Proof that LDN works for Many

Here are some of the link/excerpts that really convinced me that LDN works.  My own experience was important, but I needed a nudge and some understanding of how it works.  I think that Pennsylvania State, the University of China, Stanford, and the United States Patent Office are pretty good sources.  

Dr. Ian Zagon, Penn State,  has worked with it for many years.  Look at his profile page and all the reports/publications on LDN and related mechanisms.

https://profiles.psu.edu/profiles/display/113208

Here is a new study out of the University of China explaining how LDN will work as an immune modulator and anti-cancer treatment.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24455776

Here is another PUBMED article on the anti-inflammatory use and impact on pain.  Great chart on how many benefited.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=parkitney+mcLain

Great YouTube video by Stanford Pain Clinic where they talk about how wonderful LDN is near the end.  Ignore the ad by the pharmaceutical company at the beginning.  They do want to sell you something.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jtc2JARVpPw

Go to the Facebook pages for LDN, especially GOT ENDORPHINS?  Patients will help you and testify to the efficacy.

More PUBMED support for immune modulation and brain chemistry support.  We all need this.

For disease prevention and quality of life.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=19041189

If you really want to dig, check out the United States Patents -- 49 hits for "naltrexone and brain and 2014".  You have to read each invention/patent to understand the role of naltrexone.   It's a bit of work.  

http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?

Sect1=PTO2&Sect2=HITOFF&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsearch-adv.htm&r=0&f=S&l=50&d=PTXT&RS=naltrexone+AND+brain&Refine=Refine+Search&Query=naltrexone+AND+brain+and+2014

Hormone Replacement Therapy

Excerpts from PUBMED search in December 2014 from past two years

* lower chance of breast cancer
* estrogen effective in depression in perimenopausal
* higher antioxidant capacity
* improved salivary flow
* positive impact on skeletal muscle
* correlates with lower expression of cancer related genes
* androgens support cognition
* early estrogen HRT may support cognition
* fewer missing teeth
* protects against gastric cancer
* possibly reduces alzheimers
* prevent age related muscle mass loss with training
* may protect against cataracts
* reduction in heart disease
* may reduce lung cancer risk
* decreases mortality if started soon after menopause
* animal experiments show progesterone helps repair brain damage
* significantly reduces peripheral artery disease risk
* minimizes symptoms in rheumatic autoimmune disease
* significantly reduces diabetes risk/occurance
* increases bone density
* transdermal has least risk
* does not work well once the patient is diabetic
* estrogen protects against stroke
* herb supplements may inactivate the HRT
* starting HRT late in life is harmful
* testosterone side effects are minimized by lowering the dose
* Vitamin D controls the conversions of hormones
* testosterone is antiinflammatory
* testosterone induces better sleep
* testosterone reduces the stress response
* testosterone increases circulating red blood cells
* testosterone improves cholesterol
* testosterone minimizes symptoms for some autoimmune disease

BIOIDENTICAL HRT -- What's Not to Like?

I was able to find one reference in Endocrinology recommending against testosterone supplementation for women, except for hyposexual function, because of lack of data supporting it.  Well, you won't get the data unless someone does the studies.  I choose not to wait for Endocrinologists to be sure of the efficacy.  In my experience, Endocrinologists are so slow to change practices.

10 Mistakes in 10 years!

Skip These Problems and Heal Faster!

1.  KNOW YOUR HORMONES AND TEST THEM TOGETHER FREQUENTLY!

The thyroid, Vitamin D, LDN hormones, and sex hormones impact each other.  If you are hypothyroid, your sex hormones will be off.  Try to get the thyroid working first -- mine worked best with LDN.    Progesterone helps with thyroid -- too much estrogen hurts thyroid function.  Be careful with that Estradial.

Regular Tests:
Don't take any of the hormones the day of your bloodwork and test in the morning.  This will give you your lowest levels in 24 hrs.

