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.

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

Kathy had a very aggressive form of Rheumatoid Arthritis, she was in a lot of pain for a long time.  Her life was unbearable and no amount of medication helped her situation at all with the exception of high doses of prednisone, which helped a little.  At only 58 years old she was pretty sure she was going to die. 

Her friend told her about Low Dose Naltrexone (LDN) and so she found a rheumatologist who agreed to prescribe it with the view that it couldn’t do any harm.  Kathy never had any problems with LDN but she’s had much success. From not being able to simply dress herself she went back to riding her horses and throwing hay bales - in her own words “There is nothing I can't do. And I would say it took about three months for it (Low Dose Naltrexone) to be effective”.  

An amazing story from a woman who has suffered so much pain. 

Kathleen - US: Adhesive Arachnoiditis, 2019 (LDN, low dose naltrexone) from LDN Research Trust on Vimeo.

Linda Elsegood: Today. I'm joined by Kathleen from the United States. Thanks for joining us today, Kathleen. 

Kathleen: Thank you for having me. 

Linda Elsegood: So could you tell us what condition you use LDN for and what that condition actually is? 

Kathleen: I use LDN for Adhesive Arachnoiditis, which is a chronic inflammation of the spinal cord, which is incurable, not reversible and could actually be progressive. And so it is an inflammation that doesn't turn off. 

Linda Elsegood: Okay. I mean, is it an inflammation that causes really bad pain in your back? 

Kathleen: It doesn't cause pain in my back, it does cause really bad pain from my hips to my toes. And that is a pain in the form of neuropathy and the electrical stimulus that can cause sharp bolts of pain. But most of the time, that kind of electric pain. 

Linda Elsegood: So is it really painful if you sit still in the same position for a long time? 

Kathleen: It's painful if I sit still for a long time, if I stand for a long time or if I walk for a long time. 

Linda Elsegood: Hmm. That's interesting. Yes. 

Kathleen: And so, you know, the pain is there and actually caused quite a deterioration in my functional status and I did not find much relief with the narcotics that were offered to me to try and I didn't like the side effects of narcotics. I wanted to maintain as much independence as possible with driving. I wanted cognitive clarity and I wanted more relief from the neuropathy itself. And I was fortunate to have a friend who was a pain doctor, and she said that she had about 80 plus patients on LDN. And so I travelled up to see her three hours North of me, and she introduced me to the concept. And I started it in August of 2016, and I will say that within three days time, I was experiencing significant relief from the neuropathy. 

Linda Elsegood: Wow. And what about the electric pains that you are having, I'm thinking, I mean, I used to have electric shock feelings down my arms. Was it that kind of a thing? And you said bolts of pain. 

Kathleen: Yes, prior to taking the LDN, I was experiencing, especially in my left leg, there was a sense as if my leg was dead or non-existent. And at the same time, I would have bolts of pain,  electric in nature, that would shoot all the way down to my big toe.

And after beginning the LDN, I actually stopped having those bolts of pain. And because I felt like I got my leg back on the LDN, it actually improved my gait so I could walk with a better balance. I was able to stop using my walking poles, which I used most of the time prior to that. And for balance, cause I was falling a lot and once I got on the LDN, I, I actually had better balance. I stopped falling.  

Linda Elsegood: So you had this friend who you went to see now when you first started, what dose did you start on and did you start on liquid or capsules? 

Kathleen: They were capsules. They were compounded by a local pharmacy, old-time pharmacist, who was nearing retirement. So he had been a pharmacist for probably 50 years. And he said, out of the 80 patients that he had coming in for the prescriptions about 75 of them continued to keep coming back in for refills, meaning that it was a very positive experience for them. And he said, I don't know why it works, but sometimes you have to think outside the box.

Linda Elsegood: So what strengths was it? You started on. 

Kathleen: Oh, I'm sorry. I started at 1.5 milligrams, and I took that for, I think up to three weeks, and then she bumped me up to three milligrams again. It was a compounded capsule, and I took that for three to four weeks, and then I got bumped up to 4.5 milligrams and I did fairly well on that, and she said it would be appropriate for you to go up to 6mg if you would like to choose that and if you experience headaches with the LDN, give it a day to three days to see if the headaches abate and, for me, I didn't really have any negative effects from the LDN and 6 milligrams seems to be my sweet spot. So that's what I've been taking for about two years now. 

Linda Elsegood: Okay. So if you were to look at your quality of life on a score of one to 10 before you started, ten being the best, what would it have been?

Kathleen: Oh, boy. I would say the quality of life prior to LDN was maybe at a four, because the pain was significant, my functional status was very poor, I had to, of course, retire from my employment and it cut down on being out and about and socializing. Pain is very fatiguing and it also kind of flattens out your creativity, you know, et cetera.

