Low Dose Naltrexone question? (LDN)

Hi happyjo

My hope is that once the lyme & co is cleared to a manageable load for my immune system, which can effectively take over, most of my sx will be gone. With that logic, I hope I can at that point stop taking the antimicrobials and bring down detox a couple notches.

But I wonder about the LDN, because it is not one of those pharmaceuticals developed simply to "cover" sx. It actually addresses root causes. And, it's reported to have such amazing properties, is safe to use and is such a significant immune support and I might stay on it for a long while after my tx wanes quite bit. We'll see.

LDN works by boosting levels of endorphins (peptides produced in the brain and adrenal glands) that are best known for relieving pain and enhancing your sense of well-being. Endorphins are responsible for the “runner's high” brought on by strenuous exercise. These natural peptides are also powerful modulators of the immune system.

When you take LDN at bedtime, it attaches to opioid receptors in the brain and in all types of immune cells, which temporarily blocks endorphins from attaching to them. This signals your body to increase endorphin production. The increased endorphin production helps orchestrate the activity of stem cells, macrophages, natural killer cells, T and B cells and other immune cells.

It also prevents immune system overactivity, which is the crux of autoimmune disorders, and blunts the release of inflammatory and neurotoxic chemicals in the brain.

Treg cells balance and regulate the immune system and keep both sides in check.

Another more recently discovered mechanism is that LDN reduces inflammation in the central nervous system, and the significance of this is that inflammation in the central nervous system is thought to play a role in a number of different conditions that LDN has been shown to be effective for, like fibromyalgia and chronic pain and depression.

In addition to blocking the opioid receptors, LDN blocks something called toll-like receptor 4 that’s found on white blood cells that are called microglia, and the microglia are central nervous system immune cells that produce inflammation, pain sensitivity, fatigue, sleeplessness, mood disorders, and cognitive problems. When those microglia are chronically activated, as they are fibromyalgia and other pain disorders, it results in neurotoxicity and then this whole wide cascade of symptoms that are associated with all these conditions, and LDN essentially blocks that cascade by blocking the receptors on those microglial cells.

This probably explains why in some of the studies so far LDN has been shown to reduce something called erythrocyte sedimentation rate, or ESR, which is an inflammatory marker that’s elevated in conditions like fibromyalgia.

Again, to recap, there are two basic mechanisms: balancing and regulating the immune system and then reducing central nervous system inflammation. There probably are other mechanisms, but those are the ones that have been the most clearly defined so far.

www.lowdosenaltrexone.org
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3962576/

p

Yes, unfortunately, it works optimally in the middle of the night as your body is "powered down".

What I would do is maintain the dose you're at and slowly start taking it a 1/2 hr later each day. If you experience significant issues, hold at that time until they wane… and then keep moving the goal post until you are able to tolerate taking that dose right before bedtime. 11pm is the golden hour, as it goes to work during your sleep cycle around 2am.

And then if you're still experiencing some sx or start developing sx after time but you are not yet at max 4.5 mg dose, slowly increase the dose but no more than .5 mg at a time. With your first increase, move dose time up a couple of hours earlier into late afternoon, and then each day move it closer to bedtime every day like you did before. Let yourself acclimate to that dose for a month and then, if you need to, you can increase again… very slowly.

Good luck!

p

Yes-got at compounding, but btw doc & pharm, they "said" only 4.5 so I am clumsily cutting powder capsule in half, & taking 1/2! That's not too much is it. Geezch--so much to tweak here & there with all of this!

And thank you for the gradual later in the day approach. Will def start to try to take later as body tolerates! I'm still doing ambien at night (nada natural works) so don't want to rev my body up more than it already is! You are a wealth of info! How long now have u been on it?

You guys are the BEST! I am looking up old threads, too. And once I am on this for awhile, I will report for others any success.

Thx cd3764~that is a GREAT reminder for my offspring with her condition! I know u have had improvement with your thyroid, but do you think with LD tx, LDN, etc, that the thyroid will be balanced/healed w/o thyroid meds (or is that a crazy, naive question)?

I have been on LDN for about 7 months. I take 1.5mg at night time. At one point I thought it was helping my thyroid. I have Hashi's and I am prescribed 45mg of Armor every morning. I cut my dose down to 30mg of Armor after a few weeks of being on the LDN. I was not sleeping as good as I wanted, waking up in the middle of the night and not being able to fall back asleep. A few weeks ago my doc tested my thyroid and said I was hypo despite taking 30mgs of Armor. I have now raised my Armor to about 38mgs and will retest in a week to see if I am back in the optimal range for thyroid. So, I thought LDN had helped my thyroid, but now I am not so sure. I might have to go back to the 45mg's of Armor and have to deal with the sleep issues.

As for the LDN I noticed an immediate benefit. It helped with my mood and took away the "hit by a bus" feeling I use to have. It also helped regulate my monthly cycle. I missed taking it once about 4 months ago and could tell the following day. This did not heal me, but it does help me. I often wonder if I should increase my dose. I also wonder if I will ever be able to stop taking it. It costs me about $40.00 per month.

Thx all! Very helpful. Btw, after 2 days, the muscle/inflammation bit was positively effected. Need more time to be sure, but promising.

P~I had initially prompted the doc re LDN & he responded that it sounded like a good idea (knew about LDN, but he was not intimately familiar). At that time he wrote out the script for 4.5mg. The one time I took, well--NOT fun at all so I shelved it.

After reading/discussing here & online I found that one should start low for a month (ahem) & then increase. At the time, I called back the doc's office & got the run around with the nurse who said that no, the mg could not be changed (?)--I just think she didn't know, & at that point I didn't want to fuss & just put the idea on hold.

And yes--cutting the capsules in half is doofy & inaccurate to say the least! I also have a 2nd script written, also for 4.5 so wondering if I pop into the compounding pharmacy & ask them, if they will be willing to change the amt for me or contact the doc's office on my behalf (?).

Do I ask for this 2nd script to be in 1 or 1.5 increments & then hold onto this 1st 4.5 prescrip until I can work up to 4.5? Some here seem to only get up only to 3mg (?). All of this alchemy is overwhelming in having to think & rethink!! It is so appreciated to have you guys weigh in!

happyjo

I would just politely state (not ask) to the MD that he needs to rewrite the script at 1.5 mg dose… Start with that and if you feel your symptoms come back, you're ready to increase and then ask him to write it for 2mg… You might get lucky like DB* and have success at the lower dose! Your compounding pharmacist should be able to fill at .5 mg increments.

p