Re: Looking for personal (hopefully success) stories: Thyroid Nodule

[Guest guest]

I have 7 nodules in/around my thyroid – 7 years

since discovery now – I only have ultrasounds every few years or so

– they have shrunk.

I was taking 8 iodoral a day for several years –

now taking 4 – I had stopped for a while – oh great Endro

wasn’t sure about iodine……….

Finally realized I was feeling a lot worse on many

fronts – so started again couple of months ago, am better.

I am also taking LDN – which among it’s

many success stories is that it can help with tumors – I also have a

tumor on my pituitary that I am hopinh will show smaller in my next MRI.

Hmmmm forgot all about my mollass’s – off

to add to my coffee – I like it!!

SeaLady

____________________________________________________________

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[Guest guest]

Sealady,

You stated you had tumors. How come you are taking molasses? Isn't that a byproduct of sugar cane? Just curious.

[Guest guest]

I take it every now and then, has a lot of iron and

potassium in it, plus I use blackstrap molasses which is suppose to be better.

Here is some info. It seems to have a lot of good and if I feel like

something sweet figure this is better than a lot of the alternatives. I add

it to my coffee.

WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE

BETWEEN MOLASSES AND BLACKSTRAP MOLASSES?

Regular ole molasses is the first or second boiling of cane sugar syrup while

blackstrap is the third boiling of the syrup. Iron levels appear to increase 5%

in the 3rd boiling.

I've

recently been reading about the health benefits of blackstrap molasses and am

pretty intrigued. Not only is it a great source of iron and calcium, but it's

also a source of potassium, magnesium, copper, and manganese. Many people claim

to have reversed their gray hair with it. I bet this is at least partly due to

the copper content, as copper deficiency can lead to prematurely gray hair.

Copper, an essential component of many

enzymes, plays a role in a wide range of physiological processes including iron

utilization, elimination of free radicals, development of bone and connective

tissue, and the production of the skin and hair pigment called melanin ...

Using two teaspoons of blackstrap molasses to sweeten your morning cereal and the

coffee or tea you drink during the day will supply you with 14.0% of the daily

recommended value for copper. (whfoods.com)

I

also found a page of blackstrap molasses testimonials at earthclinic.com. At first I

thought that site was selling molasses because the testimonials were so amazing

- people claim the molasses cured cancer, acne,

arthritis, and everything in

between. However, the site actually looks pretty useful - it allows readers to

comment on natural remedies.

SeaLady

Sealady,

You stated you had tumors. How come you are taking molasses? Isn't that a

byproduct of sugar cane? Just curious.

____________________________________________________________

Click to book your dream cruise.

[Guest guest]

here is some info on LDN it’s kind of long, but I

think so important for people to know about and pass on to those it might help.

Because there is no money to be made by big pharma,

they will do everything they can to stop people from knowing about it.

I have been taking for 3 months now – the hip

joint pain I had was horrible, now it is almost gone, a nice side effect for me

– my fibro doesn’t hurt as much and I am so hoping it will show

that the tumors are shrinking.

There is an ldn group here on also. The list

of what this drug can help with is amazing!!! It does require a

prescription, but like on most of the forums there are way to get one.

I buy mine from a pharmacy in NY it is 54.00 for 3

months including the shipping. I got my Endro to write it for me.

What is low-dose

naltrexone and why is it important?

>

Low-dose naltrexone holds great promise for the millions of people worldwide

with autoimmune diseases or central nervous system disorders or who face a

deadly cancer.

>

In the developing world, LDN could provide the first low-cost, easy to

administer, and side-effect-free therapy for HIV/AIDS.

Naltrexone

itself was approved by the FDA in 1984 in a 50mg dose for the purpose of

helping heroin or opium addicts, by blocking the effect of such drugs. By

blocking opioid receptors, naltrexone also blocks the reception of the opioid

hormones that our brain and adrenal glands produce: beta-endorphin and

metenkephalin. Many body tissues have receptors for these endorphins and

enkephalins, including virtually every cell of the body's immune system.

In 1985, Bernard Bihari, MD,

a physician with a clinical practice in New

York City, discovered the effects of a much smaller

dose of naltrexone (approximately 3mg once a day) on the body's immune system.

He found that this low dose, taken at bedtime, was able to enhance a patient's

response to infection by HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. [Note:

Subsequently, the optimal adult dosage of LDN has been found to be 4.5mg.]

