Annie (2) - England: Multiple Sclerosis (MS) (LDN, low dose naltrexone) from LDN Research Trust on Vimeo.
Linda Elsegood: I'd like to introduce Annie from England who has multiple sclerosis?
Good morning, Annie. Could you tell us when you were diagnosed with MS?
Annie: I was diagnosed when, 30 years ago, so that would have been, golly, I can't even say what year I was the very late twenties, 29.
Um, but I had problems with my light eye from my teens, as it transpires it was probably the MS, but I've had it for quite a long time.
Linda Elsegood: And how did it impact on you at that time being diagnosed?
Annie: Um, well, they told me at the time actually, that I had a viral infection, and so I tested. Took it, but that was it. But they had actually written down on my notes that it was MS. And it wasn't until ten years later when I had quite a serious relapse, uh, that they sent me for an MRI scan. Then they said, they didn't tell me because it would have affected the quality of my life, but I'm glad they didn't actually because I would have been stressed out as it happens.
I had ten great years. Uh, I was not worrying about anything health-wise.
Linda Elsegood: It's always a blessing,
Annie: isn't it? Absolutely.
Linda Elsegood: And were you offered any medication when you had this relapse?
Annie: Um, yes, I, I think I was taking steroids at the time, some kind of steroids. Um, I can't remember what it was called.
Linda Elsegood: And how bad was your MS?
Annie: Um, well, compared to others, not that bad, but, um, I had no feeling from my waist downwards on the left-hand side. And so when I sat there, and I couldn't feel that I was sitting down, I amused my friend one day. I went to her house, I sat down on the chair as I thought, and I actually ended up on the floor, and she couldn't stop laughing because I couldn't feel the chair.
Um, but that kind of passed after some months, I think I just have the left side is a lot weaker than my right side.
Linda Elsegood: So have you had any other symptoms, other those that you've just told us about?
Annie: Right. Well, after I spoke to you a couple of weeks ago, I went into another relapse. I don't know if that's a word to use really.
So we haven't been great. Um, I told the doctor and he wanted me to take a ten-day course of steroids, which I did. Um. And I'm feeling much, much better now, but he did say to stop taking the LDN, so I did and I started that up next week, I think the consequence of that relapse is that my left-hand motor skills are quite poor now.
I could still use it, but it's poorer than it was. But I'm still walking.
Linda Elsegood: That's a big deal. So how did you hear about LDN?
Annie: Um. I went to my doctor about something and I said, Oh, I am fed up. He said, why are you using that stick? Because I use a stick sometimes cause I'm a bit wobbly from time to time.
I said, well, I've got MS. He said, don't give me that. He said Google LDN and then come back and if you want to use it. And so I Googled it and I was quite impressed by what I read, so I thought I'll take this stuff. And so I've been taking it ever since.
So, um, I suppose it must be between six and nine months, at least. Maybe a year. I've been taking it for.
Linda Elsegood: Oh, you've got a very good GP.
Annie: Yes, he is. He's great.
Linda Elsegood: Also these days though, you can actually take LDN and steroids at the same time. So you need to be afraid of restarting,
Annie: right? Yeah. Oh, that's interesting because it does say you shouldn't stop taking it, and I was a bit concerned that I would be doing damage anyway.
I seem to be okay, but as I say, I'm going to stop.
Linda Elsegood: Your motor skills come back and lots of people have told me how it has helped relapses whilst taking LDN. They find that the relapses are not as severe, they don't last as long and they recover more or less fully from the attack.
So that would be interesting to see if that is the case with you.
Annie: Yeah.
Linda Elsegood: What would you say to other people who are contemplating
trying LDN?
Annie: My view is you've got absolutely nothing to you, nothing to lose and I don't know if it's doing me any good. Psychologically, it's helped me tremendously. There must be something good in it for sure because I push myself to the limits and it is allowing me to push myself to the limits, you know?
So I would encourage anybody to try it, just try it and see if it doesn't suit them, that's fine. But I haven't had any adverse effects, you know, I'm just very happy to take it.
Linda Elsegood: Did you have any introductory side effects when you first started?
Annie: yes. I had a tremendous headache. Um, I'm prone to migraine anyway, and I think apparently that's part of the ms thing. I had a bad headache for several, several days, nearly a week actually and then it went, and I've been okay ever since. I still get the monthly migraine, but yes. Yeah. Um, I, I spoke to consultants about it, and they said it's something to do with the MS. People with MS can get migraines. We could also get rather depressed but I'm never depressed. Thank God.
Linda Elsegood: Is there anything else you'd like to add?
Annie: Mmm, I do think so. It's just that I don't know if the LDL is doing anything, but I think it must be because I've had this now for a very long time—this condition. And you know, as I said, I'm 62, and I'm doing really, really well. I had to do a bit of walking this morning, which I wasn't expecting. I had to put my car into the garage, and it had to stay there. So I had to go and get a bus to come home and walk from the bus stop. And I was able to do it with one stick, but I don't think I would have done that a year ago. So I'm thinking the LDN is helping somehow.
Linda Elsegood: Very good. Well, thank you very much for sharing your story with us.
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.