LDN Video Interviews and Presentations

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

Linda Elsegood: Today I'm joined by Matthew from the United States. He's going to share his LDN journey with us. Thank you for joining us, Matthew. 

Matthew: Well, thank you for having me, Linda. I appreciate that. 

Linda Elsegood: So could you tell us, when were you first diagnosed? How long ago was it?

Matthew: Sure. I was diagnosed in October 2004 with relapsing-remitting MS, and I had never heard of LDN,  low dose naltrexone. Actually stumbled across it very much by accident. This was before social media and Facebook and things like that. At the time, I was working at a hotel in Florida and doing a medical conference, and my client was actually a doctor, and she had known that I was diagnosed with MS months before, maybe even a year before. She and I became friends and she asked me, have you ever heard of low dose naltrexone, LDN? And I said, no, I have not. And she shared with me all the benefits that it has. 

And she was a doctor in Alabama. She couldn't write a prescription at that particular time, but a funny story was when she had given me a lot of information about it and even provided some literature to me. At that time, I  was seeing a neurologist who I no longer see now. When I spoke to him about it, the very first thing he said was, I have a lot of patients who actually swear by it. I said I want to try it. And I have been on it ever since. I titrated from literally maybe a milligram all the way up to four milligrams. And I've been currently at three milligrams for maybe three, maybe four years. I've been on LDN since about a year after my diagnosis and probably since 2005. 

Linda Elsegood. And what were your MS symptoms like before you started, were you in remission and you didn't know you had MS, were all of your symptoms gone? 

Matthew: My original symptoms were peculiar at that time.  I had the numbing tingling in my fingers. I had cold sensations. If I put my arm on a wooden desk, it felt like I was putting my arm on an ice block.  I was having at that time, some tingling in my legs. I was extremely tired. Fatigue. When  I talked with my wife I knew something was not right. I went to my original family physician, and he aid, you know Matthew, it sounds like MS.  But I don't want you to get on the internet and look it up, but it sounds like. And what do you think the first thing I did, I went back home and I looked it up. Every symptom that was listed on there was exactly that. Again, this was before social media, so there wasn't a lot that I could lean on. Now the different support groups out there are asking questions and getting different answers. So a lot of it was Googling and trying to find as much information as possible.

Linda Elsegood: So after starting LDN, did your symptoms start to improve? 

Matthew: My symptoms did improve. The biggest noticeable one that I have then I noticed immediately was my fatigue. My fatigue dropped altogether. If there is a day that I skip my LDN,  sometimes I'll skip it once every two or three weeks to clear the pathways. Now I'm not suggesting it. One of my close doctor friends suggested that to me and I have done that and I have noticed a difference. AAs an example, when I was not on my LDN, the fatigue was overwhelming. When I started taking it within the second day, maybe third day, it was completely turned around. 

Linda Elsegood: Have you had any more problems with your legs? 

Matthew: I've had MS since I was diagnosed in 2004. I suspect I probably had it prior to that because looking back, I had a couple of symptoms back in 2002. Having it for 14, maybe 16 years, unfortunately, it is a progressive type of disease. It has taken a toll on me, not just the disease, but I was in a very high-stress job and that definitely took a toll on me. As I shared with you, Linda, in my email several weeks ago, one of my goals was always to walk every one of my four girls down their wedding aisle. And I have successfully been able to do that with two of my girls, and I still have two more to go. I expect that that's going to continue throughout. 

Linda Elsegood: Wow. So if you had to rate your quality of life on a score of one to 10 before you started LDN, what would it have been?

Matthew:  Linda, because I was very early onset of MS at that time, my quality of life was still very good. I was still able to do many things. I was able to still run. I was still able to do those types of things. I would say my quality of life definitely got better without question after getting on the LDN. The elimination of fatigue helps a lot. It also helps the pain receptors. I hear and see a lot of people talking about the pain that they have with MS. And I'm pretty fortunate that I don't have pain and I truly believe that has everything to do with the LDN. I just don't have certain pains. Are there times of uncomfortability? Absolutely. Without question, but there's never the time of true pain. But if you are really fatigued, everything you try and do that day, it's very difficult? It's hard to explain what fatigue is like to somebody who doesn't have fatigue, but it's like waking up. And your batteries are flashing red, and you still got to go through the whole day, and every day it can be different.

