LDN Video Interviews and Presentations

Jane - Hashimoto's patient - 5th December 2018 (LDN, low dose naltrexone) from LDN Research Trust on Vimeo.

Linda Elsegood: I'd like to introduce Jane from England who takes LDN for Hashimoto's. Thanks for joining us today, Jane. So could you tell us your story? When did you first notice there was something wrong with you? 

Jane: I first realised that I wasn't feeling well. This was at the beginning of 2015, um, I was in my early thirties, and at the time I was working as a legal advisor in a bank in London.

Um, up until then, I'd never really had any health issues.  My diet was okay but I did eat a lot of dairies, lots of sugary cakes and gluten-containing foods and my favourites were pasta and pizza, the usual. At the same time, I had issues with my relationship. Um, and in all honesty, I wasn't really happy with my job, and it was a lot of pressure.

So I started to suffer from insomnia. Um, and I started to get allergic reactions to the makeup I was wearing, eye shadow in particular, which was very odd. Um, and then one day after a late night, I woke up and, um, I was gasping for air. I couldn't breathe through my nose, and I couldn't believe what was happening to me.

Um, so I went to see my local GP, and I told her that I wasn't feeling well at all, and, um, I couldn't breathe through my nose, and the GP ran some tests and said that everything absolutely fine. Um, and these tests were blood tests. Um, but I wasn't fine. I was ill and I didn't know what was wrong with me.

So, um, I decided to pay to see a specialist in Harley Street and he was a throat, nose and ear specialist. And after some tests, he was looking at my nose and inside, and he said, you know, there's absolutely no reason why I'm unable to breathe through my nose. And he just gave me a steroid nasal spray and said that I would need to use it on a daily basis for the rest of my life in order to breathe through my nose.  I couldn't believe that response, I was just utterly shocked.   I just thought to myself, well, if everything was fine why was I feeling so ill and why could I no longer breathe through my nose?

I wanted to find the answer. And actually, I did a biology degree, so my scientific mind kicked in and I dwelled farther into this issue. And just as a side note, I can describe to you, I would wake up every morning with a swollen face, huge eye bags and I also started to react to random things. For example, I would try a bit of sushi with some soy on it and I would literally want to collapse.

In fact, any form of sugar - I couldn't eat any form of sugar at all, I would literally want to just die basically. It's like if I had a bag of crisps, for example, I would literally need to sleep it off for like two days. It was, it was absolutely crazy. So that was very odd. So the reaction to foods was a real red flag for me.

So I started doing some research. And it was really struggling to find anyone with this issue, you know, suddenly unable to read through the news. And then somehow I managed to stumble upon a website, which was, um, set up by this woman in the US and she talks about chronic mood congestion and how this was down to, uh, an unhealthy diet, uh, which meant an unhealthy gut, i.e. leaky gut. So she said, um, that she had cured herself by taking, uh, lots of different herbs and some enzymes and various herbs. And I then decided to change my diet and I took her advice on board. I purchased these digestive enzymes to assist my gut and some adaptogenic herbs.

It did help; my insomnia disappeared. I just highlight at this point that I'm still working, I'm going to the bank every day in a state where I've got brain fog, I'm not myself and I'm just putting on a fake persona. Nobody really knew what was going on with me, but they could see visibly that I was ill.  

I used to take pride in my work, I know that sounds vain but as a young lady now, I still would make sure that I had my makeup on point and my hair done and here I was coming to work with sunglasses because I was so ashamed of what I looked like. I looked awful, absolutely awful. So anyway, I changed my diet. I started to take these herbs and it was making me function. I relied on coffee to keep me going at work. And the steroid nasal spray every morning, every night, in order to breathe. But I was a shadow of myself. I just looked terrible. So after a period of six months with this new diet, it's anti-candida diet,  no sugar, no particular carbs, just sort of boring root veg. I couldn't even process any fruits to go through the, um, it was just very much meat and veg. And, and the use of these herbs, I could suddenly start to breathe through my nose. This was a massive achievement for me, but again, when I could breathe through my nose, it wasn't like a full deep breath through my nose.  I could just feel like my sinuses were clogged up, and it was, it was 60% better, but at least I didn't have to use the steroid spray anymore so I was very happy about that. But I continued to have brain fog and pressure in the front of my head. And it really wasn't easy. So if you fast forward to November 2016 I was self-medicating.  I was taking 10 to 15 pills a day consisting of random herbs and vitamins, just so I could function really, I had no energy, I would so fatigued it was unbelievable. My reactions to foods continued. People would look at me very oddly when we went out for after works drinks or whatever, and I would just simply say, you know, I can't drink alcohol, I can’t eat this, I can’t eat that.  People would just not get it really. By this time I was too scared, I literally couldn't eat anything slightly interesting, you know, like outtakes or whatever. But anyway, I continued to look terrible. And one morning I woke up and noticed that my thyroid was sticking out from my neck and I immediately knew that there was something seriously wrong with my thyroid.

