Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Increasing LDN Dose

After I 'stabilized' on a lower dose of LDN and higher dose of T3 (morning and afternoon), I had more energy, body warmth and normal regularity. However, I still got cold symptoms when I: (1) didn't get enough sleep, (2) spent time with large crowds of people, i.e., shopping in a mall), or (3) got physically stress (cold, wet and tired), even while continuing to take arabinogalactin 2x daily. So I decided to slowly increase my LDN dosage.

A LDN website suggested that patients with Hashimoto's thyroiditis (like me) start LDN at a low dose and slowly increase that level. Unfortunately my doc started me at a higher LDN dose, which was appropriate for my weight, but inappropriate for someone taking thyroid supplements for an autoimmune thyroid condition. (LDN improves all autoimmune conditions, which makes Hashi patients need less thyroid supplement and possibly get hyperthyroid symptoms when taking LDN, as I experienced.)

Nevertheless, my doc prescribed the LDN to stimulate my immune system to increase my white blood cell production. (My last 2 WBC test results were low and lower.) If I have an autoimmune condition which causes low WBC (like non-Hodgkins lymphoma), LDN can also improve that condition, which in turn improves immunity and WBC production. So I want to eventually return to my initially prescribed LDN dose (3mg daily), because that is the optimal treatment dose for my body weight.

When I decided to lower my LDN dose from 3mg to 1.5mg, I bought some empty capsules so that I could divide the LDN capsules. That 'dividing' process made me confident enough to later increase the dosage. During the past week I increased my dose from 1.5 mg to 1.75 and tolerated that well (no sleep problems, no diminished appetite). Next I will take 2mg of LDN for the next few days and see how I tolerate that dose. If I tolerate that, I may return to my original 3 mg dose for the remaining 2 months of my prescribed LDN treatment. I also plan to get another blood test for CBCs (includes WBC) and thyroid hormones (T3, T4 and TSH) about mid January, which will be halfway through my LDN treatment period.

Saturday, December 25, 2010

Dissimilar Arabinogalactin Products

My doc advised me to use Biotics Research IAG (arabinogalactin) powder to fight viral infections while I wait for the LDN to raise my white blood cells. Initially I used that IAG product ... until I finished the container after a month of 2x daily doses. My doc had recommended that I continued arabino for 8 weeks. However, we would need to drive to her clinic and pay more for the Bioteks product.

So I tried a Super Supplements (Larix) brand of IAG. Within a few days my cold symptoms were back (sinus headaches and facial pain, runny nose, sore throat). I got symptom relief when I first took that cheaper product, but within a few hours I felt sick again. So I compared the dosages of the 2 products. The Biotics' adult dose was 1 teaspoon. The Larix product dose was 1-3 TABLESPOONS for adults. I recall that I had only used a heaping teaspoon. So I increased my dose of the Larix product to a tablespoon. Then I experienced intense gas and bloating side effects. Arabinogalactins are a natural source of FOS, prebiotics which feed probiotics, but also cause lots of gas and bloating. I initially experienced a little gas and bloating from the Biotek product, but eventually those symptoms disappeared. From my experience with the Larix product, I suspect that the larger the dose, the more gas I will experience.

SOOOOO on Christmas eve eve (Thursday) we drove to my doc's clinic and got another container of the Biotics. We also delivered a plate of my homemade cookies to my doc and her assistant with a Christmas card. Then, because we were so close to a large shopping mall, we decided to get some exercise strolling the mall and have lunch. Of course going to ANY mall a few days before Christmas is a BIG mistake LOL.

However, we eventually got to the mall, found a parking place, had lunch, walked and shopped. I found 2 more last minute gifts for my husband and he found another gift for me. Then I found H&M, my alltime favorite store and found a red/white striped knit dress and another red sweater. That dress was perfect for Christmas Eve. So I wore it last night to our church service and felt toasty warm.

Within 20 minutes of taking the Biotiks IAG, my cold symptoms disappeared and didn't return for another 12 hours. So I put the Larix product away (maybe I'll give that to my husband when/if he ever gets a cold) and resumed the Biotiks arabinogalactin powder, which was more expensive, but more effective. The smaller effective dose will last me at least a month.