And even if you have a full night's sleep, you can still wake up feeling just as tired in the morning. So it's the struggle, isn't it? When you have fatigue. If that is all LDN had done for me, it would still be amazing, wouldn't it?  Absolutely. People have asked that same question, this fatigue just means you're tired. And I'm like, well, it's more than just, you know, it's not like feeling sleepy. It's like you feel like you want to take a nap, but you can't fall asleep, and your body is just exhausted. The LDN has tremendously helped with that without question. That's what I would say to everybody.

Anytime I get on the social sites and see people talk about how fatigued they are I let them know to get on LDN, contact your doctor immediately to get this cause that's a big symptom or a big side effect with MS that people battle. There are so many other medications than drugs that people can be drugged upon. And without having all the side effects. It doesn't have any of those side effects, it really is a wonderful aspect of it. 

Linda Elsegood: Wow. Thank you so much for sharing your experience with us, Matthew. Your second-oldest daughter just had a baby. Is that right?  And you've got another one due next year, so you're hopefully going to be a very hands-on granddad and be very busy. 

Matthew: Well, thank you. I expect it. We will be travelling back to Florida a couple more times, but yes, I do expect it.

Linda Elsegood: Good. Well, thank you very much for joining us today, Matthew. 

Matthew: All right, thank you so much, Linda. You have a great day. 

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 and 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 appreciated your company. Until next time, stay safe and keep well.

Mary Grace - US: Fybromyalgia, Myofascial Pain Syndrome, ME/CFS (LDN, low dose naltrexone) from LDN Research Trust on Vimeo.

Mary Grace from the United States takes low dose naltrexone (LDN) for fibromyalgia, myofascial pain, and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. She first noticed symptoms near 30, all starting slow; and has now been successful on LDN medication for four years now. 

Before the medication she had depression and unexplainable pain. To try and relieve this, Mary Grace resulted on 13 different medications; Norco, an anti-depressant and Vicodin for muscle relaxation. She had no pain relief medication at this time and all 13 medications had terrible side effects.

Mary Grace heard about LDN through a therapist after hearing from a patient who travelled to Mexico to find drug treatment. 

During Mary Grace’s suffering she was bed ridden for two years nearly but was so desperate for a suitable and successful medication like LDN. All 5 of her doctors would not prescribe Low Dose Naltrexone (LDN) to her. Mary Grace found a resource to order some herself and even after the first day of trying the new LDN medication she had more energy, but still trouble with sleeping and dealing with her ongoing pain. 

Now, 4 years on the LDN medication, Mary Grace has spread widely about her experiences, telling near to 30-40 people.

Although, she still suffers from fatigue, but it is not as bad. She can successfully walk two miles, which she could not do before, and even go on daily walks and outings. Mary Grace has lost 70 pounds and now has lowered the Thyroid medication. Feeling as though she has her life back!

Key Words: Thyroid Medication, weight, Low Dose Naltrexone, LDN, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, CFS/ME, Fibromyalgia, Myofascial Pain, Depression, muscle relaxation, pain, bed ridden, energy, fatigue

Mary - US: Lyme Disease (LDN, low dose naltrexone) from LDN Research Trust on Vimeo.

Mary shares her story of using low dose naltrexone (LDN) to treat Lyme disease. She became ill approximately four years ago, at age 42. She was in great shape, exercising four times per week, but she had a heart attack and was hospitalized for it, although tests did not show evidence of coronary artery disease. After that, she started having a lot of pain, reduced tolerance for exercise, and her doctor thought she had fibromyalgia. The doctor prescribed Cymbalta for the nerve and muscle pain. 

