Dr Lawerence vs. Dr Bahari

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I was directed by someone from this group to a website: MS Resource

Center hosted in the UK (link is http://www.msrc.co.uk/index.cfm?

fuseaction=show & pageid=625)

On this website I found information from Dr. Lawerence that seems

somewhat contradictory to what I had read on the LDN website. I sent

an email to Dr. Lawerence asking him about taking LDN with steroids

and after being on codeine painkillers for quite sometime. I found

his response distressing but felt it worthy for others to read. It

may help explain why some people do not get a positive result from

the LDN.

My email to him was as follows:

Dr. Lawrence:

My sister-in-law just started on a 3 mg dose of LDN. I have read

your information on the MS Resource Center and you are the only

person to suggest that LDN cannot be taken with steroids. My sister

in law has been on prednisone for the last six months. She is in the

process of weaning off this drug. She is down to 25 mg a day (has

been taking 40 mg' s a day for the past 2 months and larger doese

prior to that time. Her neuro told her to reduce the dose by 5 mg

every week. She was also on a codeine painkiller for months. She

stopped taking this " cold turkey " two days before begin the LDN.

Should she stop the LD treatment until she is off the steroids and

has gotten the codeine out of her system? She is experiencing

increased pain and diarrhea.

The doctor who prescribed the LDN did not think any of this was an

issue.

Thanks for your response.

Here is Dr. Lawrence's response:

Of those in whom I have tried to introduce LDN while still on

steroids the introductory period has been prolonged and traumatic. I

now consider that because steroids suppress both the immune system

and the adrenal gland (important in coping with the stress-associated

increase in MS symptoms) it is essential that the steroids be

discontinued at least two weeks before LDN is started.

Because LDN and steroids work in completely opposite directions there

is little point in taking both at the same time.

It is like trying to boil a kettle of water while adding ice-cubes to

the water. You will achieve nothing!!

Regarding your sister I fail to understand the lunacy of putting

someone with a chronic disease on such a massive dose of steroids.

The LDN is simply being wasted in opposition to such a dose. She

must abandon the LDN until the steroids are completely stopped.

I must suggest however that, after long-term therapy with such high

doses of steroids she will likely suffer an MS relapse when she tries

to stop them. I have seen others, on much lower doses, who were

simply unable to stop taking them, with the inevitable onset of

increasing symptoms when the dose was reduced.

Your sister is experiencing increased pain and diarrhoea as

withdrawal symptoms from the opiates. I had one similar patient who

was on Tramadol (a synthetic opiate) who found it impossible to stop

the drug due to similar withdrawal symptoms. Because of this obvious

addiction she was completely unable to adopt the LDN.

I regret that this method of treatment has created a burden that your

sister may not be able to bear.

I am very sorry that I am unable to offer a more optimistic view.

With kind regards,

Bob Lawrence

Has anybody out there been on massive doses of steroids and started

the LDN while the steroids were still in their system? I hate to

have her abandon the LDN as Dr. lawrence suggests, but he is right,

every time she has tried to wean off the steroids in the past, she

has an such an increase in symptoms that she has to increase the dose

to get thru the day. Larry sent me some info from the LDN website

that shows Dr. Bahari treated someone with both LDN and steroids, but

it was for a skin condition not MS. I need suggestions please! I

also wonder if 's attempt at LDN failed becuase of her steroid

use. I saw a post from Sally that suggested had been on

steroids.

Debbie