TSH - but BEWARE that this is not the best indicator if you have inflammation, also not reliable if you are doing Bio-HRT
Free T4
Free T3
Vitamin D -  affects conversion of hormones
Estradial
Free Testosterone
Progesterone

2.  DON'T WAIT TO GET THE LDN!

LDN raises all hormones and starts to get you on track in the first two weeks!  My Functional Med LDN doctor doesn't take insurance, but I figure I would pay more in life costs/illness if I didn't get this done.  No regular doctor told me to reduce INFLAMMATION!  You do need to address this since that is where a lot of symptoms come from.
Use a tele-doctor if you can't find someone close by.  Join the Facebook page "GOT ENDORPHINS?" to seek out other autoimmune patients and their experiences.  Do it now!  You have a community that shares your goals, go meet them.

-- If I had it to do over again, I would get the LDN, Progesterone, and Testosterone first while moving my thyroid/estradial/pregnenalone to appropriate spots.  The liver is likely to clear any excess hormones.  I have never tested too high.

-- LDN through SKIPS is only $17/month

3.  DON'T EASE INTO THE AUTOIMMUNE PROTOCOL DIET!

It is easier to make the change slowly, but you are damaging your body all the while.  Food is NOT LOVE.  Food is NOT Social!  Well, you have to believe these things to make the change anyway.  Why not change on day one?  You are worth it!  Really you can't be an effective mother, friend, wife, girlfriend, daughter if your body is under attack.

-- Motivators--

++++ Do the 23 and me genetic test to see what disease MIGHT be turned on.  Post a picture of the end-state of your likely diseases where you see it everyday.  ($100)  Rheumatoid arthritis is my most likely Autoimmune Disease.

+++ Test yourself for celiac to motivate off of gluten -- this is where most damage happens.

++++ Reward yourself with love and hugs and smiles.  Be bold in how you love yourself. (free

++++ Help others everyday on Facebook.  Everyone needs a nudge to stay straight.  This adds to your knowledge and gives you a sense of community.

++++ Listen to podcasts while you cook and shop.  Humor, or any topic you want to pursue!  I listen to "The Paleo View", "Mental Illness Happy Hour", "The Paleo Solution", "Chris Kresser, Revolution Health Radio", "The Controversial Truth", "Abel James", "Bulletproof Radio", "Alan Christianson", "AutoImmune Adventures", and any other special interest topic!  You can search by topic and sample from many podcasters on a given topic.  I recently searched "neurofeedback" to learn more about that.  (free)

++++ Avoid even looking at sweets or packaged food.  If it is not in the house, you won't use it. (free)

++++ Explain to your hubby and kids why this is important.  Get everyone on board as much as possible.  Your health is their health. (free)

++++ Drop habits that get in the way of health.  Make a list.  Make it visible. (free)

++++ Buy and study, The Paleo Approach book.  ($25)  

++++ Join a support group at church and get the support you need to make the changes.

++++ visit PUBMED and learn about research that affects autoimmune.  The abstracts are a little technical, but the last few lines of the conclusions usually state whether something was EFFECTIVE.

++++ visit ClinicalTrials.gov and learn about what researchers are looking into for autoimmune.  I wrote a summary of this in 2014 just to see what researchers suspect.
++ Save your money on all that crazy food testing.  If you have autoimmune, you need the restricted autoimmune diet. Taking a few foods out at a time does not work well as there is always something irritating the system.

4.  GET OFF MEDS THAT SUPPRESS HORMONES

Each manufacturer has a list of side effects on its website.  You have to dig deep, but you might find out that your pain med is suppressing a key hormone and you will never get well on it.  Infinite Loop!  Who needs that?  The opposite might also be true -- a medicine is supporting hormones -- so when you stop it, you get sicker.

5.  FIRE DOCTORS THAT DON'T LISTEN TO YOUR SYMPTOMS

This is key.  Many of us have tried to use endocrinologists for our thyroid.  In my case, I was hypopituitary and hypothyroid, but since that is rare, she was treating me for HYPER thyroid.  Insanity.  The endocrine doc reduced my thyroid med by 40%!  The lower T4 supplement level CAN CAUSE CANCER!  Even my functional med doctor was afraid to go against the endocrinologist for many months.  NO ONE WAS helping for nearly a year!  I was finally able to convince the functional medicine doctor to use my lab results and symptoms.  I now feel PHENOMENAL!  I didn't think that was possible.

Get a friend to go with you and help sort out all the symptoms.  Don't stop pushing for health.  