Mary didn’t think that she had fibromyalgia, so she researched things herself. Two years after the heart attack, her symptoms worsened greatly. She started developing palpitations, transient tachycardia, and neurological symptoms including burning pain in her feet and tingling in her fingers and toes. The fatigue was to the point that after coming home from work, she slept hard for two hours. She went to many doctors, who ran quite a few tests, but the only tests coming back abnormal were her inflammatory markers. She went to a holistic doctor that she knew, who prescribed LDN for her. 

Within a week or two of starting LDN, her fatigue was diminished, and her joint and muscle pain was a lot better. She also modified her diet to remove gluten and dairy, and reduce sugar. She also started eating more organic, cleaner food.

Since beginning the LDN and improved diet, she is happy to be able to keep working. She’d been having terrible pain, fatigue, trouble walking, and brain fog, and as a nurse, she was having trouble doing her job. But all that improved tremendously with Low Dose Naltrexone (LDN).

Mary has found that her best dosage is 3 mg. She takes her LDN at night and it works well for her. She was also recently diagnosed with chronic Lyme disease, and is hoping that the LDN will help with that as well. While drugs like Cymbalta had side effects that were as bad as her symptoms the doctor was trying to treat, LDN has improved her life very much. 

This has been a summary of Mary’s interview. For the full story, please go to the recording at the link above.

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

Mary from Scotland shares their ultiple sclerosis (MS) and Low Dose Naltrexone (LDN) story on the LDN Radio Show with Linda Elsegood.

Mary was diagnosed with MS in 2009 but actually started on Low Dose Naltrexone (LDN) prior to her diagnosis. Having noticed recurring symptoms of fatigue, numbness and a lack of energy for a number of years, Mary decided to take her treatment into her own hands and decided to research alternative treatments.

While researching Mary came across LDN, which proved to have miraculous effects for her. Within a matter of weeks Mary began to feel better already, mentioning that she felt like “she had her own life back”. 

After gradually working up to her optimal dose, Mary has continued on LDN for many years and sings its praises to anyone she comes across with MS who isn’t already on LDN.

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

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

Martha is from Hawaii in the United States, and takes low dose naltrexone (LDN) for fibromyalgia. Her first symptoms were a series of mysterious illnesses, stomach problems, fatigue, multiple chemical sensitivities, that in  2010 was diagnosed as fibromyalgia.

She was pretty much bedridden, felt feverish without a fever, fatigued, and in pain. Her quality of life was a 4, or 5 on a good day.

She heard about LDN in 2006 from a friend who was working with Dr Jackie McCandless, who was from the little community where she lived on the Big Island. She recently passed away but she had used it autism and then started the study in Africa using it for children with HIV.

She started LDN two years ago, and in three weeks her pain was decreased, she slept better, her depression lifted, and now she rates the quality of her life at a 10.

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

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

Mark from England shares their multiple sclerosis (MS) and low dose naltrexone (LDN) story on the LDN Radio Show with Linda Elsegood.

Mark was diagnosed with MS in 2006 at the age of 25. His symptoms prior to his diagnosis began with pins and needles in his legs, but this soon was in combination with fatigue and numbness.

Mark heard about LDN through a friend who took it. Within a month of starting on LDN, Mark’s fatigue had less control over his life and he had begun to regain feeling in the numb areas. Mark describes LDN as “allowing him to control his own future.”

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

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

Marijke from Australia shares her Fibromyalgia and Low Dose Naltrexone (LDN) story on the LDN Radio Show with Linda Elsegood.

Marijke was diagnosed with fibromyalgia in 2007 but had began to feel very ill 12 months prior to her diagnosis when she picked up a virus. She remembers being at university and could not move from one chair to another because she was simply so exhausted. Additionally, as well as constant pain in her muscles, Marijke had trouble sleeping following the birth of her first child.

Thankfully Marike discovered Low Dose Naltrexone (LDN), which completely changed her life for the better.

“Although gradually, my symptoms began to disappear. I could sleep better and could concentrate more, which is very important to me as a university lecturer. I used to stand in front of hundreds of students and feel like an idiot when my mind would go blank, but that doesn’t happen anymore.