I hope after another month the LDN will my WBC high enough to improve my immunity against chronic respiratory infections. My doc okayed a mid January blood test to check WBCs and thyroid levels. Meanwhile I feel fantastic with my IAG powder and twice daily T3 (thyroid supps). I've increased the LDN capsules to 1.75 mg each and haven't notice any sleep disturbance as long as I take my afternoon T3 dose (2.5 mcg) before 4:30pm. So I almost have what I most want for Christmas: feeling healthier. (I still have some bleeding hemorrhoids, but also use daily sitzbaths which help heal those.) I'm looking forward to a healthier, painfree 2011!

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Feeling Much Better Now

After a recurrence of cold symptoms I resumed taking 6000IU Vitamin D daily and continued daily doses of 1.5 mg LDN, 2 tsp. arabinogalactin and 7.5mcg total T3. I really don't know whether my white blood cells are increasing, but I feel more energetic, warm and 'regular' with that treatment combination. Although I still need all those daily supplements, I'm grateful for feeling well. I will continue the arabinogalactin for at least another 4 weeks and the LDN for another 9 weeks. However, my doc okayed getting my WBC level and thyroid level rechecked with blood tests during January. Preventing and/or treating cold symptoms with arabinogalactin and stimulating my immunity with LDN should improve my WBC level. Only blood tests can really tell me whether those treatments helped.

Saturday, December 18, 2010

OOPS! Cold Symptoms Back

After feeling great for a few days I decided to treat myself to a shopping spree on Thursday. I also needed a break from cooky making and holiday decorating. Banana Republic was having a great sale and I needed some winter white cords to go with a suit jacket which I've had since 1978. (I recently gave away the pants from that suit, because my post menopausal expanded waistline could no longer fit the waist of the trousers.) I enjoyed shopping at several stores and even got a really cheap sale turtleneck tee at J. Crew. However, by the time I headed home I felt very tired with sore throat, runny nose and sinus pain.

I'm uncertain whether those cold symptoms resulted from cutting my vitamin D (from 6000 to 4000IU for a few days or from decreasing my LDN dose (from 3.0 to 1.5mg). Both of those supplements help immunity. I'm also running low on my arabinogalactin, which fights viruses. So I take a bit less than 2 teaspoons daily. I also read that consuming excess sugar lowers immunity. I sampled my Christmas cookies each day I baked those last week. Whatever the cause, my immunity was compromised. So I increased my vitamin D yesterday and today. Fortunately I still have normal regularity. I fear increasing the LDN will cause hyperthyroid symptoms. I'll get more Arabinogalactan tomorrow and continue taking that 2x daily. I'll just remain at the higher Vitamin D dose for a few days before I change anything else.

Friday, December 17, 2010

Doing Well with Less LDN and More T3

For the past 6 days I've taken only 1.5mg (half my original dose) of LDN and 5-7.5mcg of liothyronine (T3 thyroid supplement). I take a whole T3 (5mcg) tablet when I wake up and another half (2.5mcg) tablet an hour after lunch. That second tablet energizes me for the rest of the day, but I can still sleep well at night. I also decreased my vitamin D from 6000 to 4000IU daily. Then 24 hours after my horrible experience with severe constipation and painful hemorrhoids, I had soft normal stools which continued for the next 5 days. That plus daily sitzbaths helped heal (shrink) the hemorrhoids.

Despite lowering my vitamin D (which helps immunity), I didn't get any cold symptoms until last night. So today I resumed the higher 6000IU of vitamin D. I still feel slight cold symptoms, but those are less than I had 24 hours ago. I may take extra magnesium tonight to compensate for additional vitamin D and prevent constipation, while those hemorrhoids are still healing. However, my higher thyroid level may be adequate to facilitate normal regularity. (Thyroid increases motility, which prevents constipation.)

Even with slight cold symptoms I still feel so much better with 2 daily doses of T3 supplement. Before I began taking LDN at night, I also took a T4 supplement. However, since I don't completely convert T4 to T3, I'll stick to T3at least until I finish the LDN treatment (which enhances the effects of thyroid supplements). Also I can compensate for possible LDN induced hyperthyroid symptoms more easily by decreasing T3 (with its shorter half life) than I can with longer lasting T4 supplements.

Monday, December 13, 2010

Decreased LDN Dose to 1.5 Mg

After a morning with a impacted stool (which eventually passed), followed by swollen, protuding, bleeding hemorrhoids (preceded by a week of intermittent bleeding hemorrhoids), I decided I needed to change something to prevent constipation. Before I started LDN (to increase white blood count) and Arabinogalactin (to fight cold viruses), I had normal regularity (neither constipation nor diarrhea) and no swollen, bleeding hemorrhoids. Since I began LDN I experienced more and more constipation and consequently more bleeding hemorrhoid problems.