6.  KEEP YOUR OWN RECORDS!

Use the MyChart function and copy out your historical results (use screen capture command ctrl 4) into a Word Document.  Add your symptoms monthly to the Word Document.  Use the notes function on your phone during the month to keep track of symptoms or dose changes when it occurs to you.   Monitor daily!   Email the note to yourself right before going to the doctor.  Put the note into the Word Document.  Print the Word Document and stick it in a notebook.   Then bring an entire notebook to your doctor appt.  Don't use a doctor that doesn't listen to the whole story!

-- Keep track of all medicine/supplement start and stop dates!  The doctor doesn't.

-- Keep track of all medicine interactions.  The doctor doesn't.

-- Keep track of all symptoms.  The doctor doesn't.
-- Research new treatments.  Bring the PUBMED results to the doctor.  Keep asking questions

Yes, the world needs an app for this!

The Bodylogic MD doctor DID have software to support this records process, but he didn't use it for every visit.  He did it before the first visit.  Bodylogic MD did NOT support the use of LDN.  He said it could be done naturally.  I disagree.  He also said that MOST people cannot change diet and so need the regular support and monitoring he provided.  Since I could change diet, and was looking to entirely optimize my health, I use the tools I have.  I am saving about $1200 in Bodylogic MD visits yearly.

Doctor's should be monitoring all symptoms, but instead we manage our own health and records.  Spend the time, no one else will.

7.  GET A SECOND OPINION!

Don't be afraid to go to multiple doctors to confirm important things like your dosing.   I used OBGYN on insurance then went to both a Functional Med doctor and BodyLogic MD doctor outside of insurance to confirm my hormone supplements and get more advice on diet.

The last thing the Endocrinologist said to me was "I don't know why I can't stabilize your thyroid dose.  Some people are just difficult to balance."  Why didn't she say that at the beginning of our year-long, super-frustrating relationship!?  She couldn't do it.

The Functional Med doc made the mistake of letting the endocrinologist decide my thyroid dose while I was seeing them both -- I finally convinced her to take it on.  She advised well on diet and has been able to fine tune my thyroid with my input.

The BodyLogic doctor had a problem with his lab tests and recommended DHEA which sent me hyperthyroid for a week.  He admitted that the company was trying to do lab work that they use to outsource.  The values were not accurate.  However, he confirmed the OBGYN doses for my other hormones exactly, and then did a great job outlining all the factors that impact thyroid.  Good record keeping too.  If I wasn't very organized I would have had to use him more.  As it was, two visits was all I needed from Bodylogic MD and three visits yearly to the Functional Med doctor.

8.  STUDY the GENOVA DIAGNOSTICS HORMONE DIAGRAM

http://www.naturalworldhealing.com/functional_medicine.htm

You get the feeling that meds and herbs and excess body weight and exercise and foods and other hormones will all affect the pathways between hormones!  You want to avoid all the hormone disrupters!  You want to feed your system the hormones you can't make.  For me, there are so many.  I needed support on the top of the tree all the way down to the bottom.  It may be that I have a metabolic disorder and/or so much autoimmune damage that can't be fixed by avoiding allergenic foods or exercise alone.  Okay, so that's the way it is.

9.  DON'T LET COSTS STOP YOU

Yes, the doctors that are outside insurance are setting you up to NEED THEM.  The goal is to keep costs low and avoid under supporting hormones.

** Avoid the specially compounded hormones.  My NDT thyroid hormone is only a $10 monthly cop pay- WP thyroid.  My topical sex hormones are also mostly covered and usually inexpensive.  I use topical sex hormones so that I can increase/decrease dose if needed.
** Don't use compounded sex hormones.  Don't use pellets.  Don't use oral -- some say this causes additional food intolerances.  It's a lot cheaper with topical paraben-free creams and gels.
** Testosterone may not be covered by insurance for women -- try to get generic and try to get your doctor to give you enough in a script for a year or two.
** Work with your pharmacists to price out each hormone supplement.  My LDN is the only compounded script.  It is from SKIPS pharmacy in Boca Raton, FL.  It costs $17/month.
**  I estimate that I spend about $37/ monthly across all my hormones.
**  I spend $20/ monthly on the ADD and low dose Risperdal.

