Somehow I got away with eating caffeine loaded Mocha Almond Fudge (dairy/soy free) ice cream the night before last. I slept straight through the night without waking for the first time since starting LDN. However last night was a different story ...
Perhaps I ate my Mocha Almond Fudge frozen dessert a little later in the evening. I recall that I finished my 1/2 cup serving after 8pm. Then I was in bright lights while I decorated our house. I didn't get to bed until almost 11pm. I read a rather stimulating book about clinical trials (true story). Then I had difficulty drifting off to sleep. I seemed to fall asleep and awaken many times. I finally looked at the clock and noticed it was the witching hours (2-4am) after LDN has suppressed my endorphins and I intensely feel every tiny uncomfortable sensation. Then I continually experience itches all over my body and sometimes muscle stiffness, which I normally don't experience. If I get up to go to the bathroom during that time, I feel really spacey, not sleepy, but outer worldly spacey, indescribably weird.
I think I finally fell asleep after the witching hour period (maybe about 4AM) and slept rather soundly until 7AMish. I tried to go back to sleep, but gave up about 7:30AM. I plan important errands this morning before I crash this afternoon from sleep deprivation. I learned my lesson with caffeine containing foods, which can cause reflux, but definitely cause insomnia. I can eat those after lunch and before 5pm. After that caffeine consumption, even tiny amounts from decaf coffee or mocha almond fudge ice cream, will cause me to experience insomnia.
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I've found I'm super sensitive to caffeine too. I was taking a night course every Tuesday night for 3 weeks, so would stop and get a coffee around 5:30 PM so I wouldn't be sleepy in the course and on the dark drive home around 10:30 PM. Problem being... I was up most of the night... I notice I get really jittery and anxious when I have caffeine now and I don't like how it makes me feel.
Yesterday I had to go home early cause my son threw up at school. I stopped in to get him a gingerale to settle his tummy and grabbed a coke for myself. Even though I drank it early in the evening I was up till past 2 AM! Yikes... I should know better. LOL
I no longer drink even decaf coffee and avoided anything with caffeine for the past 6 months while I'm adjusting to using HCl supplements to improve digestion and kill off food born bacteria and/or parasites in my stomach before those reach my gut. (A Heidelberg capsule test showed I had hypochloridia or not enough stomach acid production back in June.) Caffeine can cause reflux. So since I actually had some acid in my stomach (thanks to HCl supplements), I wanted to avoid reflux.
However I saw that Truly Decadent (dairy/soy free) ice cream at Whole Foods a month ago and developed cravings ever since. Now I'm burning more calories with intermittent hyperthyroid reactions. So I decided to indulge and throw reflux caution to the wind. LOL
YUP, I got a tiny bit of reflux the first night, but a whole lot of insomnia the second night I ate that ice cream. I'll save the rest for a lunchtime dessert. I can't afford more sleepless nights when I'm trying to build up my immunity (and white blood cells).
Yikes... that's scary that you have such intense physical reactions to the LDN between 2-4am! I just started .75mg yesterday (took it at about 9pm-ish), and so far, I've noticed nothing (good or bad).
My worry is that I'm a very early riser(always have been...it's in my blood, lol). I get up around 3am (give or take). Will this affect the efficiency of the LDN and/or cause symptoms?
I read on the LDN site that it doesn't matter when you are awake, that you should still take it between 9p-3a b/c "endorphins are always produced in the predawn hours, regardless of when you are awake or asleep." They didn't mention having any "side effects" due to differences in sleep schedules (ie, for a night shift worker). Your symptoms are worrisome. Did you talk to your doc about this?
Hi Shelby: Thanks for your concern, but I'm not worried. I know I'm taking a higher dose of LDN. People taking thyroid usually start lower and work up to a higher dose. I already told my doc about my reactions to LDN. She suggested dividing the dose by dividing my tiny LDN capsules. However, I don't want to risk spilling the contents of those capsules by trying to cut them in half, because I paid so much for that custom compounded prescription. I also adjusted my thyroid dose to compensate for LDN interactions.