I decided to privately investigate and I paid for a complete thyroid test analysis. And the result came back so quickly, and the doctor even 

said that  I was actually suffering from Hashimoto's, an autoimmune disease which attacks the thyroid. My antibodies are high thyroglobulin and thyroid peroxidase.  My thyroid hormone output was considered in normal ranges. All this time I had no idea it was my thyroid. I collapsed, I couldn’t believe it, I was very upset. Then again it sort of made sense because it runs in my family, My Mum’s got issues with her thyroid, My Grandmother had issues with her thyroid.  I then decided to check myself from top to bottom, I’d had enough, I wanted to make sure that everything was checked so I did various other blood tests which came back negative, I even had an MRI due to this pressure in my head and that came back negative - it was all fine aside from the thyroid. So then I went to see the results I got in 2015 which the GP had requested to check the thyroid and I found out that the antibodies weren’t checked, just the hormone levels and I was just so frustrated with that because if only they’d checked the thyroid completely, including the antibodies then I would have had a diagnosis much earlier on but I would say that this is typical of the NHS when it comes to testing the thyroid. So I stopped taking these herbs and vitamins, I just wanted to heal my body naturally through diet, I adopted the autoimmune protocol diet, which I’d heard worked for a lot of people.  However my body was just so used to these pills I just suddenly started to decline, mentally, my anxiety just went through the roof and I basically got the worst depression known to humanity and I couldn’t function and eventually, my body broke down and I was worried that I was going to get a heart attack - my heart rate was averaging 116 beats per minute all day, every day, at night - I was given beta blockers to lower the heart rate. I just want to say that I’ve never in my life had any mental issues or anything like that, no anxiety, I was a really headstrong person, level headed.  When I heard about people suffering from anxiety I used to wonder “Oh how does that work, just go and get some therapy” but no, this was an internal reaction that I had no control over and it taught me a lot - now I’ve got great sympathy for people who suffer from this.   My insomnia returned, I was a wreck and had to basically rely on my family for support.  And nothing would lower the stress.  I was then prescribed diazepam by the doctor and I really didn’t want to go down the antidepressant route.  I just wanted my body to heal naturally. The diazepam didn’t even help to be honest with you, I took it for two months and then stopped. I’d basically reached the end - in my eyes, I was done. I told my family it was over, I was probably going to die of a heart attack and I wrote my will. My family supported me through the whole thing and my sister was a great support to me, she told me that “This too shall pass”. I wanted to live and I wanted to get better so I put some posters around my room, positive ones, with positive statements like “You can do this” and then I just started to read about Hashimoto’s and stumbled on a Facebook page regarding LDN and I thought Gosh what is this, people are saying that its a drug called LDN and it’s helped lower antibodies in certain cases and it had actually cured Hashimoto’s and I was totally amazed, I was shocked. Then I purchased your book on LDN and I couldn’t believe your story, it was just completely amazing. I sought assurance and positivity from your video’s, then started to watch your videos when you would interview individuals who suffer from various autoimmune diseases, including Hashimoto's. And, um, and they all said the same thing. That LDN helps in so many different ways and even for depression and anxiety.

And as I said, I've watched these videos continuously, and that gave me hope. And until then, I had no hope whatsoever. Um, so then I said to myself, I need to get LDN and I need this. There’s just no way out. And then I contacted you because I wasn't sure where to get it from. And um, and then you put me in touch with Clinic158 and, um, had the interview with the doctor from there, and he immediately prescribed me LDN, and I started to take it.

Um, firstly it was in liquid format, uh, but it had quite a lot of sugar in it, which didn't bode well with me. Um, so then I changed it to pill format. And, uh, over time I went up, probably two, three milligrams. And, um, I stayed at this level. And, um, as time went on, I started to feel better. Um, it took a few months for me to get better, for insomnia to disappear. Um, however, I'd say within six, seven months, I was enthusiastic about life. I was feeling happier and more level headed, and over time I could sleep, which was impossible for me, I could make conversation with people without running out to a room full of anxiety.

I could. I could just be normal. I could be myself. And this was shocking to me. Um. And my vile depression and my anxiety had just completely disappeared over time, just completely disappeared. Um, and I say, I'd say it took a year to get to the point where I was ready to go back to work because it's during this time I was healing really from the LDN.

And um. I'm just really thankful to LDN, and I'm thankful to you for raising awareness of it because, without that, I honestly didn't think I would survive my ordeal. Um, essentially I had a breakdown, and it restored me from that. It restored my sleeping pattern. It just, it was like a reset button. Um. And I, I'd lost so much weight during my ordeal, 10 kilograms.

I looked like a skeleton, um, due to the stress and the heart rate and everything. And now I've put weight back on and I look more normal now. My, my hair is not shedding anymore and I can, I can function basically. And. What I would say is that my thyroid is still swollen, but I'm working on healing my gut, and I've got to say probiotics have been absolutely key.