10.  USE A PSYCHIATRIST IF YOU NEED TO

You are not crazy.  Every disease has an impact on mood.  Added stress of untreated mood and attention will send your disease into a tailspin.  If your disease is permanent, you might need a lot of help here.

Psychiatrists are really guessing at what you need.  You may need lower doses than what they typically prescribe.  Take your whole symptom list to the psychiatrist, not just the mental issues.  The psychiatrist was the first one to tell me I was HYPO-pituitary.  The Endocrinologist did not catch it even when I told her that is what I thought.  That was another data point for supplementing hormones.

Another hormone, prolactin, may be critically low and increasing anxiety and interrupting sleep.  My level was affected by the food reactions I was having. I had to supplement this with a psych med Risperidone until the LDN kicked in and resolved that low hormone.

Another problem may be ADD -- mine is caused by inflammation.  I figured this out when I took Prednisone for poison ivy and my ADD went away.  LDN and Testosterone helped with attention, but if you need a stimulant, get one.  It will suppress the wild hunger hormones and make managing your new diet possible.  Your internal med doc may give you these meds at a very low dose, so try that first.  Psychiatrists are hard to get into and might be a larger co-pay/co-insurance.  

I did not really need a psychiatrist until I got an intestinal infection on top of autoimmune.  Hormones and LDN were handling my issues.  Then my world went haywire!

11.  I LIED, there were many more mistakes!

Share all your information with all your doctors.  Even if they don't agree with your treatment.

Use doctors that have done this before.  Try to get your husband involved if possible.  Most men have difficulty understanding how debilitating autoimmune can be.  Don't give up on them if they don't understand.  They may never understand, but they will see a difference when it is all "managed".

Don't rely entirely on FAITH.  God wants you to succeed and live out your life in Peace.  Does it make sense to just pray about the illness and not act?    

You will really miss your old self if you don't make changes.  You have the power to return to health and be happy for those last 50 years of life.  Keep at the process and you will stabilize.  You may not be able to get off the hormone supplements, but you will be able to think and work again.  That is worth it.

Love the people like Sarah Ballantyne, the Paleo MOM.  She has turned down the volume on autoimmune,  and she gives away most of her knowledge for free.  She has a great book, but she really wants you to be better.  She is your new best friend -- both giving and supportive.  She gets autoimmune entirely.

You Are What You Eat!

Food is medicine.  In fact a relatively new class of pharmaceuticals is called "Biologics".  There is money to be made by copying nature.  These Biologics are complex molecules, not simple single molecule drugs.

Definitions:  Biologics are medicines that generally come from living organisms, which can include humans, animals and microorganisms such as yeast and bacteria.

"So What Does My Food Plan Look Like?"

So, what am I doing?  Mostly following the PaleoMom's Autoimmune Protocol with an emphasis on nutrient density.   I make every bite count.  I am eating to live & recover and redefining what tastes good.

Goals for my diet:

1.  Low Carbohydrate:  50-300 grams per day

2.  Daily Saturated Fat, Coconut Oil and Olive Oil -- no other oils

3.  Improved Omega 6: Omega 3 Fat Ratio

4.  Greens Are Magical -- Very high Antioxidant level 

5.  Spend More $ To Achieve Goals

6.  Supplement to Strengthen the Methylation Cycle and as a result Epigenetics

7.  Slow Cook to Reduce Oxidation

8.  Simplify to Reduce Time in the Kitchen and Enjoy Time in the Kitchen

9.  Low Toxins -- Use Organic

10.  Keep number of ingredients to a minimum-- single ingredient cooking

Breakfast

I use No Nitrate/Uncured Bacon and try to make it fresh everyday so that the fat melts in my mouth.

Yum!  I also use liver -- I like the nutrient density and mix it with non-seed spices like cinnamon and coconut milk, apples and onions to create a flavorful pate.  I eat berries or a small green smoothie (various greens/lemon juice/coconut oil)  full of antioxidents.

I get up early so that I enjoy my kitchen-time!  I often listen to podcasts -- it is like listening to a friend -- to pass the time learning something new and thinking non-cooking thoughts! ;-)

Lunch

Green Soup at the Center:  Lunch can look a lot like breakfast with a meat, 10 veggie soup with cold olive oil, and water with lemon.  For any meal I may use Now Super Enzymes to help break down the food.

