LDN Video Interviews and Presentations

Kelly - US: Lupus, Rheumatoid Arthritis (LDN, low dose naltrexone) from LDN Research Trust on Vimeo.

Kelly from the United States uses Low Dose Naltrexone (LDN) for Lupus and Rheumatoid Arthritis.

"After my third pregnancy in 1985, I never really got to feeling well after that. Low on energy. I mean, just could not function through an entire day. I worked on a ranch south of where we live, and it was a 30-mile drive, but it was out in the country. So on the way down in the mornings, I would feel tired but on the way home, I would go into a black tunnel. I couldn't have the sheets on my bed to touch my feet. It was just excruciating pain. I was having symptoms of Rheumatoid arthritis plus I was having symptoms of Lupus.

Then I started going to rheumatologists, and so he put me on Methotrexate, which I just couldn't see that much progress. There was several of us ladies that were going to the same rheumatologists plus we had mutual friends. One of them used to be on a couch for weeks and she told me she was on Low Dose Naltrexone (LDN) and was feeling much better.

And so we went all started going to dr. Berkson from that point. I was prescribed with ALA along with the Low Dose Naltrexone (LDN) and so it took me probably a good six months to a year before I was totally weaned off of the Methotrexate and the antidepressants, and really starting to feel like a real person again.

I started having my own thoughts again and feeling like I could work again because whenever I was on the Methotrexate and the antidepressants, I couldn't even drive.

And so whenever I finally got to the point that I could drive again, and I actually went back to work again, and I felt whole again. That point is wonderful.

I'm still tired of demands of the day, but I'm working in a hardware store managing a hardware store. And so it's hard work, but  I can drive myself home at night without falling asleep. And I sleep well at night. So being tired at the end of the day is a good thing, but not being tired all day is also an extra bonus.

If there's a change of weather coming I know it, because my pain and swelling of the joints returns.

I will get those when low pressure comes in, and they'll swell just a little bit. But other than that I don't have any pain.

I am on LDN probably for 9 years.I felt good for probably eight years. It's just amazing. I can't even describe what a different life is now than it was.

And I used to get an extreme migraine after the third pregnancy. I've had an hysterectomy,  kidney stones. I've had every cold, every flu, every stomach bug, everything that came through. I was constantly sick, and I was in the hospital more than I was out. I haven't had a cold probably in five years.

Extract from Kelly's interview.

Please listen to the video for the full story.

Julie - Australia: Hashimoto's Thyroiditis (LDN, low dose naltrexone) from LDN Research Trust on Vimeo.

Julie is from Australia and takes LDN for Hashimoto’s disease. She was diagnosed in 2007, but looks back on having symptoms several years before. She was tired all the time, losing her hair, had dry skin, couldn’t eat well and living on one meal a day, had aches throughout her body, started to lose strength and muscle, depression, had brain fog almost every day, frequent urination, constipation, loss of balance, dry eyes, blurred vision, cold hands and feet – her hands would go numb in air conditioning - sensitivity to heat, tightness in the throat, neck pain, feeling her head too heavy for her neck to hold up, and limited neck range of motion. She had an internal tremor that made her feel weak; and air hunger as if not getting enough oxygen despite deep breathing. She had low blood pressure and body temperature.

The symptoms started to impact her job and social life. An ultrasound showed 2 nodules on her thyroid and a shrunken left side of the thyroid. Initially she refused medication, thinking she could get better on her own. She went to a naturopath to try for a natural way to heal, but 12 months later had to go on medication. She chose natural desiccated thyroid and got some good from it balancing her hormones, but symptoms didn’t go away no matter how much doctors tweaked her medication. She saw lots of doctors over 5 years, but remained debilitated by the symptoms. She attributes it to the hormone not actually entering the cells.

About 18 months ago her doctor recommended LDN and Julie researched it and decided to try it. When she started she quickly was able to reduce her thyroid medication. But then she had a bad virus lasting 3-4 weeks; then got Candida, which she heard can stop LDN from working. She got fantastic support from a Facebook group.

