrexone has to be tested in a multi-centre study.”

LDN acts as a powerful anti-inflammatory and we’ve seen direct results of improved ESR and CRP with LDN.  The clinical trial showed that it improved symptoms for 88% of those in the study, but 33% saw complete remission with endoscopic confirmation of mucosal healing within 12 weeks. All with no dietary changes.

It is important to note that the CCFC may never have paid any attention to LDN if it were not for the tireless efforts of Sara Craig who manages a support page on Facebook. Sara made the effort to collect LDN success stories from people like me and she presented them to the CCFC at a conference in October of 2011. It appears that her efforts were fruitful as she got Dr. Sharkey to do some research.

Since Naltrexone is an FDA approved drug, LDN can be prescribed “off-label” by your doctor right now, there is no reason to wait to begin using LDN. You can learn more about LDN, and find doctors that will prescribe it at http://www.ldnscience.org and http://www.lowdosenaltrexone.org If you are set on working with your current doctor, you could bring them the published results from the small clinical trial that was done at Penn State by Dr. Jill Smith. In fact, Dr. Smith will consult with your doctor if they call her office – 800-243-1455.

If your doctor still won’t cooperate, you can email Crystal Nason – angelindisguiseldn@yahoo.com with where you live, and she will give you a list of LDN prescribing doctors. Of course, you can always get Naltrexone yourself without a prescription via a number of online pharmacies – http://www.alldaychemist.com & http://www.unitedpharmacies.com have the cheapest prices. You can get a years supply of LDN for about $100.

LDN is not a magic cure for Crohn’s but combined with other safe strategies it can make a huge difference. LDN, along with the SCD, GAPS or Paleo diet should be the first line of treatment. Maybe with exposure like this we’ll see some progress.

Thanks Sara!

Robb Wolf: Paleo & Autoimmune Disease

In August of 2011 I attended Robb Wolf’s final day-long Paleo Solution seminar. Even after reading his book, I must say that I was very impressed. Robb did a masterful job of explaining how putting diet into an evolutionary biology framework allows for a deeper understanding how diet impacts chronic diseases. It turns out that Robb has UC, and his whole journey into the Paleo diet was motivated by his desire to find a better way to treat his own autoimmune disease.

I found this video of Robb giving an overview and he covers it all, with a focus on autoimmune disease starting about 22 minutes in. He references Cordain, Fasano, Leaky-gut, and vitamin D. There is even a nice overview on the importance of omega 3:6 balance and its connection to inflammation that is often overlooked.  Watch the video and also check out his blog at www.robbwolf.com