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LDN, Crohn's and Me - Peter Boyd

I have had crohn’s disease for some 12 years now and have had a section of my intestine and a part of my small bowel removed. They then put you on steroids that seem to ease the pain and make life a little more bearable, but the problem is still there as you know there is no cure for this illness and it is the most intrusive disease known. It affects your whole way of life, no more going out and relaxing having a drink or going to a restaurant and eating what you want, now it’s a case of “let’s plan every trip based on are there toilets nearby?” or “we cant attend that restaurant as they do not food that is suitable.” There is also the embarrassment side of the illness that we all know about, and I won’t touch on in this letter.

Taking steroids helps the spasms in the gut and eases the pain, but do we really know what the drugs are doing to our bodies? We put on weight in a rapid style, and no matter what you do it’s hard to get the weight back off. They can also cause mood swings, depression and brittle bones.

I have been taking steroids for years, and any time I was ill the doctors put you into hospital, stick you on a drip, starve you of food and water and pump you full of steroids and morphine. This is no way to live, but it’s the only way we can get relief-until now.
I was first introduced to LDN by a friend who suffers from MS, and read all about the tests that have been done and the outcomes of crohn’s patients being on the drug. Tests have shown that the scarring and blisters go away, the redness of the intestine walls are a thing of the past and the lining is now pink. To others who read this article this will make no sense but to the worst-hit cases of crohn’s this is like 6 numbers on the lottery.

Since I started to take the LDN I have noticed a vast improvement in my wellbeing. I have more energy and drive in the morning, I also have started to eat much better, I am finding I can eat fruit again without having to run to the bathroom, I have found the freedom of walking again without the worry of my stomach playing up, have found my moods to be much better and feel friendlier towards people-I have even been out to a bar and had a couple of drinks.

Don’t get me wrong, it is early days yet but so far I am being positive and there are a few side effects of starting to take the new medicine, you have to build up slowly on the dosage, as if you start at the maximum then you find yourself with a bad stomach and you feel rubbish (found it out the hard way) so start at a low dose and build it up slowly. Like every drug it takes a few days, but once you have it under control you will notice an improvement within days.

I am now looking forward to a more comfortable life and hope that this will help you realize that steroids are not the way forward. I have left my email address with Linda if anyone needs a friend to talk to regarding this.

Many Thanks
Peter Boyd