LDN Video Interviews and Presentations

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.

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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. 

Holly Warner, LDN Radio Show 04 Oct 2017 (LDN, low dose naltrexone) from LDN Research Trust on Vimeo.

Holly Warner shares her Low Dose Naltrexone (LDN) experience on the LDN Radio Show with Linda Elsegood.

Holly Warner is a Board Certified Holistic Health Practitioner who has her own clinic in Ottawa, Canada. She deals with hormone imbalance, thyroid issues, gut health, adrenal dysfunction, metabolic syndrome, and most autoimmune diseases. 

Her fascination with medicine began at an early stage. In her late teens she was focussed on cancer preservation but kept on getting drawn towards thyroid issues. Her experience as director of a medical facility for a number of years has added to her a great depth of knowledge in the pharmaceutical sector.

Warner specializes in clinical Nutritional Therapy. Her clinic does Skype appointments in Canada and the USA. She prescribes LDN and explains how it moderates and balances our autoimmune system and reduces the bad antibodies.

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

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.

Dr Tom O’Bryan, LDN Radio Show 12 July 2017 (LDN, low dose naltrexone) from LDN Research Trust on Vimeo.

Dr Tom O'Bryan shares his Low Dose Naltrexone (LDN) experience on the LDN Radio Show with Linda Elsegood.

Wheat sensitivity can cause an immune response, not just gluten. Hydrochloric acid in the stomach breaks down the proteins and enzymes in the gut convert them to amino acids, which permeate the intestines and enter the bloodstream. Wheat causes increased intestinal permeability ("leaky gut") in everyone, but not everyone suffers from eating wheat because wheat is a minor irritant. At some point, symptoms of intestinal permeability are likely to appear due to loss of oral tolerance, and can result in various autoimmune disorders, such as Hashimoto's. Reducing dietary wheat can arrest the development of autoimmune disorders. A wheat-free diet is easier to follow when patients understand that inflammation can be reduced by following the diet. His book, The Autoimmune Fix, has recipes. For example, take 1 Tbsp chia seeds, which are high in Omega 3s, stir into coconut milk till it starts to gel, refrigerate, add crushed fruit, and you get a healthy dessert.

Dr Tom O’Bryan, LDN Radio Show 27 Sept 2017 (LDN, low dose naltrexone) from LDN Research Trust on Vimeo.

Dr Tom O'Bryan shares his Low Dose Naltrexone (LDN) experience on the LDN Radio Show with Linda Elsegood.

Dr Tom O’Bryan discusses his book, The Autoimmune Fix. Expect continual OMGs.The prevalance of autoimmune disease is the #3 cause of getting sick and dying in the world. Autoimmune diseases progress over years, till enough tissue is damaged that enough symptoms appear to get a diagnosis. For example, a very early sign of Parkinson's is loss of sense of smell, and can be predictive of death within 5 years.

Measuring our antibodies can predict illness in its early stages. Antibodies cause cellular damage, then tissue damage, then inflammation, and eventually organ damage. 

Getting this in control early is important. Most of us are bombarded with toxins every day, so learning how to avoid them is crucial to a good healthy life. LDN is helpful in bolstering and regulating our immune system so that it can naturally fight off these elevated antibodies.

This interview includes some valuable knowledge for all listeners concerned with how to combat autoimmune diseases, cancers etc.

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

Dr Tom O’Bryan, LDN Radio Show 01 Feb 2017 (LDN, low dose naltrexone) from LDN Research Trust on Vimeo.

Dr Tom O’Bryan shares his Low Dose Naltrexone (LDN) experience on the LDN Radio Show with Linda Elsegood.

Dr Tom O’Bryan is the founder of www.thedoctor.com and is an internationally recognized speaker and workshop leader specializing in non-celiac gluten sensitivity and celiac disease. He hosted the gluten summit, and stars in the documentary series, betrayal, featuring the autoimmune solutions. He’s also written a book called ‘The Autoimmune Fix’.

In this interview Dr O’Bryan explains his many years of analysis in terms of the effect our diet can have upon our immune systems and subsequent immune responses we have to autoimmune diseases. The over-consumption of products such as milk, wheat and dairy in general can be damaging and our diets must be moderated.

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

Dr Thomas Cowan, LDN Radio Show (LDN, low dose naltrexone) from LDN Research Trust on Vimeo

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

Dr Thomas Cowan first came across Low Dose Naltrexone (LDN) around 20 years ago when one of his close friends had incurable lymphoma. Having refused to continue on conventional treatment which had little to no effect on improving his health, he researched alternative treatments and came across LDN which drastically helped him to recover.

In the last decade of his career, Dr Cowan has predominantly treated patients with Ulcerative Colitis (UC) and Crohn’s Disease, finding that LDN can be successful in treating both diseases and providing great relief to his patients.

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