Julie feels her improvements from LDN are fantastic - from being sad, debilitated, and tired, to loving life and cheerful. Over the last 18 months she has gotten about 50% of her life back, and knows she’ll continue to get better. She feels she started at a quality of life of about 2 on a 10 point scale, and currently is about 7

She tells others about how good it is, and gives much credit to Deb who runs the Facebook group on beating Hashimoto’s disease with LDN.

Summary of Julie's interview, please listen to the video for the full story.

Keywords: LDN, low dose naltrexone, Hashimoto’s, thyroiditis, thyroid, thyroid nodules, natural desiccated thyroid, Candida

 Any questions or comments you may have, please contact us.

Judy - US: Sympathetic Autonomic Nervous System Disorder, PTSD (LDN, low dose naltrexone) from LDN Research Trust on Vimeo.

Linda Elsegood: I'd like to introduce Judy from the U.S. She was diagnosed with sympathetic autonomic nervous system disorder due to chronic PTSD and trauma. Thanks for joining us today, Judy. 

Judy: [00:01:13] Thank you. 

Linda Elsegood: [00:01:15] So could you tell us how old were you when you noticed you are experiencing problems with your health? 

Judy: [00:01:26] I didn't experience, I didn't know.

 I think my, now looking back, I think my mental health was, um, was a factor, um, because I, I grew up in a sick family. Basically.

So, um, you know, I mean, well, I'm not physically, I really wasn't a sick child, right. But, um, I was like in the middle of a lot of trauma in the family, a lot. And, um, I guess it affected me since I was younger. My. I, um, felt my, um, uh, like my mother, like really involved me in her life. She was, uh, she was, you know, she told me she was going to commit suicide and she would be bulimic and she, it was just like a mess.

It was until she passed. And, um. I think I think as a child I was very distraught. Uh, I, uh, I just, it just affected me. I see pictures of myself where I had like dark circles under my eyes from when I was little. So, um. You know, it's like, to the extent of it, it just, like, I'm so far past it, but it was, uh, I was in constant turmoil and, uh, and neglected, neglected.

So, um, I, I really think that it had an effect on me. 

Linda Elsegood: [00:03:33] And what about your teenage years 

Judy: [00:03:37] and my teenage years, I was just, um. You know, I, I think I tied myself to people that I shouldn't have tied myself to. I was over empathetic. Um, just did what people wanted me to do, wanted people to like me and felt ugly when I was told the opposite.

It just, um, it was like I looked back at it now and that's just the way I was, but I had no self-esteem. Um. I just, uh, I was a mess. Yeah. I was just, uh, uh, I just, I was like, I was sick and then everybody came and talked to, but it, but I didn't have anybody to talk to. And I did. I wouldn't, I was, I was in bed.

I was ashamed, really. Okay. And I kind of, I buried everything. 

Linda Elsegood: [00:04:31] And how old were you when you got married? 

Judy: [00:04:35] I was 25. 

Linda Elsegood: [00:04:39] And how was your health? 

Judy: [00:04:43] Um, my health was fine. Actually, I haven't had a fever since I was 22. Um, the neurologist actually added in that he thinks that I had an immune disorder also.

Um, and I didn't understand because I said I was checked for autoimmune and it was negative, but he said, he told me no, if there's an immune disorder, which is, he says you can't check for that. And I, I think, I know, I think I understand now a little bit more. But, um, yeah, so, um, yeah, it was a, it was a mental issue.

Then. Like I said, I would be, since I was 22, I haven't had a fever, but, um, my, uh, I see that like certain things, especially with this disease, it, um, it. Really, um, it regulates your temperature. So my temperature always was like 96, uh, regulates your blood pressure. I would, when I got my period when I was a teenager every month, it was extremely painful.

And during those painful periods, I would, uh, my, my, uh, blood pressure would dive down. My heart would race, I would sweat and I would almost pass out. And, uh, this is just the way my life was. I would just, my, my blood pressure always took a dive and, uh, but it felt like my heart was racing out of control.

