WHAT TO EXPECT FROM LOW DOSE NALTREXONE

[Guest guest]

I wrote this for the LDNforFibro group but I thought it would also be good to post it here. Please feel free to pass it on or place it in the files of other groups also if you so desire.

WHAT TO EXPECT FROM LOW DOSE NALTREXONE

Low Dose Naltrexone isn’t a cure for any disease. Neither is it a mood alterer or a pain killer. However, it may make your symptoms seem less intense, make you feel better and take away some of your pain.

Low Dose Naltrexone is a drug that was originally prescribed for drug addicts. At 50 mg doses, it fills the cell’s natural opiate receptors, thus preventing addicts from feeling high. That is why it can’t be taken with any opiate-type drug.

Then it was discovered that at doses of 1.5 mg to 4.5 mg it causes the body to produce endorphins. These not only make people feel good but they help to boost the immune system and lower pain levels.

Low Dose Naltrexone can help people with autoimmune diseases such as Multiple Sclerosis, Crohns, Rheumatoid Arthritis, and Lupus as well as HIV/AIDS, Cancer and children with Autism. Also, because of the way it works to lower pain levels and boost the immune system, it is being used to treat people with Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

Low Dose Naltrexone is a drug. Because of this it does have some side effects. However, the dose is so low these side effects are minimal and don’t usually last for more than a week. Many people report they have no side effects.

Here is the link to a page that tells about the side effects:http://www.webspawner.com/users/sideeffectsofldn/index.html

Be sure to give Low Dose Naltrexone time to work. While some people do report some symptom relief right away, it may take up to 6 months to feel the full effects of the drug in your system.

In the Stanford Pilot Study for Fibromyalgia and LDN, there was a reported 30% reduction of symptoms in the 10 people who participated. However, since 4 of these people didn’t respond within the trial period of 58 days, this was a little misleading. Instead, if you just consider the 6 people that did have a lessening of symptoms within the trial period, they reported a 60% reduction in symptoms. It is hoped that in the longer trial that is currently taking place, the percentages will prove to be even higher.

You may actually feel worse right at first as your body reacts to the changes that are taking place. It depends on the person as well as the medications they are currently on or previously took. This doesn’t usually last over a week or two, but of those who do persist in taking the drug, they usually report they are glad they did.

While some doctors recommend starting LDN at 1.5 mg and increasing to 3 mg and then 4.5 mg, others say it is better to start out at 4.5 mg and then lower to 3 mg if needed to get the most results in the shortest amount of time. It depends on the person’s illness and their personal preference. Learn all you can about LDN and make the choice that you feel is right for you.

Most people take LDN at bedtime but it can be taken any time between 9:00 pm and 3:00 am. There are rare occasions that a person is unable to sleep after dosing and these people have reported that morning works better for them. Start with LDN at bedtime and if after a week or two you are still having problems, it is alright to take it in the am. Later, when you are more accustomed to its affects, you could try to switch to nighttime dosing. Again, this is up to you and what feels right for you.

There have also been people who reported that after they have been on LDN for a while, they start to feel worse. This can be caused by several different things. First, check your diet. Food allergies can cause this, especially gluten (wheat and rye) and Casein (milk) allergies.

An outbreak of Candida can also be a cause. If you already have an overgrowth of Candida, LDN can cause it to come to the surface. There are several ways of treating it. There are drugs you can get from your doctor, Homeopathic Anti-candida formulas, herbs and probiotics that are all good treatments to use. You may have to be persistent and use a combination of treatments to get it and keep it under control.

If these things don’t work, you may want to try a drug holiday. This means to skip taking a dose occasionally. This is because some people may accumulate a build-up of Naltrexone in their system. This is rare, but it has been reported to happen in some individuals.

To get more information about Low Dose Naltrexone and to find information you can print out to take to your doctor, you can check out these online pages:

http://www.low dose naltrexone.org/

http://www.ldners.org/

http://www.ldndatabase.com/

LDN_information/ (This is a group you can join)

Stanford's research paper - Low-Dose Naltrexone Reduces the Symptoms of Fibromyalgia:http://snapl.stanford.edu/research/ldn.htmlPubMed - Fibromyalgia symptoms are reduced by low-dose naltrexone: a pilot study:http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19453963Medscape - Low-dose naltrexone for disease prevention and quality of life:http://www.medscape.com/medline/abstract/19041189Medpage Today - Low-Dose Naltrexone Eases Pain and Fatigue of Fibromyalgia:http://www.medpagetoday.com/Rheumatology/Fibromyalgia/13785WebMD - Naltrexone May Ease Fibromyalgia Symptomshttp://www.webmd.com/fibromyalgia/news/20090417/naltrexone-may-ease-fibromyalgia-symptoms

There are also several small articles that are in the Files section of the LDNforFibro group’s homepage. These include Drugs not to take with LDN and a list of other LDN groups. Just click on Files on the left side of the page. The above links to websites are also included in the Links section.

Good luck with your journey with LDN. And if you have any further questions, feel free to ask them on the list.

Judy HTo better health through knowledgeStarted taking LDN on 1/21/2009 for Fibromyalgia, Hypothyroid, PCOS and Restless Legs SyndromeLDNforFibro/