Hello Everyone,

      I'm new to the Group, but saw SunAngel's posting and wanted to respond because we have seen incredible results using Low Dose Naltrexone.  My daughter has Hepatitis B (which we found out after we adopted her about 6 years ago).  We started using CAM treatments (Lipoic Acid, Cysteine (NAC), rotations of Chinese Medicines, Essential Fatty Acids, liquid vitamins/minerals, etc.) to treat her horrific eczema and food allergies about 3 years ago.  We saw great improvement in her eczema and food allergies - but we also saw a benefit to her Hepatitis B.  These treatments (I believe) jump started her immune system and it finally started fighting the virus.   

     Being a young child, however, her immune system was not strong enough to totally kick the virus out of her body.  Since her body was fighting the virus, as is common place in Hep B, the liver enzymes levels (ALT/AST) started rising.   We had a liver biopsy done (grade of 2 for both inflammation and scarring) in 2007 and knew we needed treatment in the near future.   We were working with a Gastroenterologist, but I also went to our Functional Medicine practitioner (FMP).  She recommended we try Low Dose Naltrexone to see if it would help further stimulate my daughter's immune system.   She (the FMP) had been using it for other patients with immune system issues (cancer, etc.). 

      I did research into it and the growing medical area of how our bodies own endogenous opioids (those produced by our own bodies, such as Endorphins, Enkephalins, Dynorphins, and Endomorphins), exogenous opioids (such as morphine), as well as opioid antagonists (such as Naltrexone) can positively or negatively affect the body's immune system (depending upon the dosage taken and the body's opioid receptors impacted).  We decided to try LDN (Low Dose Naltrexone) to see if it would further help her immune system fight the virus.  Since it was being successfully used in other diseases where the immune system is not properly functioning, the side effects were miniscule (mainly sleep issues when first starting it), and it was less than $1 a day, I thought it was definitely worth a try for us.       

      We saw incredible results on the next set of lab results (a month after starting LDN in 2007).  My daughter's ALT/AST range went from around the 200 range, down to the normal range, her viral load went down into the tens of thousands (from the Millions).  After a few months on LDN (as well as the other CAM therapies we continued to use that I mentioned above), she sero-converted the 'e' Antigen and gained the 'e' Antibody (losing the HBeAG and gaining the HBeAB).  Currently, her liver enzymes are in the perfect range and her viral load is miniscule.   We are continuing on the same LDN protocol (but we increased the dosage from 1.5 mg a day to 3.0 mg a day recently), as well as Antioxidants, Probiotics, rotations of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Essential Fatty Acids, etc..  I am hoping and praying that we will also achieve a full sero-conversion of the ‘s’ Antigen (and gain the HBsAB / surface Antibody) and be totally cured of the Hep B.  While I know that it is extremely rare, I believe it will happen in time. 

     We have been incredibly blessed!  Out of gratitude, I recently started a Yahoo Group called Hepatitis_Children_and_CAM_Alternatives to document our story and the stories of others who are using CAM treatments to treat all forms of Hepatitis.  My goal is to document these CAM treatments from patients in enough detail (i.e. with lab values such as ALT, AST, Viral Load, etc.) to send it to the medical researchers, so that it spurs further clinical studies and ultimately may assist many with Hepatitis.  I have already sent our Case Study (as well as clinical studie abstracts from NIH/PUBMed's website on Opioids / Naltrexone) to researchers at two Medical Universities to spur interest in LDN and CAM.   Additionally, on the Yahoo Group, we have a growing body of medical research into Naltrexone (including how Opioids affect the Immune System), Antioxidants, Traditional Chinese Medicine, Probiotics, etc.   It’s a relatively new Yahoo Group and we are slowly growing.  We welcome both adults and children who are affected by Hepatitis (especially B, C, AutoImmune) to join.  If this is an area that interests you, please feel free to join us. 

      I thought I would share our story with you. 

     God's blessings to you on your journey of health and wholeness.....  

To believe in miracles is a …. Glorious Hope