 I see that even as a youth, I, I felt full fast, couldn't consume liquids, but I didn't know any better. I think that was, that was me. I was. Over concerned about my weight. I just, because I was heavy at one point and then, uh, lost weight and people treated me different and I was just, I've always been consumed about like, I had no self-esteem, no self-awareness you see that now?

And, um, and then just life was. On. I just was, I was, as I got older, I got, I was over empathetic. I was just like, I would take care of everybody and I couldn't untie myself to them. They would, I just, I'm thinking back, I can't believe the way I was, um, until now, until, um, until this pill. I wrote something on the website just saying like, it's not even half of what I thought it was, I was just, I downplayed everything. Molestation, grade, everything.  

Linda Elsegood: [00:07:45] So before you started LDN,  what would you say your health was like? 

Judy: [00:07:53] Okay, so I got to a point. Where I downplayed everything and I absorbed the pain and I would go to the gym and just accept that I would almost pass out afterwards.

And, but then I got pain. I got pain in my neck, like really bad. I couldn't ignore it. Um, and I heard cracking in my skull and even my husband heard it from the outside. Um. And nerve pain, like shot down my arm to my finger, to my trigger finger. And my hips were always inflamed, but I just absorbed it and I went to the gym.

So I, I went to, um, uh, physical therapy and I did about 15 sessions of that. And then my other side, I had an MRI on my neck and it said bone spurs and my other side, um. I had my bicep tendon inflamed. So they gave me an ultrasound, saw was inflamed and gave me a cortisone shot and, um, that didn't help.

The only thing that helped me was, um, I was prescribed Gabapentin at night. Um, and so all I took was Gabapentin and I took Xanax for 36 years to sleep because I never got tired. I had, um, I would rev up at night. Um, and that's, this is after kids if I didn't sleep. Uh, poor days. I was, I was, uh, I would, my body would get tight and I would have heart racing.

My hair was falling out. Um, uh, like in clumps, and they just said panic attacks and alopecia anxiety and gave me Paxil and, and it still was falling out today with breaking off. But now it's not. Now it's growing in. I just thought it was just like regular breakage now, but now I see the new growth and, and um, my husband doesn't see as much hair in the, in the, um, drain.

Um, I thought all this was normal. I had, you know, I just, I thought certain things were cosmetic, um, like I could on the site. My, my feet, my, I mean, people can't believe it, but my feet were blue all the time. My toes started getting numb. My right foot started turning out. Um, my eyes were always dilated. I just, uh, I think pain-wise I hit a wall.

Um, but I at least I got some relief from the Gabapentin at first before the LDN.  so. 

Linda Elsegood: [00:10:54] So when you started LDN, how long did it take before you noticed improvements in those symptoms?

Judy: [00:11:00] Well, in, I just couldn't believe it, and in like three weeks that my feet, what I thought was normal, started turning a regular color and I was, I didn't think that was possible.

I just thought these were my legs when I took that picture. That I put on this site. I, um, I, I took that picture, just sent it to my husband because my toes were down, but I thought it was the shoes and he's, and, but he even like didn't panic cause those were my feet, you know, all the time. Um, so three weeks it cleared like physical things started clearing up.

I had done it corral Asus, um, like I couldn't go to the bathroom. I always use certain things to go to the bathroom. I woke up, I started going to the bathroom. I started drinking fluids easier. Um, I didn't know that. Like that was not my normal. I started my, I wasn't full as fast and have been like that all my life, like just extended full.

Everything physically started changing. Even my depth perception, my eyes. It was like, but most of all. I got really nervous because I didn't know what was going on. I had like, I buried a lot. I had strong reactions. I see. Um. Uh, people wouldn't know this because I was joke around, but I cared about how people felt.

Everything got to me. I just like it really, I couldn't control my reactions, but I didn't voice them. I didn't communicate. And, um, uh, every, all of a sudden I'm just being like, nothing bothers me. It's very, it's very strange. I just like went from one extreme to the other, but without trying, like, without working on myself, not knowing that there was something wrong.