In the

mid-1990's, Dr. Bihari found that patients in his practice with cancer (such as

lymphoma or pancreatic cancer) could benefit, in some cases dramatically, from

LDN. In addition, people who had an autoimmune disease (such as lupus) often

showed prompt control of disease activity while taking LDN.

First Study of LDN Published

in US

Medical Journal

Dr. Jill ’s original article, " Low-Dose Naltrexone Therapy Improves Active Crohn’s Disease, "

in the January issue of the American Journal

of Gastroenterology (2007;102:1–9), officially presents LDN to

the world of scientific medicine. , Professor of Gastroenterology at Pennsylvania State

University's College of Medicine,

found that two-thirds of the patients in her pilot study went into remission

and fully 89% of the group responded to treatment to some degree. She concluded

that “LDN therapy appears effective and safe in subjects with active

Crohn’s disease.” (For further information on 's study, please

see the linked Clinical

Trials page.)

How does LDN

work?

>

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.

What diseases has

it been useful for and how effective is it?

>

Bernard Bihari, MD, as well as other physicians and researchers, have described

beneficial effects of LDN on a variety of diseases:

Cancers:

Other Diseases:

Bladder Cancer

Breast Cancer

Carcinoid

Colon

& Rectal Cancer

Glioblastoma

Liver Cancer

Lung Cancer (Non-Small Cell)

Lymphocytic Leukemia (chronic)

Lymphoma (Hodgkin's and Non-Hodgkin's)

Malignant Melanoma

Multiple Myeloma

Neuroblastoma

Ovarian Cancer

Pancreatic Cancer

Prostate Cancer (untreated)

Renal Cell Carcinoma

Throat Cancer

Uterine Cancer

ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease)

Alzheimer's Disease

Ankylosing Spondylitis

Autism Spectrum Disorders

Behcet's Disease

Celiac Disease

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

CREST syndrome

Crohn's Disease

Emphysema (COPD)

Endometriosis

Fibromyalgia

HIV/AIDS

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)

Multiple Sclerosis (MS)

Parkinson's Disease

Pemphigoid

Primary Lateral Sclerosis (PLS)

Psoriasis

Rheumatoid Arthritis

Sarcoidosis

Scleroderma

Stiff Person Syndrome (SPS)

Systemic Lupus (SLE)

Transverse Myelitis

Ulcerative Colitis

Wegener's Granulomatosis

>

LDN has demonstrated efficacy in thousands of cases.

Cancer. As of mid-2004, Dr.

Bihari reported having treated over 300 patients who had a cancer that had failed

to respond to standard treatments. Of that group, some 50%, after four to six

months treatment with LDN, began to demonstrate a halt in cancer growth and, of

those, over one-third have shown objective signs of tumor shrinkage.

Autoimmune diseases. Within

the group of patients who presented with an autoimmune disease (see above

list), none have failed to respond to LDN; all have experienced a halt in

progression of their illness. In many patients there was a marked remission in

signs and symptoms of the disease. The greatest number of patients within the

autoimmune group are people with multiple sclerosis, of whom there were some

400 in Dr. Bihari's practice. Less than 1% of these patients has ever

experienced a fresh attack of MS while they maintained their regular LDN

nightly therapy.

HIV/AIDS. As of September

2003, Dr. Bihari had been treating 350 AIDS patients using LDN in conjunction

with accepted AIDS therapies. Over the prior 7 years over 85% of these patients

showed no detectable levels of the HIV virus — a much higher success rate

than most current AIDS treatments, and with no significant side effects. It is

also worth noting that many HIV/AIDS patients have been living symptom-free for

years taking only LDN with no other medications.

Central Nervous System disorders. Anecdotal

reports continue to be received concerning beneficial effects of LDN on the

course of Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, amyotrophic

lateral sclerosis (ALS—Lou Gehrig’s disease), and primary lateral

sclerosis. Dr.

Jaquelyn McCandless has found a very positive effect of LDN, in

appropriately reduced dosage and applied as a transdermal cream, in children

with autism.

>

How is it possible that one medication can impact such a wide range of

disorders?

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.

Research

by others — on neuropeptide receptors expressed by various human tumors

— has found opioid receptors in many types of cancer:

Brain tumors (both astrocytoma and glioblastoma)

Breast cancer

Endometrial cancer

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

Myeloid leukemia

Lung cancer (both small cell and non-small cell)

Neuroblastoma and others...

