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So I’ve mentioned before (here and here) some of the ways in which taking Low Dose Naltrexone, or LDN, has affected my sleep patterns. I’d heard from other folks that these symptoms would be temporary. But let’s be realistic here…. I’ve been taking LDN since early November and not much has changed. At least, not until this last week or so.
The two most notable characteristics of LDN sleep have been (for me, anyway), a lack of any experience of falling asleep (which is to say that I lay there, wide awake, and the next thing I know, it’s morning. There’s no sense of falling asleep.), and incredibly vivid and complex dreams (which, notably, I actually remember having… not something I generally did before LDN).
Within the last week or so, though, things have begun to shift. It’s difficult to tell when this started happening, but I’m noticing a couple of things now. I’m becoming increasingly aware of being sleepy, for one. The last 3 months have been an interesting time, when falling asleep has been more of an event than a process. I’d be laying in bed, wide awake, feeling definitively NOT sleepy and wondering if I’d be able to fall asleep. Suddenly, in the blink of an eye, it’s morning!
Another interesting development is that my dreams seem to be quieting down. They are still pretty vivid, but I don’t seem to be able to remember them as well. Also, the imagery in them is much less graphic. I’m of mixed feelings about this: One the one hand, I was finding the content of my dreams (and the ability to remember them for a while) to be fascinating and inspiring. On the other hand, they left me feeling exhausted and worn out.
Overall, I’d say that my sleep is getting more restful. I’m waking up more able to function, and I’m hitting the snooze button fewer times before rolling out of bed. Am I getting actual therapeutic benefit from the LDN? I’m leaning towards yes, but not with absolute conviction. My patches of psoriasis have pretty much stabilized and aren’t getting any smaller, but I have noticed that any trace of onycholysis seems to have cleared up, so that’s good. I’d feel a lot more convinced, however, if the inflamed skin on my ears and head went away. In the meantime, I’ll continue to be patient.
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Hey, this is the first time I’ve posted on here, only recently found the site today, really helpful, just wondering how the LDN has been going for chron’s? were you in remission before you started taking it, and what other meds were you on? I’m almost on 2 months of Pred, (recently diagnosed w suspected Chron’s), symptoms went away then recently came back I’ve had to up the dosage, I’ve been eating SCD for almost 3/4 Months now also, I guess I’d rather try something less invasive than start on immunosupressants like imuran
Hi Josh. Thanks for asking… I didn’t realize how long it had been since I’d posted anything about LDN! Overall, I’m pleased with the results. My sleep has been erratic lately though, so I’m considering asking my Dr. to reduce the dosage to see if that helps. I feel it’s been a key ingredient in maintaining my remission. To answer your other questions… I started taking LDN shortly after a surgically-induced remission (a resection to remove all inflamed gut tissue). I didn’t even know I had Crohn’s until after the surgery, so I’ve been fortunate not to have to take any powerful meds yet. So far, I’ve been successful in maintaining my remission using SCD, LDN, and supplementation. If you’ve been following SCD for 3-4 months, then you should be just at the tipping point. It’s *very* common for folks to flare at the 3-4 month mark before moving into long-term remission. I hope you’re able to get off the steroids soon. Those are nasty drugs! Whether or not LDN will help induce remission for you, I can’t really say. I know that some people have found it useful in causing remission, while others, like me, have found it useful for maintaining it.