So, um, physically I started changing mentally. It was like just so siding. It was very, um, very straight. And my husband actually said, I think you have PTSD. And I got angry and upset because, um. That's what military people have, not, not me. No, I was embarrassed. So you know, so it just went like that and the answer, I still have the physical changes, but I just, it took me a while to get adjusted to this because it was, I was driven by extreme anxiety.

Like my father had Alzheimer's. I was afraid I was going in that direction. But I think it was the opposite. I was like, I would be so clear-minded when I didn't even know I was foggy before. And  I went into, um, I went into the city, New York with, um, with my husband to see a play with my daughter and her boyfriend.

And I was in the theatre with them and I was, I was still taking low dose naltrexone, but I was in a theatre and the theatre was extremely cold. And like everybody was cold, you know, they just, , but when I came out, I had this reaction where my insides felt weak and they were, I've never felt this way before.

I've trembled before and I used to tremble all the time, but my insides felt like they were going to come out. And now I see it. While I was getting used to this, and because of this condition, my temperature goes 93 like in the house and in the theatre, it must've been like. Dropped, um, because I've, I've actually had hypothermia before, but this was severe.

This was, um, this, I felt like I must've been going into shock. Um, but that's all I can explain too. And every day it took, so it took a while for me to get adjusted to it, um, because I just felt very strange for months. And also not myself. And I was communicating. There were things that just lifted that I didn't even know were there.

And, um, I, it, it scared me. Even sleep. Sleep was so unnatural to me and now I was tired. I was never tired before. I was all hyped up. So physically, I just, even my friend said, I drive better. I was like on and off with a gaseous, my depth perception was. Well, if I was always on guard, I see that now. Um, mentally.

Um, it was, it was hard to get used to because I was just such, I became such a different person, um, than I was. And now I can look back and I feel, I don't feel like my past, I feel like, I know I was my past, I woke up and. I had, I was also somebody who was a compulsive shopper. I woke up and  I looked around, I couldn't believe what I had.

Like I just started getting rid of things. I didn't have that feeling of, of uh, needing stuff. It's just like I, and to me it was, that's a normal person, but I didn't know I was abnormal.  I really. It's, it sounds, I always blame things on, no, just asthmatic or whatever. But as I was getting better, if somebody upset me, I can feel the tops of my, my feet tingle.

Um, my stomach was regurgitating and I actually came home from being upset, shaking, and I, I actually. We went to bed. If I cord blood from, from my rectum, it was an, I thought, well, maybe those are haemorrhoids. But now it was just my whole nervous system affecting my nerves. My feet were tingling back up.

They were called. It was just, my reactions were still getting. Um, I was getting used to it. It was quite a ride. 

Linda Elsegood: [00:17:34] What is your health like now 

Judy: [00:17:35]  It is like never before. Uh, I, first of all, I've, we, uh, my husband's a firefighter and, uh, he's also, um, on the medicine because when I was getting used to, he's also had like, he's his, he, he was like, I can't explain it.

He was like, I see that he didn't take social cues, and that was part of my. Like marriage things. So I like you went to the doctor, he put on medicine. He's totally different now. I am so totally different. I'm easy going. I drink fluids and eat differently. I have self-esteem. I've got nervous. I see that.

I must've lived my life as being nervous. I would never have been able to do this with you. I was just nervous. I see that I was depressed. I feel I guess I, I feel what normal people feel I used to put, getting, you know, this condition, it makes your swallowing like choking. Um, like all your natural reflexes are, they don't, they don't work.

The things that people don't think about. And I looked back and I. I see that I would like, I would choke on food as it younger child. Like it was just because this nervous system, everything that works that you don't think of your eyesight, your swallowing, your temperature, your heart racing, your stomach, your, um, I had chronic kidney disease because I couldn't.

Take in fluids like a normal person. It took me a whole day to drink a little bottle of water, and now I see, I can, I see it now that that's not normal, but I didn't know it before, so, um, yeah, even I was, uh, given medical marijuana and I was just like when I was in pain, I. I would try to smoke it and it would, medical marijuana always made me crazy, but it made my pain heightened and I was, I felt like an Alzheimer's patient and this is like, I didn't, I got a like a severe reaction for medical marijuana.