If you’re thinking about trying LDN and you’ve got fibromyalgia, you’ve just got to try it. Give it three months at least. Even if you ease into it like I did, you’ll begin to notice incredible benefits for your health.”

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

Maria - US: Lupus, Fibromyalgia, Sjogren's (LDN, low dose naltrexone) from LDN Research Trust on Vimeo.

Maria is from Argentina and now lives in the United states, in California, and is using low dose naltrexone (LDN) for lupus, fibromyalgia and Sjogren's syndrome

"I started getting sick when I was 21.I was experiencing pain in my joints, extreme fatigue and starting having pneumonia but then it happened two years later, and  again three years later.

Later when I was correctly diagnosed, Lupus was attacking tissue in my lung.

Before the diagnose of Lupus I was treated with antibiotics, non-steroid anti-inflammatories and later steroids.

About 5 years ago I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia and Sjogren's syndrome.

I would have times that I'd be fine for a year or a couple of years, and then I get a flare-up. My quality of life at that point was a 4 out of 10. I couldn't get up and go to work. I had pain all over my body.

I heard about low dose naltrexone (LDN) from some of my friends. I work in biotechnology world in Northern California with an organization that is a nonprofit and developing new biotechnologists for regenerative medicine, mainly focused on curing the diseases of ageing; and I found out that a few of my friends were taking LDN.

One of them suggest me to try and to go on the LDN Research Trust website. I read about it.  I talked to my friends who were taking it, and I realized that it didn't have any negative effects.

I contacted the LDN Research Trust. They gave me a list of doctors and in that list, I got an appointment, and he was in pain management. He prescribed it.

In the beginning I did experienced a lot of dreaming.

I have been taking LDN for a year now. My life got back to normal since I started LDN. I haven't had any flare-ups. A year ago I was taking Prednisone and I could stop taking it. I am taking Hydrochloroquine, 200 milligrams twice a day. I'm going to visit my Rheumatologist very soon, and hopefully, they're going to lower it.

So my quality of life right now is a ten. I haven't had anymore symptoms for the last year.

My eyes are still bothering me. I take Restasis, and I started taking more fish oil, and I think that's helping me.

I encourage everybody who's listening to try it. I don't think there's anything to lose. It's really amazing"!

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

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

Margaret, previously  from England but now from Spain, was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) in 2008. She has had MS ever since she was near 20 years old, and is now 60. 

Margaret broke her back in a horse riding accident when problems started happening. When she was about 40 her leg started going numb, and once investigated, they found a crushed fracture in her back.

At this time, after countless operations on her back, Margaret started using a walking stick as she kept losing her balance. Her neurologist then diagnosed her with MS. 

Her MS symptoms included eyesight problems, she could no longer play sport, as well as being constantly tired. Then she started having swallowing difficulty. This is when she started noticing numbness in her legs.

Margaret could not manage to get a prescription for LDN in Spain, it was not an accepted protocol. So therefore she had to find her own chemist to prescribe it to her.

After the first week, she noticed she could taste and smell better, her urge to go to the toilet was slowing down, and even though she was still sleeping during the day, this was no longer as much, and she would feel fantastic after. Now Margaret has been on LDN for ten months, and recommends people to try it.

Please watch the video to view the whole interview. Thank you

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

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

Manda from Holland has Hashimoto's thyroid condition. She first started noticing symptoms at the early age of 17; she is now 41. During her studies, she had extreme difficulties with her sleep, and at the age of 35 she quit her career because symptoms were worsening. Always tired, dizzy, and her whole back and pelvis started to become unstable, where she then had problems sitting for more than 15 minutes; which therefore made social activities difficult. 

Manda rated her quality of life a 4/10 before low dose naltrexone (LDN), and ever since her quality of life has improved drastically.

After finding information about LDN, Manda asked her doctor to prescribe it for her, but the response was unfortunately a no. Then after looking online she found a six month waiting list prescription from France. 

Initial side effects included, trouble sleeping and migraines. Now after six months, Manda is still amazed by the medication, and would recommend people to give it a try.

Thank you for reading, please watch the video to listen to the whole interview.

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