LDN upregulates the body’s endorphins and met-enkephalins (met enkephalin known as OGF - Opioid Growth Factor), as well as the receptors for the endorphins and OGF to attach onto. The goal is to have LDN antagonising the receptors for around 4 hours.
This then allows for the remaining 20 hours of the day for the upregulated levels of endorphins and OGF to interact with the upregulated receptors. It is this cell interaction that inhibits inflammation, pain and cell proliferation.
With cancer the science has proven it’s the upregulated levels of the body’s OGF that slow down the proliferation of cancer cells. That’s why Dr Zagon refers to met enkephalin as the Opioid Growth Factor (OGF) - stops the growth of cells (in this case cancerous cells).
Some cancers are low in receptors, others with OGF so taking LDN upregulates both. So you want to maximise on the amount of time for OGF to interact with its receptor to stop the cancer cells from multiplying/proliferating.
Remember the higher the dose the longer the blockade and less time for the OGF and OGF receptors to do their job. According to Dr Zagon who researches LDN and has been for over 30 years, it is imperative we understand this when using LDN for cancer.
Therefore Dr Zagon recommends a dose of 3mg to ensure you have at least 20 hours for the OGF to stop the cancer cells from growing.
Response, dudley: Dr. Bihari in his medical practice proved that 4.5 mg is necessary for some people to get the full benefit of LDN. Most of the LDN studies involving humans used 4.5 mg. If a person with cancer needs a dose of 4.5 to get the full benefit of LDN, reducing the dose to 3 mg would be counterproductive.
Doctors who prescribe no more than 3 mg of LDN for their patients are making a BIG mistake. It’s the same mistake that Dr. Bihari made when first using LDN to treat various conditions in his medical practice. Eventually, a patient inadvertently took 4.5 mg one night, and the next day had a dramatic improvement in her condition. By the time this video interview was made, most of Dr. Bihari’s patients were on either 3 or 4.5 mg:
http://tinyurl.com/bihari-interview-2003
When it comes to LDN, due to individual differences, one size definitely does NOT fit all. We each have go find the dose that works best for us and then stick to it religiously.
Francie : If both 3 and 4.5 give the same results, then the lesser amount is the best choice. For those with cancer, especially, the most important point is to stop cell proliferation, so using the least possible, is by far the best answer. While the LDN is in the receptor sites, it is encouraging cell proliferation. While the LDN is NOT in the receptor sites, it is inhibiting the cell proliferation. There is a lot more to it, but this should be enough to tell people that 4.5 is not necessarily the answer in the case of cancer.
Since the “benefits”; of LDN, when used for cancer, is to have the cancer stop growing, the less you take, the better.
The 4.5 mg was for a few people with Multiple Sclerosis. While I was recovering from MS, I took 4.5 mg. When I was diagnosed with cancer, I dropped it to 3 mg, as recommended by those who have studied this. The “full benefit” comes from taking as little as one can possibly take, and still cover the receptors for approximately 4 hours.
Dudley: Again, if a person with cancer needs a dose of 4.5 mg to get the full benefit of LDN, reducing the dose to 3 would be counterproductive. Also there were more than “a few” people with MS and other conditions who needed at least 4.5 mg. Dr. Bihari said that most of his patients were on either 3 or 4.5, not most of his patients were on 3 with “a few” on 4.5
Initially every patient was on 3, but it became clear that 4.5 worked better for some, regardless of whether they had MS or not.