These

findings suggest the possibility for a beneficial LDN effect in a wide variety

of common cancers.

How can I obtain LDN and what will it cost?

>

LDN can be prescribed by your doctor, and should be prepared by a reliable

compounding pharmacy.

Naltrexone

is a prescription drug, so your physician would have to give you a prescription

after deciding that LDN appears appropriate for you.

Naltrexone

in the large 50mg size, originally manufactured by DuPont under the brand name

ReVia, is now sold by Mallinckrodt as Depade and by Barr Laboratories under the

generic name naltrexone.

LDN

prescriptions are now being filled by hundreds of local pharmacies, as well as

by some mail-order pharmacies, around the US. Some pharmacists have been

grinding up the 50mg tablets of naltrexone to prepare the 4.5mg capsules of

LDN; others use naltrexone, purchased as a pure powder, from a primary manufacturer.

One of

the first pharmacies to do so was Irmat Pharmacy in Manhattan. Their recent price for a

one-month's supply of 4.5mg LDN (30 capsules) was $38. Irmat does monthly

quality control testing on its LDN, accepts prescriptions from any licensed

physician, checks for insurance coverage, and includes shipment anywhere in the

US

or to other countries. In contrast, Gideon’s Drugs charges $15 for a one

month’s supply of 4.5mg LDN but it does not accept insurance and it will

charge for shipment.

> Pharmacies that are known to be reliable

compounders of LDN:

Pharmacy

Phone

Fax

Irmat Pharmacy, New York, NY

(212)

685-0500

(800) 975-2809

(212)

532-6596

Gideon's

Drugs, New York, NY

(212)

575-6868

(212)

575-6334

The

Compounder Pharmacy, Aurora,

IL

(630)

859-0333

(800) 679-4667

(630)

859-0114

The

Medicine Shoppe, Canandaigua,

NY

(585)

396-9970

(800) 396-9970

(585)

396-7264

Skip's

Pharmacy, Boca Raton, FL

(561)

218-0111

(800) 553-7429

(561)

218-8873

's

Pharmacy, Toronto, Canada

(416)

488-2600

(800) 361-6624

(416)

484-8855

Dickson

Chemist, Glasgow, Scotland

+44-141-647-8032

+44-800-027-0673

+44-141-647-8032

IMPORTANT:

Make sure to specify that you do NOT want LDN in a slow-release form.

Reports

have been received from patients that their pharmacies have been supplying a slow-release form of naltrexone.

Pharmacies should be instructed NOT to provide LDN in an " SR " or

slow-release or timed-release form. Unless the low dose of naltrexone is in an

unaltered form, which permits it to reach a prompt " spike " in the

blood stream, its therapeutic effects may be inhibited.

Fillers. Capsules of LDN

necessarily contain a substantial percentage of neutral inactive filler.

Experiments by the compounding pharmacist, Dr. Skip Lenz, have demonstrated

that the use of calcium carbonate as a filler will interfere with absorption of

the LDN capsule. Therefore, it is suggested that calcium carbonate filler not

be employed in compounding LDN capsules. He recommends either Avicel, lactose

(if lactose intolerance is not a problem), or sucrose fillers as useful

fast-release fillers.

>

IMPORTANT: Make sure to fill your Rx at a compounding pharmacy that has a

reputation for consistent reliability in the quality of the LDN it delivers.

The FDA

has found a significant error rate in compounded prescriptions produced at

randomly selected pharmacies. Dr. Bihari has reported seeing adverse effects

from this problem. Please see our report, Reliability Problem With

Compounding Pharmacies. Please see the above list of recommended pharmacies

for some suggested sources.

What dosage and frequency should my physician

prescribe?

The usual

adult dosage is 4.5mg taken once daily at night. Because of the rhythms of the

body's production of master hormones, LDN is best taken between 9pm and 3am.

Most patients take it at bedtime.

Notable

exceptions:

People who have multiple sclerosis that has led

to muscle spasms are advised to use only 3mg daily and to maintain that

dosage.

For intial dosage of LDN in those patients who

have Hashimoto’s thyroiditis with hypothyroidism and who are taking

thyroid hormone replacement medication, please read Cautionary

Warnings, below.

Rarely,

the naltrexone may need to be purchased as a solution — in distilled

water — with 1mg per ml dispensed with a 5ml medicine dropper. If LDN is

used in a liquid form, it is important to keep it refrigerated.