And they've really helped. Um, but it's going to take time. Obviously, it's taken years of me eating badly to, to get to the point where I've had to go through this and now it's going to take a while for me too, to heal my gut. So I'm just ready to continue with that, um, healing process. Um, and then just to live my life because I haven't been able to live my life really all this time.

I've just been totally ruined by not knowing what was wrong with me. So, um, in terms of my diets, it's no paleo based. Well, lots of fermented foods. Um, I juice every day. I try and keep healthy. Um, I totally avoid sugar, dairy, gluten, um, alcohol I can't touch. Um, so yeah, I'm, I'm trying my best now to heal. 

Linda Elsegood: Were you given any thyroid medication once you were diagnosed with Hashimoto's? 

Jane: No, I wasn't because, um, according to the doctor, my thyroid levels were normal.

Linda Elsegood: Okay. But the doctor that said that you had Hashimoto's, he didn't offer you any medication either? 

Jane: No, no

Linda Elsegood: it's just purely the LDN that you have always taken, nothing else. 

Jane: That's right. 

Linda Elsegood: Wow, that's amazing, isn't it.

Jane: It's, it's unbelievable what happened to me.

Um, I, I just hope that you know, if there's anyone out there with the same issue that they can take comfort in knowing that if you do ever have chronic nose congestion, there is a way of fixing it and you have to try and heal the gut. And, you know, I was told to take the steroids to spray for the rest of my life. I mean. Just in order to breathe. It was shocking. 

Linda Elsegood: Definitely. What would you say your quality of life is like now on a score of one to 10, 10 being the best?

Jane: I'd say it's um, nine. 

Linda Elsegood: And are you able to work and function? 

Jane: Yes, I am. Yup. In fact, I've just recently got a new job. Um, it's a legal department, high-pressured role in an investment company, so I'm definitely able to work now, whereas before I couldn't.

Linda Elsegood: Oh, that's good. And at your lowest, I don't want to dwell on that, but on a score of one to 10, what would it have been when you were your lowest. 

Jane: It was one. It was the worst for me. Uh, yeah, absolutely. 

Linda Elsegood: Um, well, thank you so much for sharing your really amazing inspirational story with us and long may LDN continue improving your symptoms.

Jane: I'm thinking, thank you for raising awareness regarding LDN. 

Linda Elsegood: thank you. This show is sponsored by our members who made donations. We'd like to get them a very big thank you. We have to cover the monthly costs of the radio station, software, bandwidth, phone lines, and phone calls to be able to continue with the right idea of the show.

And thank you for listening.

Any questions or comments you may have, please email me; Linda@ldnrt.org I look forward to hearing from you. Thank you for joining us today. We really appreciated your company. Until next time, stay safe and keep well.

Dr Melissa Coats, LDN Radio Show 14 Nov 2018 (LDN, low dose naltrexone) from LDN Research Trust on Vimeo.

Linda Elsegood: Today my guest is Dr Melissa Coats from Arizona in the US. She is a naturopathic oncologist. Thank you for joining us today, Melissa. 

Melissa Coats: Thank you for having me. 

Linda Elsegood: Well, could you just give us an idea of your background, first of all, please? 

Melissa Coats: Sure. Initially growing up, I always knew I wanted to be a physician, I think, or in medicine. And when I went to school far away from home in Lynchburg, Virginia at Randolph-Macon Woman's College I focused on biology. And then after that, I didn't exactly know what part of medicine I wanted to do. So I decided to get a Masters in bioethics while I was deciding, and when I discovered bioethics, I stumbled across naturopathic medicine. Once I read the philosophy and what it was all about, I knew that was where I needed to be. Once I finished my Masters at Midwestern University, I went on to the Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine, which was in Tempe, Arizona. And I didn't even realize it was in my native state. And so I learned all about naturopathic medicine and went on to school there, and ever since, here I am.

Linda Elsegood: Wow. And when were you first introduced to LDN? 

Melissa Coats: I believe my first introduction was through my mentor and colleague, Dr Daniel Rubin. He had co-written an article about low dose naltrexone, I think back in 2006, for its use in pancreatic cancer. And Dr Berkson who uses it a lot at his clinic, where he does a lot of hepatitis C treatment, also was very interesting to me So I learned a lot from both of them. And from then on, I've been doing more and more research and just using it in a multitude of ways with different types of things beyond cancer. But cancer is obviously one of the bigger ones that we focus on here at our clinic.  

Linda Elsegood: Could you give us an idea of your protocols for treating cancer patients, and which cancers you've actually treated with LDN?

Melissa Coats: Probably one of the bigger ones we typically put people on it for are those who have breast and colon and pancreatic cancer. Those are some that we definitely do, but we know there's some efficacy with ovarian and neuroblastoma and glioblastoma and even squamous cell carcinomas. Pretty much because of the natural killer cell and the immune stimulation that it gives.