Ten Veggies!  My soup includes Kale (green and or purple), radishes, daikon, carrots, beet, spinach, red leaf lettuce, mixed greens, raddichio, broccoli or brussel sprouts.  I use a Vitamix with soup function and mix up a batch for the week.  I reheat in the microwave.  The heating reduces the phytates that we are all trying to avoid; it also increases methyl-folate level.  I add the olive oil cold after I reheat it.  That gives me some powerful Omega 9 and helps with absorption of fat soluble vitamins.  I also add sea salt and sometimes garlic powder, turmeric or ginger.

This is not gourmet food, this is survival food.  One of my sons looked at my soup and said, "Mom's going to outlive all of us."  :-)  This could be true.  Thomas O'Bryan, of ACAM, reported that celiacs who adjust their diet outlive the average person without autoimmune disease.  

Dinner

Main Course:  Rotate!   Our dinner is like musical chairs, each night I change the menu.

Lamb, Wild Caught Salmon, Grass Fed Hamburgers, Pork, Shellfish, Fish, Shrimp, Chicken.

Green Veggie:  Broccoli, Brussel Sprouts, Green Beans, Salad.

Rice:  White Basmati or Jasmine.  This is for everyone but me.  I don't eat grains.

Snacks:  These vary, but overall are limited to a few good things.

1.  Bone broth:  full of minerals and some easy to digest proteins

2.  Jerkey:  often grass fed

3.  Fruit:  usually banana, berry, apple, avocado (fat again), pear

Dessert is Rare!  Honey sometimes.  Figs and Dates.  Larabars aren't too bad.  ;-)

Eating Out?

Well this is difficult.  Food service is made for profit and their profit is not my goal.  

I usually order salmon grilled in Olive Oil and steamed broccoli.  Sometimes I get a burger with no bun.  At Chipotle I buy Carnitas with Guacamole and Lettuce.  It's all simple.  Sometimes I have to eat before I go out just in case there is no way to create a meal.  I just order water and lemon in those cases.

I could mope about not eating what everyone else eats, but overall I am just happy not to be cooking.   :-)  We recently went on an all inclusive vacation where the hotel put together a letter with a list of my "allergens".  The chef at each restaurant was happy to accommodate me!  The chef came to the table to see how I liked the food.  It was such a welcome change from eating in an American Chain Restaurant and hoping to get something fairly safe.

It's a diet I can LIVE with and THRIVE ON!

I should add that I went "Gluten Free" first, four years ago, and saw tremendous results in terms of energy level and lower autoantibodies.  The next stage was the "Virgin Diet" which took out eight other common allergens.  Yet another stage was "Paleo" which took out all grains, dairy, and legumes.  

Finally I found "PaleoMom's Autoimmune Protocol" which took out even more reactive foods.    

"Someone Agrees With Me?"

Some Confirmation From Virginia Ladd AARDA, Jack Kruse, Mark Sisson and Friends

I listen to the health and paleo podcasts whenever I get a chance, and this week I received some confirmation on my approach to recovery!  This is rare.  Post-menopausal women are not the center of attention in the health or performance worlds.  (Sad but True.)

I was listening to an interview with Jack Kruse of www.jackkruse.com on the Bulletproof Executive podcast.  Jack is a neuroscientist with strong opinions on health.  On this particular podcast Jack mentioned that all of his female relatives had to go near ketogenic (fat-burning) and use Bioidentical HRT as part of their postmenopausal regime.

Upon hearing this, I skimmed Jack's website.  There is no particular mention of menopause in the index.  And yet here is a piece of significant information for half the world's population!  Why is this information buried?  How frustrating for all of us!

Luckily, I also listened to "Autoimmune Adventures" podcast with guest Virginia Ladd from AARDA.  She also mentioned Bioidenticals as an upcoming treatment!  http://aiadventures.com/bringing-attention-autoimmunity-virginia-ladd-aarda-episode-13-show-notes/
You can find out more about the American Autoimmune Related Disease Association and Virginia here.  http://www.aarda.org/about-aarda/meet-our-board/

Chris Kresser, author of The Personal Paleo Code, also recommends LDN in several podcasts concerning Hashimotos and autoimmune.  His wife has Hashimotos/Graves and he says, "Sometimes a drug is the best solution."  This is unusual for him and he is often warning against pharmaceutical interventions and for diet interventions.

