Let Me Be a Guinea Pig!

I don't want this blog to go too much into therapies and treatments but I do want to mention my experience today because it has me feeling pretty hopeful...

I have been on Humira for almost three years now, way longer than I wanted to be on it. I have to say that it has managed my symptoms pretty well up to a point and I have had very few side affects aside from mild coughs that take a long time to go away. I do worry about the long-term effects of this drug though and am always curious about new treatments.

I recently read that a new study has been published showing promising results for the use of low-dose naltrexone for the treatment of Crohn's Disease. Naltrexone is drug that is used to help severe alcoholics detoxify and a low-dose form is being used to treat auto-immune conditions such as MS and Crohn's. I've been doing some research and I can see that many Crohn's patients in the States have been trying it, and it seems to be fairly easy to get your hands on. However in Canada, this is not the case. The Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of Canada states that there is not enough data yet to support its use and therefore it should not be prescribed to patients yet. That being said, LDN is well known to be a safe drug. From what I understand, since it is a drug that has been on the market for years, there is not enough money to be made by pharmaceutical companies and so there is very little interest in this drug. Which means that I could be waiting a very long time...

I spoke about LDN with my doctor today. I knew that he would say that there's not enough evidence to support it yet. I asked him, "so, is that it? I can't get this drug even if a say that I want to be a guinea pig and try it out?" He agreed that trying it is pretty low risk. He didn't prescribe it to me because he can't but I am feeling pretty positive as I do have a potential way of getting it now, which I don't want to discuss until I can be sure I won't be getting anyone in trouble.

I know that I shouldn't get excited yet. Firstly, I haven't got a prescription yet. Secondly, who knows if it will work for me? But it is exciting for me to be getting my hands on a drug that is inaccessible due to policies and red tape. I am feeling hopeful because I have tried so many alternative therapies and I don't want to say nothing has worked but nothing has worked well enough. Meditation, supplementation, herbal enemas, bring it on! I know that I need something powerful to open the door to all these therapies and let healing happen. LDN is safe, is proving to be very effective in preliminary studies and has very few side effects aside from some sleep disturbances in the first few weeks. I prefer to take a drug like LDN that improves immune functioning than taking Humira that actually weakens your immune system. If I do take it I will have to go off Humira but I'm willing to take that risk.

I spoke to my mom on the phone tonight and told her the story of going to see the doctor. My 5 year old son was listening in on the conversation and thought it was so hilarious that I told that the doctor that I wanted to be a guinea pig! Hee hee!