We've found it is a very nice adjunctive thing to add on to most treatment protocols, so we utilize it quite often, usually starting with a lower dose. Depending on the sensitivity of the patient, maybe 1.5 all the way up to 4.5 milligrams, depending on what's going on and making sure that we're not conflicting with any pain medication use, of course, if the patient's had surgery or things like that.

We also, me particularly in the clinic, like to use it for other things as well. One of my very first patients actually wasn’t an oncology patient that I utilized it in - it was a person who had undiagnosed celiac disease for 25 years, and her gastrointestinal system was just a giant mess, and she was miserable. It was one of the things that I decided to introduce to a kind of calm her autoimmune issues that were going on, including her thyroid. And it really seemed to calm her gut. And she said it was like a miracle to her, and we even tested going off of it briefly to see if that was truly what was happening. And it was definitely the low dose naltrexone that was helping calm things for her. And so that was one of my first introductions to the power of it. And from then on, I've been utilizing it in many ways since  

Linda Elsegood: What are the therapies you use alongside LDN?

Melissa Coats: Currently, here in Arizona, we have the ability to give IV nutrients, so we use IV alpha-lipoic acid alongside the LDN. Sometimes it's vitamin C, IV. We utilize other supplements, as well, to focus on different parts of what the person needs as far as support if they're during chemotherapy or radiation or other treatments who may have anything going on.

We also utilize sometimes another natural killer cell stimulator, which is mistletoe, but we only give that in a sub Q injection versus IV here in Arizona. There's often a combination of things that we utilize with LDN to help the patient get the best for their immune system and whatever other issues they're having.

...

Melissa Coats: Sometimes, most of those patients are already on LDN, so it's definitely a good part of the mix. We definitely like to make a treatment plan very individualized to each patient, and so there's often quite a multitude of things going on at once, whether it's ... LDN, IVs, a diet plan, whatever it is. We like to bring it all together for them so that they can feel their best. 

Linda Elsegood: And you mentioned a diet plan there. Of course, with cancer, sugar. Is a no, no. What kind of a diet do you suggest patients follow? 

Melissa Coats: A lot of our suggestions as far as diet are either to focus on a very anti-inflammatory or a Mediterranean style diet. The ketogenic diet is obviously big news right now. So that is definitely utilized depending on if the patient's in a good place to do that or not. If they're in a very cachectic state or their weight is very low, we may or may not utilize that, but if they're in a place where it looks like they would benefit greatly from the anti-inflammatory effect of being on the ketogenic diet, we definitely introduce that. Definitely a big part of our consults with patients is spending a lot of time on the diet because we believe food is one of the greatest medicines you can put in your body if you're utilizing it properly.  

Linda Elsegood: And what's the age range of the patients that you treat? 

Melissa Coats: We have little tiny babies all the way up to, I think one of our patients right now that we have that I also believe is onLDN is 89. So we have quite the age range going on here in our clinic. I would say the majority of my patients range in their mid-twenties to like in the seventies and eighties. So we have quite the group. 

Linda Elsegood: And you were saying that you treated the lady with celiac disease. Have you treated any other autoimmune diseases? 

Melissa Coats: Yes. Of the ones that I've seen some benefit, a few patients who have lupus who've seen some benefit; in rheumatoid arthritis we have definitely seen some help in calming some of that; a lot of Crohn's and colitis. I definitely really see a lot of benefit with LDN when you bring in GI issues that are very inflammatory and sometimes immune-mediated. So it's definitely been helpful. I also have utilized it quite often with Hashimoto's thyroiditis to kind of calm the thyroid antibodies, and they seem to note that their thyroid works more efficiently and we see better numbers on labs when they're on the LDN, and less need for medication, which is nice.

Linda Elsegood: So the patients that you know are on LDN for thyroid, do you taper up slowly? How, what is your protocol for that? 

Melissa Coats: The patients mostly have been able to start at three milligrams, and I haven't really had to taper them per se, up or down. Sometimes we just watch the numbers and kind of see how they're feeling, and I may start them at three and just have them check-in with me about how they are feeling, whether that's too much, too little? It hasn't seemed to cause any major side effects, which is why I love using it so much because most people have a great response. 

I forgot about one case that I specifically wanted to tell you about. I have two patients that have autoimmune hepatitis that has been very difficult for them to wean off their steroids. And we have been utilizing LDN probably for the last year and their numbers as far as their liver markers, their AST and ALT have definitely decreased significantly since starting the low dose naltrexone, and I have finally been able to taper to a much lower dose of their steroids, which is wonderful because they hadn’t gotten to a low dose before without the LDN. And we found that using the LDN has made them much more successful and they're very excited about that. The thyroid becomes more efficient with the use of the LDN. They definitely need less medication, which is wonderful. So I usually check thyroid labs when I'm changing things up, every four to six weeks. And so definitely I've had many patients have to reduce their dose because of the LDN, which has been great.