I know Vitamin D can cause constipation, because it decreases the availability of magnesium to draw fluid into the stool. However, I was doing okay even with 6000IU daily of vitamin D before I started LDN. After I began LDN I had several hyperthyroid incidents. So I started lowering my thyroid dose to prevent those hyper symptoms. I also noticed that arabinogalactin dried up my cold symptoms rapidly, almost like OTC cold meds. However arabino is an herbal supplement (the source of echinechia) which fights viral infections. Nevertheless, if that dries up my cold symptoms, it might also 'dry up' my intestines. Furthermore thyroid supplements increased my motility and eliminated previous irregularity problems. So I suspected cutting my thyroid increased the possibility of constipation, even though LDN was supposed to decrease the need for thyroid supplements. If LDN improved regularity, I wouldn't have experienced increased constipation.

Sooo ... I decided to decrease my LDN dose. I didn't want to waste any of that expensive supplement. So I bought some empty capsules which were the same size as my 3.0mg LDN capsules. Then I opened each LDN containing capsule and poured half the contents into a clean capsule. So I essentially created twice as many LDN capsules, except each of those contained 1.5 mg or half my original dose. I didn't divide all those original 3.0mg capsules. I just divided enough for about 2 weeks. I'll see how I feel taking half doses for 2 weeks.

Since I took half dose of LDN I increased my daily T3 (Liothyronine) dose to a whole 5 mcg tablet. I tried taking 2/3 of that tablet in the morning and 1/3 in the late afternoon. However, that disturbed my sleep last night (I was hyper and woke up several times). So I just took a whole 5 mcg T3 this morning and none this afternoon. I feel more tired as the day goes on. So I should sleep soundly tonight, especially because my 1/2 dose of LDN won't wake me up.

Again, trial and error, but I'm changing my meds based on my body symptoms. My doc would do exactly the same thing, but I don't want to wait 2 days for her to reply to my email and/or phone call to tell me to do what I know how to do. (She already told me to try dividing my LDN dose, but didn't mention increasing the thyroid.) I've had no constipation today, but I will suffer swollen hemorrhoids for awhile until they heal. Meanwhile I can help that healing with daily sitzbaths of very warm water. That's both soothing and healing.

Friday, December 10, 2010

Mocha Almond Fudge Insomnia!

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.

Thursday, December 9, 2010

Reduce LDN or Continue Less T3?

My doc replied to my long email update about my interactions between T3 and LDN causing Hyperthyroid symptoms as well as her confusing messages which contributed to those overdose symptoms. She merely suggested I try cutting the (very tiny) LDN capsules in half. I told her that I previously considered dividing those very tiny LDN capsules. However, I thought raising my WBC level was more important than controlling thyroid symptoms until I developed daily painful, bleeding hemorrhoids. I also suspected I couldn't evenly divide the LDN capsules and would waste most of the contents by spilling. The T3 tablets seem easier to split, evem though my pill splitter usually divides tablets into 2/3 and 1/3 segments.

For the past 3 days I've taken 2/3 of a T3 tablet (3.3 mcg) each morning and slept well for the past 3 nights after taking the 3mg dose of LDN before bed. I feel comfortably warm and energetic during the day. I slept through the night w/o waking last night. I had softer stools today and yesterday morning (after taking more vitamin C and magnesium for constipation). I treated my bleeding hemorrhoids with 2 sitzbath sessions yesterday. That reduced the hemorrhoids and prevented bleeding today.

As far as improved sleep, I suspect that either my body has adjusted to that LDN dose so that it no longer disturbs my sleep OR I've reduced the T3 dose low enough that I don't get hyperthyroid symptoms during the night OR at least half of my last T4 dose left my system (I last took that 25 mg dose of T4 on 12/3 after 2 days off all thyroid meds,. I have no idea how much the LDN affects the thyroid meds. I could only judge from my symptoms and adjust thyroid supplement accordingly.

If I continue to have regularity problems, I may divide and waste some LDN to take less. Then I may need to increase the T3 dose. However, before I change anything which affects my sleep, I want more nights of solid sleep. I previously tried taking the IAG only in the evening. However, insuffiiciient sleep exacerbated my cold symptoms. So I had to return to 2 daily divided IAG doses to treat cold symptoms. After the past few nights of solid sleep, I now only need an evening dose of IAG and have no cold symptoms during the day. Last night I slept straight through without waking, for the first time since starting the LDN, even after consuming lots of (Truly Decadent) mocha almond fudge (dairy free but not caffeine free) ice cream with dinner.