And now since I've been on low dose naltrexone, it is totally different than my whole life. It just calms me. Go to sleep. Um, before it used to make my whole body shake. It changed something in my body, uh, changed my whole life. And, uh, I just, I find it amazing because I didn't even know anything was wrong with me.

I just, I'm more comfortable with myself. I didn't have a strong sense of self. I never had it before. I don't. I liked my own company. I see myself differently. I don't see myself ugly anymore. I just, my, my body's totally different. I don't, I have very, um, I, I like people more. If I speak my mind, and, and it sounds strange, but I never did.

I always buried it. I was always, I would always listen to people. I was afraid they wouldn't like me. Yeah. Everything has changed. 

Linda Elsegood: [00:21:01] We've come to the end. But what a remarkable story it was amazing.

Judy: [00:21:25] That is amazing. It is amazing. Really. I'm just so grateful that if I didn't walk into that doctor if I didn't find you guys, I don't even know what would become of me so. Um, 

Linda Elsegood: [00:21:42] thank you so much for sharing your experience with us. 

Judy: Thank you, Linda. I appreciate it. 

Linda Elsegood: [00:21:53] This show is sponsored by our members who made donations.

We'd like to give them a very big thank you. We have to cover the monthly costs of the radio station software and with phone lines and phone calls to be able to continue with the show. And thank you for listening.

Any questions or comments you may have? Please email me at contact@ldnresearchtrust.org. I look forward to hearing from you. Thank you for joining us today. We really appreciate your company. Until next time, stay safe and keep well

Transcripts are only 90% accurate you can watch the video 

 

John from the United States takes Low Dose Naltrexone (LDN) for Crohn's disease.

"I was diagnosed with Crohn's when I was 19 years old. I'm 55 now. When I was about 17 years ago I had a resection done.

During the time before the resection there were times when I felt great and then there were times when I had major flare-ups where I was cramping in excruciating pain with diarrhoea, vomiting and always promising that I'll be better.

I walked around with a perforated intestine for three months and I was down to 127 pounds.

 I was in the hospital for 20 days and at that point, I came to the conclusion that I just have to come up with a plan so I started reading everything.

I finally accepted my disease and I embraced it. My life really changed a lot. I made sure that I ate what I was supposed to eat.  I had acupuncture four to six times a year. I took vitamins. I stayed away from beef and dairy.

I was only on two milligrams of prednisone every day and I was fine until my doctor told me that I had strictures and on top of that I had active crump, even though I was pretty much pain-free.

And I just freaked out because, at that point, my mom was dying of cancer. And so anything that had cancer written into it just about a death sentence for me.

So I started searching out any avenue for alternatives.

One day when I was looking for more answers, all of a sudden Low Dose Naltrexone (LDN) came up and Crystal gave me the name  an LDN doctor in my area, and she put me on a very strict diet along with some anti-inflammatory supplements like curcumin and EPA and DHA and stuff like that. On top of that, I take three milligrams of LDN, and my C reactive protein level went from a an 8 to 0.19 in two months.

The biggest thing that's really helped me with Low Dose Naltrexone (LDN) is my mental health.

One thing that I learned is that you have to accept and embrace your disease and  to search out all the answers. And I'll be honest with you. Traditional medicine is going to send you towards trying to beat it into submission whereas LDN is going to love your body and it's going to help you heal your own.

You're going to have to take on traditional medicine and you're going to have to go against your doctor. Unless you're willing to go with your traditional doctor, but there's a lot of side effects. You can't stay on that poison forever. Sooner or later, you've been happy to get off of it, and you'd have to come my way sooner or later".

Summary of John's interview. Please listen to the video for the full story.

John - US: Manic Depression, Pain (LDN, low dose naltrexone) from LDN Research Trust on Vimeo.

John from the United States who takes LDN for manic depression and first heard of LDN in April 2013.

