LDN Video Interviews and Presentations

Kay - US: Fibromyalgia, Lichen Planopilaris, Chronic Sinusitis, Allergies/Chemical Sensitivities (LDN, low dose naltrexone) from LDN Research Trust on Vimeo.

Linda shares a wonderful LDN success story of Kay who suffered for years with fibromyalgia. She had a weak immune system and also had chronic sinus infections, allergies, colds, and migraines constantly. She had immediate relief after starting Low Dose Naltrexone (LDN) a year ago. The pain and other FM symptoms are gone and her energy is back to normal. Her quality of life has gone from 3 to 9 out of 10. Listen to her encouraging story.

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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.

Jennifer from the United States shares her experience using Low Dose Naltrexone (LDN) to treat Hashimoto’s, Ankylosing Spondylitis, and Lyme disease.

She first noticed symptoms in January of 1999. She thought she had the flu, but was sick for a week with a high fever and migraines. After that, she didn’t feel as if she’d recovered. When she went back to the doctor, the only thing that came up on testing was kidney failure. At that point, she had to stop playing hockey and drop out of night school for college, and it was difficult to work her full-time job. She had problems with fatigue and focusing. Over 14 years she saw over 40 different doctors and had over 60 tests done, but the doctors never found much that they could diagnose. However, her health continued to decline. Doctors ran tests for Lyme disease, connective tissue disease, other types of autoimmune disease, and Marfan syndrome, but they couldn’t come up with a good explanation for her symptoms. Eventually Jennifer developed Hashimoto’s and Ankylosing Spondylitis. Her doctors also found she had two mutations of the MTHFR gene. 

In 2012, she went to the Cleveland Clinic and saw a neurologist who recognized her autoimmune conditions. He recommended a gluten-free diet, which was helpful in reducing her rheumatoid factor. At that time, she still suffered from fatigue and chronic urethritis, which was very painful. Finally she saw a urologist who recognized she had an infection in the walls of the urethra, and put her on antibiotics. However, the antibiotics weren’t very helpful in relieving her symptoms.

By 2013, her symptoms would flare and subside, but she began having IBS issues as well as increasing cognitive problems and migraines. She couldn’t walk right, she couldn’t talk right, and her writing was illegible. She felt that she had a lot of symptoms of Lyme disease, but the infectious disease doctor said she didn’t have it. She then went to a lung doctor who tested her again. This time her tests were negative for IgM, positive for IgG, and positive for bartonella, anaplasma, and mycoplasma. He started her on low dose naltrexone in October of 2013. They started at 3 or 4.5 mg, which was too high of a dose, so they went down to 0.5 mg, which was a better dose. She learned that she reacted badly to the higher dose of LDN because of her chronic Lyme disease, parasites, and systemic candida. Within a year, she responded to the LDN and her doctor was able to gradually increase her dosage to 3 mgs as her health issues resolved.  

Just before starting LDN, Jennifer would rate her quality of life at about a 1 on a scale of 1-10, due to constant pain, fatigue, and sickness. 

In terms of side effects of LDN, Jennifer had vivid dreams for the first week, but after that, she’s had no ill effect from the LDN. She does find that it works best for her to take LDN in the early evening, around 6 or 7 pm.

Jennifer noted positive effects from the LDN in the first week of taking it. She was able to lower her blood pressure medicine, and her IBS issues resolved. She also was able to get off all of her allergy medicine, including Singulair and two inhalers. Initially, her pain levels increased, but after the first two weeks, the pain went away. The LDN has allowed Jennifer to get off of about 90% other medications, and she’s lost over 30 pounds. 

At this point, her quality of life is significantly improved, though she’s still dealing with the Lyme disease and coinfections that had gone undiagnosed and untreated for over 14 years, so on a scale of 1-10, she’d rate her quality of life at about a 5. She would definitely recommend that patients with her conditions give LDN a try--she tried LDN instead of going on the biologic Remicade, and she’s glad she did. The LDN regulated her immune system rather than suppressing it. It might seem to make some symptoms worse at first, but in her experience the LDN just brought forward underlying health issues that needed to be addressed. As those issues are addressed, her quality of life continues to improve. 

This has been a summary of Jennifer’s story. Please listen to the interview for the full story. 

Dr Mark Shukhman, LDN Radio Show 2017 (LDN, low dose naltrexone) from LDN Research Trust on Vimeo.

Dr Mark Shukhman shares his Low Dose Naltrexone (LDN) experience on the LDN Radio Show with Linda Elsegood.

Psychiatrist Dr Mark Shukhman practices in the suburbs of Chicago. Belmont Pharmacy is a nationally respected compounding pharmacy which compounds Low Dose Naltrexone (LDN) and bioidentical hormones, as well as a number of custom amino acids and mineral blends. They're based in Colorado and ship nationwide. Their goal is better patient outcomes through quality compounding, combining effective communication between practitioner, pharmacist, and patient.