Mark Sisson (Mark's Daily Apple) also mentioned in an interview that his wife, age 58, has been doing bioidentical HRT since menopause.  He recommends it for women, but is more cautious for men.  That makes sense since women lose a boatload of hormones all at once!

Dave Asprey, of the Bulletproof Executive, also recommends an AIP-like in his "Bulletproof Diet".  He also links the MTHFR defects (I have these) to challenges with traditional and alternative medicines.  Extreme measures are important for maintaining health with these gene defects.

Testosterone has immunomodulating properties and anti-inflammatory effect.   This is similar to the LDN benefits.  Perhaps testosterone should be supported in the same way that estrogen and progesterone are.  http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15240608

Other evidence shows that low T4 results in a negative impact on the level of sex hormones.  So, as my thyroid hormones were mismanaged or unattended, my sex hormones were negatively impacted!  These hormones are all related and should be tested together.

In all of these cases, you have diet and exercise aficionado's admitting that women's hormones need support.  Diet is just not enough.  Exercise is just not enough.  Diet and Exercise is just not enough.

Once again, the formula that worked for me:
1.  Daily, Gentle Aerobic Exercise
2.  LDN
3.  Bioidentical Hormones
4.  Paleo Autoimmune Protocol Diet
5.  Supplements

Review the details: http://ldnautoimmunerecovery.blogspot.com/2014/03/could-recovery-really-be-so-simplified.html

Yet MORE SUPPORT?

The study of Epigenetics.  This means literally, "About Genes".  It's about how the environment affects the expression of genes, including disease.  You could look at the list above and call that the environment.   I tweaked the heck out of my environment!  And that's why I can now say I "recovered from Fibromyalgia".

Nova has a great video on YouTube about  Epigenetics and twins.  Watch that and become inspired to take control of your health and use environmental influencers to counter the "normal" decline of menopause and aging.
http://youtu.be/D44cu7v9x1w

Bruce Lipton also has a wonderfully empowering video on YouTube about Epigenetics and how you THINK influences gene expression.   He was introduced as a cellular biologist that believes in "The Chemistry of Love".  Now that makes sense to me, a mother of three children.  Mothers are so powerful in creating that love energy!  ;-)
http://youtu.be/kqG5TagD0uU

I am so encouraged by these findings.  I feel like I am building understanding to a great degree after my original biohacking returned results.  Well, better late than never.

In fact, my timing is very lucky.  I was able to start my Bioidentical HRT in the menopause window.  If I would have started much later, the results would have been weaker.    Blazing trails and not even knowing it.  That's how life goes sometimes.

Six Months On LDN

"I Wish I Did This Sooner!"
Genetic Predisposition is Key

I have heard that the six month mark is a stabilizing point in LDN recovery.  However, I have to believe that my first two weeks were the most impactful.  This could be because the inflammation is much reduced and organs work better without inflammation.  Pretty simple concept.

I started the PaleoMom's Paleo Autoimmune Protocol diet at about the same time that I started LDN.  However, I had been nearly compliant to AIP for many years -- in fact 4 years gluten-free.  My thyroid autoantibodies have not changed much in the last six months -- but when I started LDN my autoantibodies were very near normal.  I was expecting to clear out all the autoantibodies with LDN, but that didn't happen.  Diet, exercise and HRT had brought them down as far as they will go.

Instead of changing autoantibody markers, I have had many mid-sized changes that seem to point to a recovery of the endocrine hormones.   That's 40 hormones in all!  Wonderful!  My lab tests showed improvement, so it's not a placebo effect either. ;-)

I have to believe that the hormones will be protective when it comes to advancement of the autoimmune condition and other diseases.     "Thank you, thank you, LDN."

MONTH 6 on LDN

Now, I can run!

It's simple.  I can run on the treadmill with no problem.  This type of high impact aerobic activity seemed far out of reach a few years ago.

Sensory Memory Improvements!