I don't think you need to worry about getting LDN side effects other than disturbed sleep and/or weird dreams, which are common during the first week or so while taking LDN. Perhaps you won't get those, because you have a low dose.
My doc started me at the high dose because I really need to get my white blood count up quickly. After 4 years of gastro infections and then 4 months of constant respiratory infections, my immunity is very challenged. I'm taking 6,000IU of Vitamin D, plus C and B vitamins and zinc, as well as arabinogalactin, which fights viral infections, to heal my respiratory infection. My symptoms disappear when I take all that. However, one night of insufficient sleep brings all my respiratory symptoms back, because my WBC aren't high enough to fight back.
I've read that some people take LDN during the day without obvious symptoms. So I suspect my recent reaction was caused by the caffeine increasing my heart rate as well as my thyroid meds and LDN interaction. I don't know whether you will get symptoms if you wake up at 3pm. I noticed that I woke up exactly 4 hours after taking LDN for the first few nights. However, patients have different situations. You'll just have to pay attention to your symptoms.
Could you tell me why you need LDN and how much thyroid supplement you take ...
I'm taking LDN for the immune boosting effects, depression, IBS, and thyroid help (my doc will explain more on Tuesday... he RX'd it without discussing it with me. Bad practice, IMO!).
Why are people taking LDN at night? Wouldnt that interfer with the circadian rhythm of endorphin production?
I was supposed to start on NatureThroid, but after I took my first dose (1/2gr), I saw that it is made with lactose, so I had to stop (my doc should have been aware of this... I've very sensitive to any dairy products! Urgh). So, now I'm just on 4 drops of iodine (600). Hopefully, I'll be put on another natural thyroid, but IDK which is best: Armour? Thryoid by Erfa? Or could I get natureThroid compounded with Vit C or acidolphilus? Who knows. I do know that the new forms of Armour and NatureThroid are not effective b/c of the cellulose filler and pts now have to chew them in order for them to assimilate. Why do they fix something that ain't broke?!
What's your thyroid regimen? I used to be on Cytomel, but I couldn't tolerate it.
Do you take your throid supplements at once or divided? There is now thought that divided doses are best (AM and afternoon).I actually took my cytomel at night and that helped with teh side effects. In fact, it was noted that it was more effective at night.
How are your adrenals? Do u have adrenal fatigue? Are u using any supps for this?
Shelby: Between your emails and blog comments, you seem to have lots of questions. I'll reply to this comment and then reply to your emails. Hopefully we can figure out a good time and day to phone chat soon.
IBS is NOT a disease, but merely a label docs give to conditions they can't explain. So no meds directly treat IBS symptoms unless they treat the CAUSES of those symptoms. Causes usually include celiac disease, food allergies, bacterial, parasitic and fungus infections of the intestine. Best way to treat celiac is obsessively abstain from gluten. Get tested for other food allergies (blood test, not skin prick) and then obsessively abstain from diagnosed food allergies. Celiacs often have lactose intolerance until their villae heal, but some actually have casein allergy. You'll have to treat any gut bugs with antibiotic, antiparasitic or antifungal remedies, often suggested by Metametrix test results.
My doc prescribed LDN at night so I'd sleep through the period when my endorphins are very low, because I could be supersensitive to pain then. Obviously my itching during that time showed I was supersensitive. Whatever time you take the LDN, it still decreases endorphins during the night time.
I took Levoxyl (T4 supplement), because it doesn't have any lactose filler ingredients. However later tests showed I didn't easily convert T4 to T3. So then I took Levoxyl 1x plus Liothyronine 2x daily. After starting LDN, I can only take 2/3 of one T3 pill or 3.3mcg w/o hyper side effects, because the LDN affects Hashimoto's and decreases thyroid need. You may also have to adjust your thyroid if you suffer hyperthyroid symptoms.
No problem with adrenals. All my fatigue was caused by chronic respiratory infection and hypothyroid condition. Very energetic after taking thyroid supps, when I don't have cold symptoms.
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