The

therapeutic dosage range for LDN is from 1.75mg to 4.5mg every night. Dosages

below this range are likely to have no effect at all, and dosages above this

range are likely to block endorphins for too long a period of time and

interfere with its effectiveness.

>

IMPORTANT: Make sure to specify that you do NOT want LDN in a slow-release form

(see above).

Are there any side effects or cautionary warnings?

>

Side effects:

LDN has

virtually no side effects. Occasionally, during the first week's use of LDN,

patients may complain of some difficulty sleeping. This rarely persists after

the first week. Should it do so, dosage can be reduced from 4.5mg to 3mg

nightly.

> Cautionary warnings:

Because LDN blocks opioid receptors throughout

the body for three or four hours, people using medicine that is an opioid

agonist, i.e. narcotic medication — such as Ultram (tramadol),

morphine, Percocet, Duragesic patch or codeine-containing medication

— should not take LDN until such medicine is completely out of one's

system. Patients who have become dependant on daily use of

narcotic-containing pain medication may require 10 days to 2 weeks of

slowly weaning off of such drugs entirely (while first substituting full

doses of non-narcotic pain medications) before being able to begin LDN

safely.

Those patients who are taking thyroid hormone

replacement for a diagnosis of Hashimoto’s thyroiditis with hypothyroidism ought to begin LDN at

the lowest range (1.5mg for an adult). Be aware that LDN may lead to a

prompt decrease in the autoimmune disorder, which then may require a rapid

reduction in the dose of thyroid hormone replacement in order to avoid

symptoms of hyperthyroidism.

Full-dose naltrexone (50mg) carries a cautionary

warning against its use in those with liver disease. This warning was

placed because of adverse liver effects that were found in experiments

involving 300mg daily. The 50mg dose does not apparently produce

impairment of liver function nor, of course, do the much smaller 3mg and

4.5mg doses.

People who have received organ transplants and

who therefore are taking immunosuppressive medication on a permanent basis

are cautioned against the use of LDN because it may act to counter the

effect of those medications.

When will the low-dose use of naltrexone become FDA

approved?

>

Although naltrexone itself is an FDA-approved drug, the varied uses of LDN

still await application to the FDA after related scientific clinical trials.

The FDA

approved naltrexone at the 50mg dosage in 1984. LDN (in the 3mg or 4.5mg

dosage) has not yet been submitted for approval because the prospective

clinical trials that are required for FDA approval need to be funded at the

cost of many millions of dollars.

The

successful results of the first US

medical center research on LDN, an open-label trial that tested the use of LDN

in Crohn’s disease (details here), was presented

in May 2006 by Professor Jill of the Pennsylvania State University

College of Medicine. The National Institutes of Health has granted $500,000 for

Dr. 's group to continue the study as a larger placebo-controlled

scientific trial of LDN in Crohn's disease.

All

physicians understand that appropriate off-label use of an already FDA-approved

medication such as naltrexone is perfectly ethical and legal. Because

naltrexone itself has already passed animal toxicity studies, one could expect

that once testing is able to begin, LDN could complete its clinical trials in

humans and receive FDA approval for one or more uses within two to four years.

What You Can Do

>

Talk to your doctor.

If you

are suffering from HIV/AIDS, cancer, or an autoimmune disease, LDN could help.

In AIDS and cancer therapy, LDN is often used in conjunction with other

medications.

Cancer. Anyone with cancer or a

pre-cancerous condition should consider LDN. Many use LDN as a preventive

treatment. Post-treatment, others have been using LDN to prevent a recurrence

of their cancer. LDN has been shown in many cases to work with virtually

incurable cancers such as neuroblastoma, multiple myeloma, and pancreatic

cancer.

HIV/AIDS. As an AIDS drug, LDN

leads to far fewer side effects than the standard " AIDS cocktail. "

When used in conjunction with HAART therapies, LDN can boost T-cell

populations, prevent disfiguring lipodystrophy, and lower rates of treatment

failure.

Do not be

afraid to approach your doctors — physicians today are increasingly open

to learning about new therapies in development. Tell your doctors about this

website, or print out and hand them the information, and let them weigh the

evidence.

>

Tell others.