Linda Elsegood: So when a patient comes to see you, let's just say a cancer patient, how would you go about putting that plan together? What is the procedure you follow?

Melissa Coats: When we meet, we initially have at least an hour consultation. We have really extensive forms that they fill out ahead of time, so that I have a really good understanding of their history, and we try to request records so we’re already in the know of what's going on so that we can spend a lot of time talking with each other about goals and where they want to begin.

While we're in consult, we actually type up a protocol so that they leave with a piece of paper that says what labs they are going to get., what treatment plans and treatment options we are interested in doing, whether that's IV or starting low dose naltrexone or some supplements. And then we make sure that there's a clear understanding if we need to check-in and get a diet diary, or what changes should be made immediately.

So they leave with that protocol in their hands so that they feel like not only did we meet and get a good understanding of what's going on, but we have a plan in action that first day, which I think is very powerful in making a patient feel empowered about taking control of their health. And we also kind of keep updating that protocol each time we meet so that if a supplement doesn't work out or we need to add something, they know exactly what's going on and can keep track, which is helpful to everybody involved.

Linda Elsegood: I was speaking to Dr Berkson, and he taught me that alpha-lipoic acid is to be taken intravenously, that it wasn't as effective in tablet form. And the other day somebody was telling me that no, the tablet form works just as well as the intravenous. So I'm now confused. Has it changed? What's your take on it? Exactly. 

Melissa Coats: My understanding is with IVs, you're bypassing the GI and you're getting full absorption; whereas orally you'd have to take a lot more, and obviously the doses are different. The IV amount we go up to is about 600 milligrams, whereas orally we're giving someone up to 1200 milligrams a day. Typically we use both, so when they're not here, they're on it orally. And then when they're in an office, they don't need to take their oral dose that day because they're getting the IV version of it  But from a strengths perspective, and I'll have to check the latest studies, I guess now that you say that, my understanding from Dr Berkson and his protocol that I've been utilizing for a number of years now, that the IV seems to be pretty vital.

Linda Elsegood: That's what he told me, so I've just wanted to check that. 

Melissa Coats: We haven't changed our protocols yet as far as I know. When I can't get numbers to move from oral dosages of things, I definitely bring in the IV protocols, and that seems to make a difference. 

Linda Elsegood: And what about vitamin C taken intravenously? Is that really effective that way? 

Melissa Coats: For absorption issues and things like that? I would say yes, because, from the standpoint of orally, most people can't handle maybe roughly above six to eight grams because it causes a lot of GI distress, even if it's buffered, whereas IV we give people up to a hundred grams, which is way past what anyone could take orally. We know that that creates a different type of stress on the cells, that it can help with reducing vascular endothelial growth factor and other inflammatory markers related to cancer.

Linda Elsegood: And if you read about vitamin C and it talks about water-soluble fat-soluble and it's flushing out of your system if you take too much, or you take too much intravenously.

Melissa Coats: It’s pretty much individualized as well. Some people can't handle certain doses. There are some patients that feel great at 40 grams, and others that can take a hundred grams and feel just as great. So it kinda depends on the person. There are tests to check also whether their plasma level of vitamin C, so that's something that we have utilized in the past.

And then based on our clinical knowledge from using it for a long time. We have kind of figured out where people tend to do well. Yes, it doesn't stay in you forever. It is leaving the body, and there's a lot that's going through the kidneys and being voided out, but for the time that it is in the body and doing what it's doing to the cells.

And if you come on a fairly regular basis, you are creating an environment that is, less available for cancer to grow. So you're creating an environment that is not what they will utilize. So that's why we use it so often. We also use alpha-lipoic acid because it's a powerful antioxidant. And then some of the other nutrients that are out there too. 

Linda Elsegood: A few years ago I had an operation, and as I came to I was in quite a bit of pain, and they gave me intravenous paracetamol, and I was thinking to myself, the pain was quite bad, and I was wondering why they are giving me paracetamol? You know, that's not gonna do any good. And it worked. I was absolutely pieced. I thought, paracetamol isn't very strong, but apparently, it's stronger if it's taken intravenously, as it goes through the metabolism by the liver. It just goes right in. I was surprised at that.

So, vitamin C, minerals, and supplements. Do you have any favourite ones? I mean, obviously, it's individually tailored to the person. But on the whole, what would you say? 

Melissa Coats: We utilize a lot in the oncology world, things that basically kinda change the terrain for cancers. So one of the things that I've utilized a lot is modified citrus pectin, which targets galectin-3, and by lowering that, you allow protection of good, healthy cells and keep other tissues healthy. So, for example, with a woman with breast cancer in one breast, you want to try and protect the other breast. So that we found that this can be helpful. And if she's going to be having surgery or a biopsy, having this on board can kind of help prevent the spread of the other rogue cells. In studies, that's what's been confirmed. So it's something that we've utilized a lot. 