My doc replied to my email about 2/3 T3 tablet with whole LDN capsule and said that the important thing is to take at least 1.5mg of LDN. Now that I've adjusted to LDN and my cold symptoms FINALLY disappeared, I'll keep the LDN at that initial level to stimulate white blood cell production and more easily fight any future infections. My long history of chronic gastro infections plus chronic colds is linked to low Vitamin D levels, low thyroid levels and ultimately low white blood cells.

I actually feel better today than I have felt in awhile. Instead of dreading Christmas holidays and wanting to only attend a Christmas Eve service (and nothing else), I'm now excitely shopping, baking Christmas cookies and decorating the house, while anticipating get togethers with family and/or friends and other activities with my husband. What a transformation! Although balancing the thyroid dose with LDN was challenging and frustrating at times, I now believe that was well worth the effort!

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

2/3 T3 Tablet Works Well

After taking a whole T3 tablet on Sunday morning and feeling hyper with palpitations all day, I slept very poorly, if at all, Sunday night. So I decided to split those tablets in half and try half doses. Unfortunately my pill splitter divides those small T3 pills unevenly into 1/3 and 2/3 pieces. So yesterday I took 2 of the smaller (1/3?) pieces for approximately a 2/3 tablet or about 3.3 mcg dose. I was not hyper, felt comfortable, not overly warm and had palpitations only when walking uphill. I slept much better last night. I only awoke about 3am, which is my usual 4 hours after taking the LDN wakeup time, and recalled an unusual dream. One side effect of LDN is weird dreams, but that was my first weird dream since starting LDN. So I took another 2/3 T3 pill dose today.

Yesterday afternoon I also emailed my doc about my recent bad exeriences with hyperthyroid reactions, her conflicting email and phone messages, and my frustration with interactions between the LDN and thyroid supplements, which could have been avoided by her prescribing a lower dose of LDN. No, I didn't exactly tell her that. I suspect she already realizes she screwed up by starting me at the 3mg dose of LDN, rather than the recommended (for patients taking thyroid supplements) 1.5mg dose. I don't know how she will respond to my email. Nevertheless, I plan to keep tweaking T3 doses, rather than resume taking T4.

My last blood tests showed that my T4 levels had increased but still in normal range, but my total T3 and free T3 were low, even after taking a T4 supplement for 2 months. That suggested I don't easily convert T4 to T3. So I believe if I take anything, I should take T3, while I take LDN. After I finish my 3 month prescription of LDN, I may need to adjust my thyroid meds again. However, I hope I don't have to endure hyperthyroid hell again. SIGH

Friday, December 3, 2010

Too Late

After following my doc's instructions to take both T4 and T3 (thyroid supplements) this morning but no T3 in the afternoon, I received a phone message from her clinic when I got home late this afternoon. That message told me to take only one of my supplements (T3 at half dose or just one in the morning) for 3 days WITHOUT taking the T4. If I have no palpitations, I should then add the T4 and take both for 3 days. If I don't have palpitations, I can continue. If I do have palpitations and can determine which supplement (T3 or T4) caused the palpitations, I should call the clinic and let them know. WHOOOAA!!!! That sounds like my doc is just guessing.

Since the phone message arrived long after I normally take my thyroid supplements, I took one half T4 and one whole T3 tablet this morning, but no T3 this afternoon. So both of those pills were actually half doses, since I usually take T3 in the morning and afternoon. I HAVE experienced palpitations, increased body temp and decreased appetite today. (The last 2 symptoms are benefits for me.) However, I suspect the palpitations will subside before bedtime, because T3 has a short half-life (about 8 hours). That means that by 11pm the T3 should have cleared my system. So I'll take the LDN at 10:30pm, if I no longer have palpitations. If I still have palpitations, I may skip the LDN, which could make the palpitations severe.

Back on T3 and T4

After 2 days of abstaining from my thyroid supplements (levoxyl and liothyronine) to avoid tachycardia (caused by interaction between thyroid supplements and low dose naltrexone), I finally heard from my doc, whom I told about my recent tachycardia incident. She suggested that I take my regular dose (5 mcg) of T3 (liothyronine) in the morning with my regular dose (50 mcg) of t4 (levoxyl), but not take the second 5mcg dose of T3 in the late afternoon. She also agreed that I could take both doses of IAG (arabinogalactan) before bed to limit the gas and bloating to nighttime only.