If someone

you know has HIV/AIDS, cancer, an autoimmune disease, or one of the

aforementioned central nervous system disorders, LDN could save them from a

great deal of suffering. If they use e-mail, send them the address of this

website (www.low dose naltrexone.org). Or, print out the site and mail them the

information.

>

Help spread the word to the media, the medical community, and to developing

countries.

Low-dose

naltrexone has the potential to reduce the terrible human loss now taking place

throughout the globe. It is a drug that could prevent millions of children from

becoming AIDS orphans. It is a drug that could be a powerful ally in the war

against cancer.

If you or

someone you know has connections in the media, the medical community, or to

those in developing countries involved in AIDS policy or treatment, please let

them know about LDN.

About This Website

>

This is a not-for-profit website.

This

website is sponsored by Advocates For

Therapeutic Immunology. The purpose of this website is to provide

information to patients and physicians about important therapeutic

breakthroughs in advanced medical immunology. The authors of this site do not

profit from the sale of low-dose naltrexone or from website traffic, and are in

no way associated with any pharmaceutical manufacturer or pharmacy.

>

Consult your doctor.

This

website is not intended as a substitute for professional medical help or

advice. A physician should always be consulted for any medical condition.

>

Contact us.

For

information on how to contact us with questions or comments, click here.

Please

note that no response can be given to individual questions concerning medical

symptoms or treatment.

Additional Information

Bernard Bihari, MD,

is the discoverer of the major clinical effects of low dose naltrexone. A

private practitioner in Manhattan,

he retired in March 2007. Dr. Bihari is a Board-certified specialist in

Psychiatry and Neurology. Dr. Bihari's curriculum vitae.

Gluck, MD,

is the editor of this website, ldninfo.org.

He is a Board-certified specialist in both Internal Medicine and

Preventive Medicine. Dr. Gluck has served as medical director for JCPenney

and MetLife, and is now semi-retired, living and working in New York City.

Ian S. Zagon, PhD,

has spent over two decades in doing basic research concerning endorphins.

He is Professor of Neural and Behavioral Sciences, Pennsylvania State

University, Dept. of Neural and Behavioral Sciences, H-109, Hershey

Medical Center, Hershey, PA 17033; office phone: (717) 531-6409;

email: isz1@...; website.

Footnotes

Roy S, Loh HH. Effects of opioids on the immune system.

Neurochem Res 1996;21:1375-1386

Risdahl JM, Khanna

KV, PK,

Molitor TW. Opiates and infection.

J Neuroimmunol 1998;83:4-18

Makman MH. Morphine receptors in immunocytes and neurons.

Adv Neuroimmunol 1994;4:69-82

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On

this page you can find answers to these questions:

What

is low-dose naltrexone and why is it important?

How does LDN

work?

What

diseases has it been useful for and how effective is it?

How can I

obtain LDN and what will it cost?

What

dosage and frequency should my physician prescribe? updated

Are

there any side effects or cautionary warnings? updated

When

will the low-dose use of naltrexone become FDA approved?

What can I do to

spread the word about LDN?

Who sponsored

this website?

>

You can go to more detailed information on these linked pages:

The Latest

News Concerning LDN updated

Clinical Trials for

LDN

LDN Events:

The Fourth Annual LDN Conference: Info &

Registration NEW

Third Annual LDN

Conference (2007): Report & Multimedia

Second Annual LDN

Conference (2006): Report & Multimedia

First Annual LDN

Conference (2005): Report & Multimedia

The

Developing Nations Project

LDN in the

Treatment of Autoimmune Disease

LDN in the

Treatment of Cancer

LDN in the

Treatment of HIV/AIDS

In-depth historical reports on LDN for HIV/AIDS:

" Low Dose

Naltrexone in the Treatment of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome, "

a paper presented in 1988 to the International AIDS Conference in Stockholm, Sweden, describing in detail

the 1986 LDN HIV/AIDS clinical study.

" Low Dose

Naltrexone in the Treatment of HIV Infection, " an informal

description of the results in Dr. Bernard Bihari's private practice

through September, 1996.

LDN in the

Treatment of Multiple Sclerosis

What Others Are Saying

About LDN

What Others Are

Saying (Archive)

LDN Research

Funding

Further

Questions and Answers about LDN

Reliability Problem

With Compounding Pharmacies

Curriculum Vitae

for Bernard Bihari, M.D.

Excerpts from Patient Interviews:

LDN and

HIV

The

Developing Nations Project

SeaLady