And I use some mushrooms, a whole bunch of different ones. Coriolis mushroom, to help your white blood cells keep your immune system healthy. So that's a big one that we use. And then things that target vascular endothelial growth factor, which is basically kind of a signal for angiogenesis or blood vessels to grow around a tumour.

And so there are numerous things that target angiogenesis. One is a magnolia extract. There are other herbs as well that do that. So obviously vitamin C. And then there's some thought that if you stimulate things like the natural killer cell function with low dose naltrexone, that you may be inhibiting some of those other pathways in a roundabout way. So that's why it's a of things. Quercetin, resveratrol; and curcumin is a huge one, which is the active constituent found in turmeric. There's a lot. And that's why we constantly are trying to throw different curveballs at the immune system to help people fight cancer. And so that's why we utilize so many different things, because if you just use one agent, obviously the immune system and the cancer is going to figure that way around it. And so you want to make sure that we help. 

Linda Elsegood: Do probiotics play a role?

Melissa Coats: Oh, yes, definitely. The GI health and having a really good balanced flora of good bugs in the body is definitely key.

When I'm not focusing on cancer, I really do believe in the gut-brain connection. If your gut is unhealthy, so will your brain be unhealthy. And so making sure that you have good flora can definitely help people's mood and their anxiety and stress responses. It's pretty amazing. So I love probiotics and what they can do. 

Linda Elsegood: I was looking at probiotics, and you start off with what I would call a reasonably priced product. So I was reading the labels - this one has that many million and this one has got different strains in it. I was just lost. I didn't know what it was I should be behind. Which was the best? Is it a case of the more money you spend, the better the product you're getting, or should you be looking deeper than just the price you're paying? 

Melissa Coats: I think it's probably a combination of both. Hopefully, the more expensive products are good. If not, then they're just gouging you. But the main thing for us is it's good to get a variety of strains. So not just acidophilus always. You want to make sure you're getting lactobacillus and bifidobacterium, and you want multiple strains of those types of bacteria depending on what you're trying to work with, with the gut. Also, we're a big fan of billions versus millions because you don't know how much is actually lost or killed off into your absorption and what your stomach acid is doing to those bugs. Depending on how they're put into a capsule, there's always some that aren't going to make it. So the more, the merrier, hoping that you'll be colonizing the gut with some good stuff. I always tell people to rotate brands, and also research the brand and make sure that however they have them, they can prove that when they get their product on the shelf, that those bugs are still alive in there if they're supposed to be, and not been heat shocked in transit and are no longer anything other than a pill filled with nothing. So it may be that that is cost-prohibitive, but normally most of the products that are pretty good are similar in price. 

I think that there's some that are really high in the billions that are intensive protocols that you may only be doing for a week or two, that may be more costly. It just kinda depends, which is why we recommend you usually see someone who has done the research versus just buying a product at the grocery store that's just been sitting on the shelf for you have no idea how long. And so it's good to kind of find that out before you spend the money and then are disappointed.

Oh, vitamin D is another one. Yes, it also depends on the person's absorption. Sometimes I've switched patients from a capsule form to a liquid form and have them hold it under their tongue because they didn't seem to be getting anything from their capsule. And that could be a reflection of the way they absorb through their GI, or if it needs to be more sublingual in their case. And usually, the dose probably needs to be higher than they thought it needed to be. Based on our labs, if someone's our range - here for example, one of the labs we use the range is 30 to 100, and we like to see people between 60 and 80. And so that may take them taking 10,000 units a day for a while, and then they may be able to ramp back, or they may have to take more than that depending on their absorption status. But you kind of play with what seems to work for them. And yeah, there's a lot of different brands on the market. 

Linda Elsegood: What about omega-3s?

Melissa Coats: Yes. The key thing with omega-3s for me is making sure that it's a very pure product, that it's not from fish that are in a farm lot being fed dog food or something horrible like that. They need to be deep-sea coldwater fish, hopefully sustainably raised. And then the capsules themselves, when you're looking at it, you want to make sure that they're fresh. So hopefully the product has some sort of date on it that tells you that those haven't been sitting and becoming rancid.

The key is to look at the EPA and DHA content. If it's fish oil it'll typically show you EPA and DHA, and you want that to add up to over a thousand milligrams within just one or two capsules versus having to take ten capsules to get there because otherwise, you're not getting the benefit of the anti-inflammatory effect, the good healthy cholesterol effect and everything else that goes along with it.

Linda Elsegood: I was talking to a nutritionist a few years ago now. And she was saying if you had an inferior product, they usually have vitamin A in them. And the more tablets you take, the more vitamin A you're taking and you can overdose on vitamin A.

Melissa Coats: Yeah, you've really got to make sure it's a pure product. That could be bad. And that will give you a nasty headache and make you not feel good at all. But the one I believe that we carry here, as far as I know, is just really focused on the omegas aspect of it.

Linda Elsegood: Yes. And what about people who are vegans? Can you take flaxseed oil to do the same?  