This is going to sound strange, but my memories are rushing back to me when I hear certain music or smell certain smells.  Before, these memories were out of reach, but now they are front and center.  Am I really remembering or only building new memories that seem likely?  I can't really know.  However, it works perfectly to create stories of my family's life together.  Everyone needs some history to build identity, and the Mother is central to that.  This is a very welcome improvement!

Food Sensitivities:  Still a Problem!

Unfortunately these are persistent!  I am still reacting to corn and rice.  It is mostly fatigue, but also some anxiety and dry eyes.  My itchy skin is a thing of the past though.  I notice worse symptoms on my LDN day off, so it is protective.  Gluten is still out of the diet, and probably always will be. 

______________________________________________________________________________

NEW LEARNING:  Genetic Predisposition to Autoimmune

My curiosity got the best of me, and I went ahead and did a 23andme genome test.  I did find indications of weak methylation & detox cycles and that explains my (and my family's) many challenges.  The methylation cycle is executed 1 Billion times daily!

I uploaded my genome to Promethease and saw that I have 2-6 times more likely to have certain autoimmune diseases.  This is no surprise.  However, I see little indication of the presence of my most likely ones -- Rheumatoid Arthritis and Crohn's Disease.  The test also showed that I am a NON-responder to many cancer treatments.  Hmmmmmmm.  Have I dodged the bullet?

LDN is most likely helping.  It matures the immune system and prevents high autoantibodies by supporting white blood cells.  http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24455776

Testosterone supplementation is most likely helping!  This study showed that low testosterone precedes RA!  http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23553100

Josh Mason, a nutrition researcher at Tufts, has an interesting video on his last 25 years of work.  He stresses the importance of managing health issues with nutrition.  He has tested the supplementation of the methylation cycle and shown dramatic changes in disease using mice.  He warns against the "enriched" processed foods too.  Perhaps I will be able to hold off disease with the supports I have put in place.

I am supplementing the vitamins/minerals used within the methylation cycle.  I will continue with this!

My food is also rich with the vitamins/minerals used within the methylation cycle.  I was able to look up the vitamin load for most foods at www.nutritiondata.self.com.  Fascinating!  How powerful the combination of liver and broccoli!

LDN can also be thought of as a supplement for these weakened systems.  It is possible LDN changes the expression of the genes over time through the epigenetics.    

I am glad that I explored LDN!  I only wish I would have done it sooner.

Bio Identical Hormone Replacement Therapy

Started in the first Year of Fibromyalgia

"Protection and Healing"

The sad thing about being sick is that too few doctors will check your hormone levels.   In 2008, My OBGYN recognized my problem just with a quick discussion.  He initially only focused on estrogen and progesterone, but that was a start.  Thank goodness for his frankness.

Hormone levels can be severely impacted by inflammation.  LDN reduced my inflammation and increased hormone levels immediately.

It is likely that LDN and hormone supplements are BOTH increasing hormones in the body, so there is some overlap in the function.  This explains why I lived well with higher hormone supplements and no LDN until 2013.

Since MANY things affect thyroid levels, hormones will vary with diet and hormone supplements.

Thyroid Fix:  For the purpose of this post, let's assume your thyroid levels are at least in normal range.  My normal TSH turned out to be around 1.0 to eliminate Fibromyalgia pain.  That's just me.  A typical endocrinologist would say that is too low.  They might stop supplementing when the TSH is much higher.  Higher TSH doesn't work for me.

I have also heard that high T4 is important for Riboflavin conversion to an active form -- this drives several metabolic cycles within our body that drive key functions.  (See MTHFR.net and Dr. Ben Lynch for more information.)  Low T4 has also been linked to cancer.

My Thyroid Hormone supplement is Natural Desiccated Thyroid (T4, T3, T2) and is considered bioidentical.  I added some T4 with Tyrosine to move my Free T4 level into the midrange of normal.

Another source recommended the following tests with the thyroid panel:

TSH, Free T4, Free T3, Reverse T3, Total T3.

Estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, DHEA, FSH, LH, Cortisol, Vitamin D, Blood Sugar, Insulin and HA1C.

Cholesterol testing can be helpful as mine is always abnormal when my thyroid hormones are low.

I test for Prolactin too since I am using Risperdal.

So, if the thyroid hormone is high enough, your body functions better.  I continue all my bioidentical hormones at the same level since starting LDN.