Cause I am also an artist as well as a marriage and family therapist and end of life care, and so 4 would probably be pretty fair. Once I started on the LDN and I got relief from the pain and I started walking better and I had more energy - I wasn't using my walking poles. I got to resume my volunteer work, which I enjoy quite a bit.

I got to return to my pottery studio which is a great joy for me. And I was able to socialize more often, more comfortably, and plus my functional status at home improved to the point where I went back to gardening, which I love. And, you know, helping out with the projects that we had ongoing in our home life.

Linda Elsegood: Wow. But what number would you put it on today? Your quality of life? Ten being the best. 

Kathleen: I would say eight. That's how much I have improved with the LDN. 

Linda Elsegood: And what are your pain levels like now would you say? With, I mean, obviously sleeping, I would imagine had been a problem, and you're standing and sitting and so on. Are you able to do that for longer periods of time before the pain appears or doesn't the pain appear now? 

Kathleen: The pain is, you know, I still have some neuropathy.  I also take Gabapentin and Baclofen for muscle spasticity. I think the greatest assist that I've gotten is through the LDN. And I got just a little bit of a sidetrack question. So could you please ask that again? 

Linda Elsegood: the pain that you had, I mean, does it cause you any issues with sleeping, you know, staying in the same place for too long at night or sitting or standing for too long? 

Kathleen: Actually my sleep is improved quite a bit and I'm able to stand longer and sit longer.

As I said before, my stamina has improved. And with the neuropathic pain, I still have symptoms. They're much more tolerable. I also, because I can engage in more meaningful activity outside the home, of course, that's a great distractor. So it makes pain take a secondary part of my attention.

And I also practice meditation or mindfulness, which is another significant assist for me in managing, you know, the pain or discomfort. 

Linda Elsegood: And do you take any supplements to help reduce the inflammation? 

Kathleen: I actually take diclofenac, which is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory. And that helps me with my arthritic pain, which is one of the issues that I had way back in the beginning, I had adult-onset scoliosis at age 50, so I was fused from T8 to S1. And as a result, I also had to have a hip replacement in 2010 about six months later. And so the diclofenac helps reduce the arthritic pain, the gabapentin and the Baclofen also assist. But that is basically all I'm taking.  

Linda Elsegood: Well, thank you so much, Kathleen, for sharing your story with us today I'm sure that's going to help other people with a similar condition. 

Kathleen: Yes, I, I really appreciate you having me on as an interviewee. The adhesive Arachnoiditis, it seems to be a condition that affects many and I don't think it's as well known by the medical community as it should be. And in fact, I had troubles with the doctor who knew I had it. And the only reason that I found out was procuring my medical records and reading it and then having to bring it up to him. And so I would encourage any doctors who have an awareness of this, please talk with your patients because I think improving communication about this condition, and also bringing LDN out as an option, is going to be one of the most effective ways for people to regain as much functional status as they can with this condition.

So thank you so much for allowing me to be on your show. 

Linda Elsegood: You're welcome. And before we go, is there a group that people could join? Do you know anywhere? 

Kathleen: For arachnoiditis? There is a group, there is a group on Facebook, and it's actually a UK based group for arachnoiditis. There are a number of them and the group from the UK is the one that I seem to have the most commonality with.  And so you learn quite a bit about how to function with the disease, how to rise above it. You know, with your attitude and your perception of it so that you can have the optimal life experience. But this group has the ability to, you know, people give each other support and they give each other encouragement, and they also, you know, cheer each other on.  But they also honour the challenge that we all go through with this condition. And, you know, having that kind of community makes it feel less lonely because it can be a very isolating experience. 

Linda Elsegood: Having someone to talk to who understands, who's walked in your shoes really does help doesn’t it? 

Kathleen: It really does. And you know arachnoiditis because it can be progressive. There are people who certainly end up in wheelchairs. Sometimes it's wheelchairs, and sometimes it's bed-bound. And so it can be a progressive condition, which is quite frightening. And this group has been my primary source of inspiration and support and encouragement, and I would applaud all of them for their courage and their resiliency in dealing with the condition that's quite challenging.

Linda Elsegood: Well, we've run out of time, so thank you Kathleen, and long may your success remain, and I might get to see you in Wisconsin. 

Kathleen: All right. Thank you so much, Linda, and I look forward to future encounters with you. Take care. Bye-bye.

Linda Elsegood: 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, bandwidth, phone lines, and phone calls to be able to continue with the radio show, and thank you for listening.

Any questions or comments you may have, please email me at Linda@ldnrt.org 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.

Kat - US: Fibromyalgia, Interstitial Cystitis, RA, Pain (LDN, low dose naltrexone) from LDN Research Trust on Vimeo.

Kat from the United States shares her story of how low dose naltrexone (LDN) has helped her with fibromyalgia and other chronic pain conditions, including interstitial cystitis, arthritis, and a displaced SI joint.