In this interview, Dr Shukman focuses upon the psychological impact of autoimmune diseases and how LDN can help patients to recover from difficult experiences as well as boosting their immune systems.

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

Dr Kathleen MacIsaac, LDN Radio Show 2016 (LDN, low dose naltrexone) from LDN Research Trust on Vimeo.

Dr. Kathleen MacIsaac is from Florida in the United States. She first heard about LDN around 2006 while researching a different topic. It made sense biochemically, so she started using LDN in her patients, to treat fibromyalgia, chronic pain, migraine, and insomnia. She noted great response in reduction in pain and increased quality of sleep in fibromyalgia patients. More recently she is using LDN for Hashimoto’s thyroiditis; and chronic neurologic disorders including MS (multiple sclerosis), ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), and PLS (progressive lateral sclerosis). While the neurologic issues haven’t had complete resolution, the patients’ quality of life has improved, and there has been improvement in coordination, articulation, and swallowing. She has a pediatric patient on LDN for autism.

Less than 10 of her patients stopped using LDN, because they didn't notice any improvement or because they did not like a side effect, such as vivid dreams, or nausea, or some GI side effect. Those patients tended to start with milder conditions, thus less motivation to work through the side effects than ones with more debilitating conditions. There is a gap of time it takes to adapt. Most recently Dr. MacIsaac will start very low and progress upwards in dose slowly. Rather than a common titration like LDN 1.5 mg, then 3.0 mg, then 4.5 mg, she has the compounding pharmacy prepare a suspension so patients can titrate up by 0.5 mg over a longer period of time. Some patients remain on very low doses of less than a milligram, and she found it interesting that that small amount is adequate.

Linda Elsegood commented on various approaches she is aware of to lower the dropout rate for LDN, such as starting very low doses, taking LDN in the morning if there are sleep issues, and sublingual drops that are absorbed and bypass the stomach for patients with GI problems.

Dr. MacIsaac has 3 recent patients using daytime dosing of LDN for smoking and alcohol dependency issues, and it’s as if LDN doctors the brain to have less craving for nicotine or alcohol. It’s a new method of treatment for Dr. MacIsaac, and she is pursuing it further.

Linda Elsegood added that LDN is being used to treat OCD, and PMS; and Dr. Phil Boyle uses LDN in treating infertility and other gynecologic issues. Linda is aware of at least one woman whose PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome) was improved on LDN. Linda relates that she herself had many issues with endometriosis from age 11, and a surprise added benefit when she began LDN for her MS, was her endometriosis issues cleared up. Dr. MacIsaac has found the LDN Research Trust website to be a good resource, and is learning a lot more about LDN.

Dr. MacIsaac’s practice is Healing Alternatives in Orlando Florida, and the website is http://www.healingalternativesinc.com/. The office phone is 407-682-711.

Summary from Dr. Kathleen MacIsaac, listen to the video for the show.

Keywords: LDN, low dose naltrexone, fibromyalgia, chronic pain, migraine, insomnia, Hashimoto’s, multiple sclerosis, MS, ALS, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, PLS, progressive lateral sclerosis, autism, compounding pharmacy, alcohol, smoking, nicotine, infertility, endometriosis, OCD, PMS,  PCOS, polycystic ovary syndrome

Carrie Forrest, MBA, MPH (LDN, low dose naltrexone) from LDN Research Trust on Vimeo.

Carrie takes LDN for an autoimmune thyroid disorder/thyroid cancer, PCOS, chronic fatigue, and migraines.

Carrie Forrest is a nutritionist and takes Low Dose Naltrexone (LDN) for a variety of conditions. She had thyroid cancer in 2012 and started taking LDN 6 years ago to help control her antibodies. It also relieves her joint pain and IBS symptoms. She has become an ldnresearchtrust.org volunteer and shares healthy recipes on the LDN news letter. Listen to her story in this interesting 21 minute interview with Linda.

Review Ken Bruce
Listen to the video for the full story.

Dr Sarah McAllister - 18th July 2018 (LDN, low dose naltrexone) from LDN Research Trust on Vimeo.

Dr Sarah McAllister shares her Low Dose Naltrexone (LDN) experience on the LDN Radio Show with Linda Elsegood.

Dr Sarah McAllister is a naturopathic doctor and the owner of a children's naturopathic center. Following her graduation with a biochemistry major from Canada, Dr McAllister was insistent on pursuing her passion as a pediatrician.

She is not steadfast in her ways and is open to adopting many different methods of treatment, which led to her using Low Dose Naltrexone (LDN) in her patients, many of which are children.

Having dealt with a variety of different issues including autism and Crohn’s disease, Dr McAllister is well versed and knowledgeable about LDN’s effects on younger patients and the benefits it can bring.

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