Melissa Coats: You could do flax or chia seeds. Also just eating healthy oils like avocado oil, olive oil, coconut oil. You know, there's a lot of different ways to get in. Omega fatty acids that do not necessarily require a fish or krill.

Linda Elsegood: I was reading the other day an article on coconut oil where they were saying that previous research was incorrect and it wasn't as healthy as they made out. What is your stance on that?

Melissa Coats: I don't think it's the healthiest oil, but definitely, but I still see some benefit in using it, particularly the medium-chain triglycerides that come from coconut oil. Or we use MCT oil sometimes instead of just coconut oil. But if someone is just occasionally throwing a little bit of coconut oil into their smoothie, I haven't seen it detrimentally affect them and I've seen some good studies with Alzheimer's and Parkinson's research, that it helps the brain. So the MCT from coconut oil is helpful. 

I think it's also a matter of where you're getting it. If it's this big tub of coconut oil from a big box store, that may not be great versus actually getting small organic coconut oil, which might be a better option. With the ketogenic diet, they often mentioned using MCT oil does help supplement your fat content. And that's been a very pure product, and it usually doesn't have a coconut taste, but it's from coconuts. So people can use that if they don't like the coconut flavour. 

And it's nice because if you need to gain weight, it's a good way to add a hundred calories or more. Most people are not looking for that, but sometimes in the oncology world, we need to help people get more out of their meals. And because that doesn't have a taste like coconut oil, it's helpful. I don't think coconut oil is horrible, but I definitely don't recommend it to be someone's only source of fat for sure. And definitely, it is not an oil that cooks well at high heat. It will actually oxidize it and make it an unhealthy thing. So we usually recommend people use avocado oil for that. 

Linda Elsegood: Wonderful. The half an hour is up. It's gone very quickly. This was Dr Melissa coats and thank you so much. Before we go, can you tell people how they can contact you? 

Melissa Coats: Yes. You can contact us through our website at www.listenandcare.com, or you can give us a call at (480) 990-1111. And you can even have a 10-minute free consultation if you like.

Linda Elsegood: Oh wow, so we have nothing to lose and everything to gain. 

Melissa Coats: Thank you so much for having me.

Linda Elsegood: This show is sponsored by Dickson Chemist, experts in LDN and associated treatments in the UK. Dickson Chemist, the most cost-effective for LDN in all forms within the UK and Europe. They are maintaining safety standards far in excess of what is required. Why would you choose to get your LDN from anywhere else? Call 0800 027 6910 today to speak to the LDN experts.

Any questions or comments you may have, please Contact Us on our website at https://ldnresearchtrust.org/contact_us. 

I look forward to hearing from you. Thank you for joining us today. We really appreciate your company. Until next time, stay safe and keep well.

Tracy Magerus, NMD – 15th August 2018 (LDN, low dose naltrexone) from LDN Research Trust on Vimeo.

Dr Tracy Magerus shares her Low Dose Naltrexone (LDN) experience on the LDN Radio Show with Linda Elsegood.

Dr Tracy Magerus is an MD from Phoenix, Arizona. Having graduated in 2009, she has been in private practice for nearly ten years giving her a great depth of valuable experience. 

She had previously heard of Low Dose Naltrexone (LDN) during her studies in the late 2000s, but first prescribed it for one of her patients in 2012 where within weeks she noticed improvements in their overall health.

Dr Magerus currently has over 25 patients on LDN and considers it a vital tool in her naturopathic arsenal.

This is a summary of Dr Tracy Magerus’ interview. Please listen to the rest of Dr Magerus’ story by clicking on the video above.

Dr Sajad Zalzala - 4th July 2018 (LDN, low dose naltrexone) from LDN Research Trust on Vimeo.

Dr Sajad Zalzala shares his Low Dose Naltrexone (LDN) experience on the LDN Radio Show with Linda Elsegood.

Dr Sajad Zalzala, commonly known as Dr Z, combines unique qualities of an experienced doctor passionate about disease prevention and longevity, and a serial entrepreneur. Sajad has been passionate about slowing down and reversing age-related diseases for 20 years. 

He decided to become a doctor after reading Ray Kurzweil’s books. He became interested in integrative and functional medicine as a medical student. He currently sits on the board of the International College of Integrative Medicine (ICIM).

For the last several years, he has run an online clinic dedicated to prescribing LDN to patients across the US and most of Canada and has treated over 1,000 patients with LDN.

This is a summary of Dr Sajad Zalzala’s interview. Please listen to the rest of Dr Z’s story by clicking on the video above.

Dr Laura Blevin - April 4th 2018 (LDN, low dose naltrexone) from LDN Research Trust on Vimeo.

Dr Laura Blevins from Portland in Oregon, a naturopathic doctor is sharing your experience with Low Dose Naltrexone.