Bio-IDENTICAL HORMONES

Estrogen:  Estradial was very low after menopause.  I have been using daily bioidentical topical gel (about the size of a sunflower seed)  to avoid any impact to digestion.   Prescribed by OBGYN.  Confirmed by hormone specialists.  Reconfirmed by OBGYN in 2015.  No need to supplement with any other form of estrogen.

Progesterone:  I use bioidentical topical, and OTC.   I use this at night to help with sleep.  Amount to use was determined by OBGYN.  Confirmed by hormone specialists.  Reconfirmed by OBGYN in 2015.

Testosterone:  I use a bioidentical topical prescribed by OBGYN.  This was added when I tested near zero.  This can be affected by other drugs.  My fibromyalgia pain medicine may have been impacting this.  Testosterone is a key to healing and well being.    Check out the Wikipedia page.  Several 2014 studies support testosterone as preventative for rheumatic autoimmune disease.  Testosterone also helps with inflammation.  It is FDA approved for men, so I use a large pump, but only dispense a small pea sized amount.  I found a generic version for $300 at Walmart.  Reconfirmed by OBGYN in 2015.

Pregnenolone:   I added this in 2013, years after the other three above to help with skin dryness.  I used a dab topically for two years.  I now use 20 mg Pregnenolone pill daily.  This is OTC.  No one recommended this, I was just experimenting and found it to work well.  A recent visit with an OBGYN in 2015 confirmed this dosage for adrenal fatigue.  All my skin problems disappeared when I added this hormone.

I have heard that the Pregnenolone supplementation is dangerous because you don't know what pathway pregnenalone will follow when it converts to other hormones in the body.   However, one doctor speculated that I was hypo-pituitary, so my body is not signaling to make enough hormones.  I used a sex steroids flowchart from Genova Diagnostics to estimate the impact.  Since it had an immediate effect on improving my skin (that was looking like a 90 year old's), and had NO other visible side effects, I have kept using this.

Prolactin:   Risperdal stimulates the production of this.  I can use as little as .25 mg Risperdal to improve sleep and reduce food reactions.  Prolactin is an immune modulator.  At 1.0 mg Risperdal, I do not have any significant ADD symptoms, so I believe it is also helping to manage inflammation.
Very high levels of prolactin seem to cause other autoimmune diseases.

My OBGYN told me that my liver should filter any excess hormones.  I take a day off hormones on Sunday to "clear hormone receptors".  I usually have a hot flash during that day off.

It is possible that the LDN is improving my body's ability to produce hormones since 
-- I don't see as much difference on my HRT day off -- (I don't do hormones on Sunday to clear receptors)
-- I had many higher libido-related responses to LDN
-- I have much better energy throughout the day, possibly a link to cortisol cycle improvement
-- LDN may be helping with thyroid hormones that drive the metabolism and make the body work more efficiently

Some functional medicine practitioners warn against HRT, but they are not usually working with peri or postmenopausal women.  Others say it is the only safe way to move into our postmenopausal years as many diseases correlate to these low hormone years.  See my 2015 post on the Medscape article that correlates MANY autoimmune diseases to low hormone levels.  I can only say what is working for me.  I plan to stay on Bio-HRT.

UPDATE:  I have since learned that low progesterone will hamper thyroid hormones.  As the progesterone falls during exposure to toxins and menopause, your thyroid hormones will not work as well.  My internal medicine doctor at the time did not check any of my hormone levels.  Some of my thyroid problems were resolved with adequate T4/T3 and progesterone.

AUTOIMMUNE UPDATE:  My recent PUBMED searches on sex hormone replacement and autoimmune is showing that low hormones (including testosterone) are related to autoimmune disease.

Non-thyroid supplementation costs me about $1.00 per day.  My thyroid co-pay is about .25 cents per day.

The bioidentical hormones were working so well that I may have never moved on to LDN.  This year I had an intestinal infection while the endocrinologist was lowering my thyroid supplement by 40%!  That combination sent me to an autoimmune flare full of symptoms, and I knew I had to do something.  Now I know that LDN was a logical next step for all autoimmune.

Most people cannot even tell I have any health challenges at all.  That makes me smile. :-)