His dear friend who was an osteopathic physician, and had severe mania and depression for a period of over eight years. She recommended LDN, because LDN he. He was experiencing a lot of anxiety and was very uptight, unable to relax was not sleeping well.

Since starting LDN he's had no pain in his body body at all, anywhere, no headaches, which he used to get all the time, and now sleeps very deeply. He felt very relaxes and finds LDN amazing!

Before LDN his quality of life was struggling to be 3 out of 10 and he said it's now 25 in just 6 months.

To listen to the full story click the video link.

Any questions or comments you may have, please contact us. I look forward to hearing from you. Thank you for joining us today. 

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Jenny - US: Ulcerative Colitis, Hashimoto’s, Autoimmune Issues, 01 Nov 2017 (LDN, low dose naltrexone) from LDN Research Trust on Vimeo.

Jenny from the US takes LDN for Ulcerative Colitis, Hashimoto's, Grave Disease and other neurological autoimmune issues. Jenny’s first symptom was ocular migraines about three years ago. Allergies increased after that, fatigue and mood swings. Jenny had heard of Low Dose Naltrexone early on in her illness as she had researched.  The first thing she tried was the Paleo diet which helped but she then saw a holistic doctor who diagnosed Hashimoto’s and Graves Disease.  Her doctor suggested Low Dose Naltrexone (LDN).  Jenny has been on LDN for 10 months and says it’s been spectacular - her food sensitivities resolved, energy levels improved, mood improved and her fatigue lessened.  Jenny now feels almost back to normal and would recommend that others try it for any autoimmune disease.

Gisli - Iceland: ME/CFS (LDN, low dose naltrexone) from LDN Research Trust on Vimeo.

Gisli had been suffering from CFS/ME since he was near 10 years old, the illness commonly known as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Low Dose Naltrexone. 

Gisli didn’t recognise the illness until he was 25 years old where he then received anti-depressants for his depression and mood swings. During this time, where he was commonly ignored by doctors, or receiving the wrong diagnosis treatment; before low dose naltrexone (LDN), Gisli was in a critical condition after encountering the common flu. He was in the third state of progression of his disease, which lead to paralysis for one and a half years, making him bed bound. Furthermore, Gisli also experienced the harsh reality of losing the ability to talk, difficulty to form sentences, as well as finding it a challenge to read text. This was not the end, he also became very hot which resulted in having post access to no malice. Most activities Gisli tried proceeded in him being in bed after. 

Like mentioned earlier, Gisli received little to no help from doctors, the medical system left his condition untreated which made him realise he would have to face his demons on his own. Gisli found patient and medical groups online, a community to connect with like people, experiencing similar conditions. Realising they had received help from LDN. Now knowing and gathering up further information from other people; Gisli managed to receive a prescription for low dose naltrexone (LDN) after visiting his General Practitioner with articles of the medication he desired to receive and try for himself. The GP understood Gisli’s situation and his deterioration from the past and agreed to it; trying out one half of a milligram for roughly three months. 

His side effects were sleeping more, sometimes for 18 hours a day. Although, Gisli did take this as a positive side effect, as before the medication he was finding it hard to sleep for near enough one and a half years. On the fourth day of medication he noticed the ability to concentrate more, the feeling of success through this medication made her tearful towards friends and family, where he had the positivity of hope, feeling as if he could live again. 
Now, Gisli posts positivity on online groups and resources. 

Summary of Gisli's interview, please listen to the video for the full story. 

Any questions or comments you may have, please Contact Us. We look forward to hearing from you 

Gill - Wales: Multiple Sclerosis (MS) (LDN, low dose naltrexone) from LDN Research Trust on Vimeo.

Gill from Wales was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis(MS) in 2000 after experiencing numb feet, pins and needles sensations and bladder issues.

She heard of Low Dose Naltrexone (LDN) through articles about a lady with MS trying Low Dose Naltrexone (LDN) , so tried to get her GP to prescribe her it.

She was eventually given LDN through a private prescription. Upon initially taking the medication, Gill experienced “terrible dreams.” She has also stated that symptoms had gone; although she still cannot walk properly, her mental health has drastically improved.