I believe I heard about LDN for the first time back to my first year in medical school. One of my professors who teaches the gastroenterology classes was a very big proponent  Low Dose Naltrexone and introduced us to it pretty early in some of our pathology classes. He was bringing it about in the context of autoimmune disease and my father has had multiple sclerosis since the mid-1970s.

I actually use personally as well. I have Hashimoto's and I largely credit LDN with helping to get my Hashimoto's into remission. And I probably write at least a dozen prescriptions for it a week because I see so frequent autoimmune disease in my practice.

Most patients I'll start with 1.5 milligrams at that time for a week, and then we double it to three milligrams for a week. And then we go up to 4.5 milligrams and as long as they tolerate that, that's the dose that we stay at and I do kind of give them a heads up that some of the more common side effects include restlessness and vivid dreams.

But I let them know with each dose increase that if they start to experience those side effects and that it's bothersome to them, that they need to call or send me a message and check-in so that we can discuss options because I have a few patients that are very sensitive and need to stay at that lower dose and still get good benefits from it, but they can't tolerate the higher dosages.

The children I've used it for the youngest was aged six. We were using it for severe allergies.

And I started her with a quarter milligram and then we ended up moving up to a half milligrams into three-quarters of a milligram. And she ended up staying at a milligram and we did six months worth of therapy and then tapered her off of it and remarkably so far. And we're about a year and a half out.

Now, her allergies are completely gone and have not come back.

She's kind of one of my miracle cases. She had done allergy shots and was on high dose anti-allergy medications every day that made her very drowsy and less functional in her life.

And their parents were so happy that we found this other answer for her.

I've I always counsel my patients about kind of what I call the basic treatment guidelines, exercises, good clean diets, stress management, good sleep.

I look int food intolerances. I do a lot of food allergy testing in my practice or counsel patients on how to do elimination diets.

For good sleep, I talk with them a lot about sleep hygiene, about having a good bedtime routine that generally does not include any kind of screens. I talked with them about how screens inhibit our natural melatonin production and usually counsel them to read a good book before bed, but not anything too exciting.

And especially if they have issues with insomnia, I generally recommend that they read the dictionary or an old college textbook.

And getting to bed at a decent hour, preferably earlier than 11 o'clock, midnight. Oftentimes employing things like white noise machines, because a lot of people tend to be very light sleepers and wake up frequently too small things.

And sometimes as simple as just running an old fan in their bedroom will dramatically improve the quality of their sleep.

I have four basic supplements that I recommend for most patients. Omega 3, probiotics, magnesium and B vitamins.

Another important thing I tell my patients is about the research that shows the opiates can sensitize the brain to pain and over time become less effective and can actually make their pain seem worse. And so that's always an end goal trying to get them off of their narcotics and I talk with them about LDN. It will help to decrease the inflammation, make them feel better by increasing endorphin levels and can help to moderate their pain.

And so I usually taper them down very slowly, give them lots of other kinds of anti-inflammatories curcumin and once they can make it completely off their narcotics for 24 hours, I usually actually have them start at 4.5 milligrams and I actually have been started at 4.5 milligrams of LDN twice a day.

For the first couple of months, oftentimes I find that that helps dramatically with some of the withdrawal symptoms from coming off of the narcotics. They don't get as severe diarrhoea. They have less nausea and sweating and all those kinds of common, narcotic withdrawal symptoms.

 For anxiety and depression symptoms, oftentimes I prescribe herbal things or trying to do some genetic testing, kind of back to that MTHFR genetic pathway and oftentimes that's a major factor.

And once we can kind of get them sorted out with their neuro-transmitters and being on appropriate levels of the B vitamins that their anxiety and depression can improve dramatically.

Patients can contact me through www.wholesomefamilymedicine.com in Southern Oregon.

Summary of Dr Laura Blevins interview. Watch the video for full interview.

Dr Ted Cole - 3rd Jan 2018 from LDN Research Trust on Vimeo.

Dr Ted Cole shares his Low Dose Naltrexone (LDN) experience on the LDN Radio Show with Linda Elsegood.

Dr Ted Cole is an Integrative doctor and runs his “Cole Center of Healing” in Westchester, Ohio. He first utilised Low Dose Naltrexone (LDN) for hashimotos and thyroid problems, but quickly discovered it was invaluable for all types of autoimmune conditions. 

He treats a broad spectrum of diseases and does various methods of testing to evaluate the illness and monitor improvement. Dr Cole looks for vitamin and mineral deficiencies as well. 

Many of us are unaware we are lacking sufficient Vitamin D, magnesium, potassium, Vitamin C, and B complex. He wishes more doctors were aware of LDN for cancer and highlights LDN and it’s efficacy and safety.

This is a summary of Dr Ted Cole’s interview. Please listen to the rest of Dr Cole’s story by clicking on the video above.

Erin's experience of Low Dose Naltrexone (LDN) for Hypopituitary or  Secondary adrenal insufficiency, Hashimoto's Thyroiditis, Lupus  and Depression.