However, I decided to take half doses of both my T3 and T4 this morning. So I cut the T4 pill in half and took that with the regular 5 mcg T3 dose. I feel warmer this morning, but don't have really obvious tachycardia. So far, so good. If I have no intense tachycardia tonight, I'll take the other half of T4 tomorrow morning and see how I do. If I still don't get tachycardia during the night (after taking the LED which can cause hyperthyroid symptoms) after 2 days of half doses of T4, I'll try a whole T4 dose. By then I will have taken LED for a week and the sleep disturbance side effect should disappear. So I might just sleep through slight tachycardia ... or not. SIGH

Yesterday (before I heard from my doc) I planned to take the arabinogalactan (to fight my respiratory infection) only before bed. However, my cold symptoms returned a few hours after I got up. I decided I'd rather endure gas and bloating than sore throat, cough and runny nose all day. So I took the IAG after breakfast yesterday. Today I took the IAG with my prebreakfast doses of thyroid supplements and probiotics. I'm bloated and a little crampy from the gas, but I have no cold symptoms now. I'll try again tomorrow morning to skip the morning dose and take both IAG doses before bed. Maybe by then IAG will have killed off my cold viruses ... or not.

My doc prescribed 8 weeks of IAG. I HOPE I don't have to take full strength IAG that long to get rid of this cold, which I've already had for 3 months. Enough already! I no longer feel sick and tired, but I don't want to depend on IAG for another 7 weeks. However, I did read that the gas/bloating side effects of IAG should disappear after a week. I noticed that with another FOS containing product (probiotic), which I took after my last gut bug treatment. Maybe I'll get lucky and continue taking IAG without getting gas and bloating. After this struggle, I deserve a break from side effects.

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Another Tachycardia Episode

Yesterday morning I took my 50mcg tablet of T4 (Levoxyl) and 5 mcg tablet of T3 (Liothyronine) at 7am. I took my last T3 (5 mcg tablet) at 4:30 pm yesterday. I took the Low Dose Naltrexone (3.0mg capsule) at 10:15pm last night. This morning at 2:10 am I awoke with serious tachycardia and felt overheated, which continued almost 2 hours before I could sleep. Because I suspected my thyroid supplements had caused overdose symptoms, I took no thyroid supplements (neither T4 nor T3) this morning. Then I checked information about my other current medications. I read on the Low Dose Naltrexone website under 'cautionary warnings': "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."

I took liothryonine (T3) for the past four days and only experienced nausea on day 1. However, I consumed cane sugar on day 2 and experienced my usual allergy reaction (mild tachycardia). That allergy reaction (tachycardia) decreased over the next 2 days while I continued to take T3. On day 4 of taking T3 I had no tachycardia, no increased body temperature, but only slight nausea when I first took T3. Severity of that nausea decreased each day. Other than nausea, I had no reaction to T3 before 2:10am today.

I suspect my doc wants me to continue the LDN 3.0 mg dose, because increasing my white blood cell count is more important than treating hypothyroid symptoms. (Conceivably I could take all the LDN capsules back to Custom Pharmacy and ask them to divide all those capsules into smaller doses.) Nevertheless, I could also cut the T4 tablets in half and/or take only one T3 in the morning, rather than late afternoon. So my T3 level would be much lower when I take the LDN capsule before bed. This morning I sent my doc an email about what I experienced last night. I also asked her whether she wanted me to decrease my thyroid supplement while I take the LDN and what dosages of which supplements should I take to avoid hyperthyroid (tachycardia) symptoms.

I also experienced bloating and gas while taking IAG (arabinogalactan). So I asked my doc whether I could take 2 one teaspoon doses at the same time. I would prefer to take 2 teaspoons dissolved in water at night before bed, rather than during the day. So I would just have bloating/gas at night, rather than during waking hours.

The GOOD NEWS is that my cold symptoms decreased dramatically during the past 48 hours. I had suffered cold symptoms for over 3 months. After taking the low dose naltrexone and arabinogalactan for only 48 hours, I now only have a slight runny nose. I suspect that rapid recovery is due to the antiviral activity of IAG and the immune stimulation of LDN.