Erin - US: Hashimoto's, Lupus, Depression (LDN, low dose naltrexone) from LDN Research Trust on Vimeo.

Linda Elsegood: I’d to introduce Erin from the United States who takes LDN for hypopituitary or as it's sometimes called secondary adrenal insufficiency. Hashimoto's thyroiditis, lupus and depression. Thanks for joining me, Erin.

Erin: You're welcome. Thanks for having me.

Linda Elsegood: Could you tell us when you first started to become sick?

How old were you?

Erin: Um, well, I would say I noticed, um, I was, it was after the birth of my third daughter. Uh, and that would be approximately 13 years ago that, uh, I was. Becoming increasingly fatigued and, um, just not handling stress well at all. Um, and we discovered at that point that I had a, that my thyroid was underactive and I started taking, um, some people medication, which, you know, it kind of sorta helped, but I, I never really, um, So back, quite back to normal and over the years following that birth, but especially after the birth of my next son, which was, um, I mean, my son, which was let's see, ten years ago, almost 11.

Um, then I fell into a deeper state of ill health where Lucas. Uh, come out, and we discovered that my hypothyroidism was actually, um, Hashimoto's thyroiditis. So it was the autoimmune, uh, form of the condition. And I was very, um, I was depressed. I was exhausted. I was in pain, um, and we were able to get my autoimmune conditions, um, under relative control.

Uh, within a couple of years, uh, doing some anti-inflammatories and things like that. But since then, I have always had lingering symptoms. So since the birth of my son, my periods never came back. So I, I never, um, had natural cycles again. Um, I've always suffered from depression, uh, nearly chronic, um, just.

Very easily brought low. I've always suffered from extreme irritability. Uh, just very low tolerance, distress, uh, any sort of loud noises. And I just, you know, lash out. I just, it would make me come unglued and, um, I was also, uh, having extreme constipation and just a lot of lingering what I would call high coats.

Fibroid symptoms, um, or, you know, low adrenal symptoms, but no one ever checked my adrenals at that point. So about a year ago, I started doing some investigating on my own, and I discovered that I was showing symptoms of a low adrenal function. And I started contacting through the help of my doctor and through the help of some forums on the internet.

Uh, I. Was able to piece together some tests that I might benefit from and come to find out last October, we came up with the diagnosis of a hypopituitary. So I have the reason that I wasn't cycling. And, um, the reason that I had such low-stress tolerance was that the pituitary couldn't communicate with my other endocrine glands, the need for the hormones that my body needs.

For, uh, my, you know, oblation and my cycles, he couldn't communicate it for the adequate amounts of cortisol to deal with stress. And, um, I was on that at that time on one of the LDN forums, because someone had suggested that it was a great forum to be on. And I hadn't really, um, heard of LDN, but I. They said it helps library problems.

So I joined the forum. I started learning about it. Um, I was in the process of optimizing my thyroid meds, getting switched over from T four to T three, which is a more potent, uh, thyroid medication. Um, and I, at the point at which I thought I'd find it. Fairly optimized. My thyroid things were going a lot better.

I was working on my iron levels, which were low. And, my symptoms of low thyroid were beginning to resolve on the different, on the different stuff. I would medication that, the symptoms that weren't resolving, where my depression, um, and I had also heard that LDN on the form that it can support the, uh, hypothalamus.

Adrenal pituitary. Um, adrenal axis, the HPA axis, which is typically the problem in hypo pituitary. I heard it could support that.

So I decided that once I optimize my thyroid meds, as much as I could, I was going to try all the, that came about, uh, just before the turn of the new year. So I think it was December 27, 2013.

I decided to go ahead and start the LDN. Uh, starting December 28, 2013. I have not been depressed one day since it had resolved all of my depression from day one. That was, it is unbelievable. It brings me to tears to think about, because I have suffered under such chronic depression and I think it was due to just, you know, low serotonin levels is all I can, um, Really think, cause I know that they'll be in supporting those serotonin levels and no one ever figured it out, but the LDN resolved it, and I have not been depressed day one.

