LDN Video Interviews and Presentations

Julie - US: Multiple Autoimmune Disorders (LDN, low dose naltrexone) from LDN Research Trust on Vimeo.

Julia takes LDN Low Dose naltrexone for thyroid nodules, frozen shoulder, MCTD, Lupus, Scleroderma, Sjogren's, degenerative disk disease, Dupuytren's Contracture, Multiple Chemical Sensitivity and more.

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 

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

Judith from England shares her Multiple Sclerosis (MS) and Low Dose Naltrexone (LDN) story on the LDN Radio Show with Linda Elsegood.

Judith first noticed her Multiple Sclerosis (MS) symptoms when she began to develop intense migraines frequently. These developed to the point where conventional medication was unable to be effective, thus she began her search for an alternative approach.

Fortunately Judith came across Low Dose Naltrexone (LDN) and two years later, she no longer suffers from any headaches. A second issue with her bowels was also resolved, meaning she is more free and able to do the things she wants to do without concern.

This is a summary of Judith’s interview. Please listen to the rest of Judith’s story by clicking on the video above.

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

Joy is from the United States and takes LDN for Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, to boost her endorphin levels and to control her antibodies. In 2008 she had a big crash, probably from her thyroid. It would bet getter, then get worse. By 2011 she hit rock bottom – “all the fuel went out of my tank” – her thyroid was not producing enough T-3 to have any sense of wellbeing. She believes her endorphin issues started in her teenage years. In her early 20s he was treated with full-dose naltrexone for an opiate addiction, and it made her feel terrible. So, when she heard about LDN for thyroid she was concerned, but interested. She researched LDN and found it was very effective at lowering the antibodies affecting how her thyroid was working.

When she started LDN her quality of life was maybe up to 6 out of 10, because she had just started taking a natural thyroid product; before the thyroid product she was perhaps at level 2. She found naltrexone to order from India and had it shipped to her, then she mixed it with distilled water and dosed herself. When she started LDN she had “three-dimensional dreams” that were extremely vivid, but faded after about a week.  She noticed improvements in about a week as well, and had to lower her thyroid medication by about 20%. Her antibodies decreased by about 50%, but were still a bit over the acceptable range on LDN 1.5 mg. She has been on LDN 3.0 mg for a while but hasn’t been retested.

At the time of the interview Joy had been on LDN for almost 4 months, and her quality of life bounced up to an 8. If it helped her peri-menopausal hormone issues it would be a 10, but LDN doesn’t seem to be helping with that. Linda Elsegood commented that talking with Dr. Phil Boyle she learned that LDN does help with a lot of women’s problems like endometriosis, though not necessarily menopausal problems; and that LDN helped her endometriosis improve over about 18 months.

If others are unable to find a doctor to prescribe LDN. Joy recommends they do research; and gives the warning to know the signs of overmedicating with thyroid medication, as once on LDN they’ll need to lower their thyroid dose pretty quickly. Linda Elsegood advised that importing LDN from India isn’t actually legal, but realizes it may be the only way some people can get it.

Joy would love to share her information so others can talk to their doctors about LDN. Her personal physician has some autoimmune issues, and is quite excited about LDN. Linda Elsegood pointed out that the LDN Research Trust’s doctor’s information packs have been quite successful. People print it and take it to their doctors, and the success rate is very high once the doctors read the information. Word is spreading, more neurologists are using LDN for multiple sclerosis, rheumatologists are now using it as well

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

Keywords: LDN, low dose naltrexone, Hashimoto’s, thyroiditis, thyroid, endorphins, menopause, endometriosis, multiple sclerosis

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

Johnny - US: Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS/ME) (LDN, low dose naltrexone) from LDN Research Trust on Vimeo.

Johnny has suffered from ME for nine years; since the age of 21. He rates his overall quality of life at 3 before taking Low Dose Naltrexone. Since taking it that's gone up to around 6. Though he still has several health issues it's made a huge difference.

He suffered from insomnia, swollen glands, sore throats, headaches, joint pain, overwhelming fatigue, which is probably the most common, symptom, sleeping a number of hours and not feeling refreshed, memory loss, brain fog, feeling disorientated at times, not retaining information, forgetting what he was talking about halfway through a sentence.  He also had IBS after the ME, so he had bowel issues. 

He has been taking Low Dose Naltrexone (LDN) for seven months and the severity and frequency of those conditions has decreased slightly. It's the only thing that has relieved anything other than overall health, eg diet and supplements.

This is just a summary. To hear the full story simply click on the link.

 

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. 

John (2) - England: Multiple Sclerosis (MS) (LDN, low dose naltrexone) from LDN Research Trust on Vimeo.

John from England takes Low Dose Naltrexone (LDN) for Multiple Sclerosis (MS), he was diagnosed in 1987 at the age of 38.

He was healthy and working at the time as a police officer and played squash and went swimming with his children and did other activities with them. He suffered from Optic Neuritis and wasn’t unti 1998 that he started having spasms on his right side.

When the neurologist told him he had MS it was like, he took a sledgehammer to his head, he first thought was, “Oh my kids. Oh my God” MS affects the whole family 

He managed to obtain a private prescription about 2 years ago and improvements have been in the bladder and his advice to other people with MS is LDN is a Life-changer give it a go. 

Please play the video to watch the whole story.

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

John - England: Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS/ME) (LDN, low dose naltrexone) from LDN Research Trust on Vimeo.

John from England takes Low Dose Naltrexone (LDN) for his Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS). During the years 1981-82 he had a muscle virus, where he had to deal with the aftermath. During this time he was 31 years old, still teaching judo, so he was an incredibly fit, strong and active person.

His symptoms included, trouble walking, he was tired all the time and found concentrating difficult. He even had a headache from October to July the following year. After his first consultation, it took the doctor some time to be able to prescribe the LDN medication to John. Initial symptoms with the new medication included insomnia, although he no longer had brain fog and his ability to concentrate went up, and he has now been on LDN since January of 2010. He quotes it has been excellent.

John quotes that if other people would like to try LDN for themselves, they have to be brave, the reason being that you have got to stop the pain killers and opiates. But, do give it a serious try.

To view the full interview, watch the video attached. Thank you

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

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

John from England shares his Multiple Sclerosis (MS) and Low Dose Naltrexone (LDN) story on the LDN Radio Show with Linda Elsegood.

John began to notice symptoms in 2004 when he began to stumble regularly while walking. Over the following months this progressed until he had multiple seizures, leading to his diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis (MS).

He didn’t find any solution for six years, meaning he could no longer run nor take part in golf anymore due to his lack of energy and increased fatigue. John’s discovery of Low Dose Naltrexone (LDN) changed his life, as he is now able to walk properly again and get back to playing golf and doing the things he enjoys.

This is a summary of John’s interview. Please listen to the rest of John’s story by clicking on the video above.