Kat first developed fibromyalgia, arthritis, and interstitial cystitis in the years following an automobile accident in February of 2004. Her symptoms include extreme fatigue, constant headaches, different odd pains that would come at random, as well as bladder and gastrointestinal problems. She learned about Low Dose Naltrexone (LDN) while searching for treatments for her fibromyalgia. She brought the information packet about LDN to her doctors, who prescribed it for her as it seemed like it was unlikely to do any harm, and it could help her condition.

When she began taking LDN, any side effects were very very slight compared to the reactions she had to other medications her doctors had prescribed. She had a little stomach disturbance and some strange dreams, but those side effects were very short-lived. 

LDN has given Kat decent sleep, a lot more energy now that she’s off narcotics, and she has a clearer mind. Her pain is very much reduced and much more manageable than before. She knows that the LDN provides significant relief because about a month ago, she forgot to put the LDN in her pill organizer, and within three days without LDN, she felt terrible. And not only is the LDN helping with her various pains, but she’s also been sick much less often.

Kat started at 1.5 mg per night, and gradually increased her dosage to 4.5 mg each night. However, she has found that her best dosage is 4.5 mg morning and evening. Kat notes that while she felt a difference on LDN fairly quickly, some people take longer, even months to feel better, so it’s best to be patient when you start taking Low Dose Naltrexone (LDN).

This has been a summary of Kat’s interview. For the whole story, please listen to our recording at the link provided above.

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 - 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. 

 

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. 

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

Janice is from the United States, and has rheumatoid arthritis (RA) since age 53, about 7 years prior to this interview.  It started as pain in the arch of her feet and toes; X-rays were negative.

After 30 months of various unsuccessful therapies, her doctor measured and found a very high rheumatoid factor. Her rheumatologist was not able to find a medication to help her symptoms.

Janice Googled alternative treatments for RA and quickly found low dose naltrexone (LDN). At the time she had a lot of pain, inflammation, swelling in all her joints, and general fatigue. She was using ibuprofen 800 mg twice a day.

She found a doctor to prescribe LDN, and after 4 days did not need to take any ibuprofen. Her pain and fatigue were quickly eased; and over the next several months the swelling and inflammation left her joints. She now feels 95% back to normal, and has a fully active life. Her local physician was amazed with her recovery, and now prescribes LDN for other patients as well. Janice serves as a resource for her physician’s other patients, to talk about how well LDN has worked for her.

If others are contemplating trying LDN, Janice encourages them to try it because it has minimal side effects, and has the opportunity to restore quality of life.

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

Keywords: LDN, low dose naltrexone, rheumatoid arthritis, RA, pain

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

Janet - US: Fibromyalgia (LDN, low dose naltrexone) from LDN Research Trust on Vimeo.

Janet from Georgia takes LDN for Fibromyalgia, and has been having problems for just over four years, which is when she began to notice it. Symptoms included severe aches and pain in muscles, extreme fatigue and trouble concentrating. 

Janet heard about the Low Dose Naltrexone (LDN) medication through researching for a company she was working with at the time. She saw how well results were and that was her initial thought, to try it for herself. She stopped all of her other medications, and went to her neurologist who agreed to prescribe it. 

Janet did not have any initial side effects when she first started the LDN medication.

Janet has now been on the LDN medication for 8 months, she quoted that before, she did not have any quality of life at all, she was miserable, and her work hours dropped to below half. Now, after the medication, she feels fantastic. , she has managed to get her license back also. Although her symptoms are not completely gone, she says they are a lot more manageable, and she is back to working her full hours.

Janet fully recommends LDN to other people, and quotes that there is no choice about it. She says it is also the best thing to exist.

Please watch the video to view the whole interview.

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

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

Jan from the United States who takes Low Dose Naltrexone (LDN) for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Fibromyalgia and sleep issues shares his story.

I have all these diseases since March of 1981. I'm celebrating my 34th anniversary right now. And I have had gotten progressively worse over the years and my pain increased until I was taking the opioid medications and still aren't getting pain control.

So I started taking LDN last July on the advice of my doctor and it has helped tremendously. I had to come off the opioids to start taking LDN 
and that was rough, but it was well worth it because now I take an occasional over the counter pain reliever after eight or nine months that I've been on the LDN. I take ibuprofen and Excedrin.

Before I was taking Low Dose Naltrexone, I spent probably 22 hours a day, either in bed or in my recliner. I was able to do the most minimal self-care. 
My quality of life was a zero when I was bedridden for several years. I'll just get up to go to the bathroom.

LDN has improved my life about 25, 30%. I'm able to do more things in my self-care. I'm a very independent person and not being able to do things for myself was that stressor. And so I'm much happier.

I think definitely people should try LDN. It's not a cure and doesn't expect it to be but it is so worth it. A noticeable improvement in your quality of life and the fact that I'm totally off opioids and the damage they do to your system is well enough reasons for me.

Summary of Jans interview. Please listen to the video for the full story.