Um, so that was resolved. And then within a week of taking the LDN, I was able to drop one-third of my thyroid medication. Um, I track my vital. Are you religious late? So I am constantly aware of my blood pressure, my heart rate and my body temperature. And uh, based on those. Vitals. I could tell that I just didn't need another dose, uh, that I normally take.

So I dropped one of my doses during the day, and I did fine. My vital States, they stayed great. So then, um, as I was following the protocol of moving up on the LDN a month later, so in February, when I went from 1.5 milligrams of LDN to three milligrams of LDN, A week after I made that change, I was able to reduce my thyroid medication again by one third.I was able within just under two months able to reduce my thyroid medication by two thirds and resolved all of my depression. And I'm still looking forward to seeing if it fixes any of my other hormones, albums. I just went in today actually for some retesting of my sex hormones.

And I'm looking to see if maybe, you know, over time it might improve those levels naturally. I'm not sure what other magic it's going to do to my system, but I am utterly grateful for LDN. And I'm so pleased with the results that I've had now. I did have some sleep issues with it, but those are gone, and I'm just.

Just very, very happy with it. And as I was telling a fellow, uh, a friend who was asking me about it for their own health, I said, you couldn't pry it from my cold dead hands.

Linda Elsegood:  Amazing story

Erin:it is, I am just, um, I'm so grateful. I honestly, I, I suffered from depression for so long, just, you know, four out of seven days a week probably. And I just. I feel like a new person.

Linda Elsegood: I'm so pleased for you.

Well, keep me posted, let me know how you get on in say a year's time. That's very interesting. Yes,

Erin: I will definitely do that.

Linda Elsegood: Thank you very much for sharing your story with us, Erin.

 

Any questions or comments you may have, please contact us. I look forward to hearing from you. Thank you for joining us today. We really appreciated your company. Until next time, stay safe and keep well.

Elizabeth - US: CFS/ME, Lyme (LDN, low dose naltrexone) from LDN Research Trust on Vimeo.

Elizabeth uses low dose naltrexone (LDN) for chronic Lyme disease, chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), food sensitivities, and poisoning by Cipro.

When Elizabeth was very young she had anxiety and nausea, feeling on the verge of vomiting, and doctors found no diagnosis. At 12 she was taking Accutane, which interfered with her immune system and her symptoms increased through her teen years. 

She carried diagnoses of chronic fatigue syndrome, hypothyroidism, insomnia, food sensitivities, depression, anxiety, OCD, gastroparesis – all kinds of autoimmune disorders and symptoms - and was disabled. She got some improvement with a holistic treatment called NAET, but in her late 20s took ciprofloxacin (Cipro) and became bed-bound for over ten years. Unfortunately, later she took Cipro again and all her symptoms got exponentially worse.

She was diagnosed with POTS, or dysautonomia, and could not tolerate medications to heal.  She couldn’t tolerate food, heat, the sun, and couldn’t sleep. When she started LDN it made her feel like she had a bad flu, migraines, and a racing heart. Her doctor adjusted her thyroid medication to help with her heart rate and insomnia, but later was able to increase it back up. She learned that taking LDN in the morning, and a lowered dose, reduced those symptoms. Now her symptoms are 85% improved.

In addition, after 10 months, LDN has improved her endometriosis pain and cognitive functioning. She has been able to come off multiple other pharmaceutical medications, including those for her high blood pressure, antidepressants, and medication for CFS. By her research, she hopes to continue improving for up to 2 years.

Keywords:  Lyme disease, chronic fatigue syndrome, CFS, POTS, dysautonomia, hypothyroidism, insomnia, depression, anxiety, OCD, gastroparesis, food sensitivity, poisoning by Cipro, ciprofloxacin, endometriosis, high blood pressure, NAET, LDN, low dose naltrexone

Summary of Elizabeth's interview, please listen to the video for the full story.

Any questions or comments you may have, please Contact Us.  I look forward to hearing from you. Thank you for joining us today.