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What exactly does low dose naltroxene (LDN) do for fibromyalgia?

Posted by tdinnen @tdinnen, Oct 26, 2025

What exactly does LDN do for fibromyalgia? Does it relieve pain? Depression? it sounds like it is for alcohol/drug addiction...but a lot of people have recommended it...please share how it is supposed to help, thank you
Also, does anyone have trouble with constipation???

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Fibromyalgia Support Group.

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tbirddonna | @tbirddonna | Mar 21 11:11am

I know to wean myself off of it. I will open the capsule and pour half of it out. That's what I had to do when I first started taking it, so that's what I'll do to stop taking it. Thanks for your input. I hope the LDN works for you.

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daisy17 | @daisy17 | Mar 21 11:13am
In reply to @jeannesf1 "@tbirddonna oh boy. Now of course this was only my experience. After taking it for over..." + (show)
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@tbirddonna oh boy. Now of course this was only my experience. After taking it for over 12 years decided to get off Cymbalta. Then start LDN. Doctor weaned me off it. The mental side effects were and still are devastating. High anxiety, scared of the simplest things, nightmares, crying all through the day and night for everything. After about 6 weeks most of the side effects went away except for the crying it only got a tiny bit better. It’s debilitating. 2 cousins and 1 aunt have passed since then I didn’t go to their funerals because I would have cried all through it and more than any other persons there. I can’t stop it as hard as I try. Not only crying but the full blown emotions, I feel emotionally devastated. It exhausts me. If I see a dead animal even if it’s a worm in the garden I start crying devastated because this worm never had a chance. (I don’t like worms). Went to my friend’s nephew’s funeral whom I didn’t know and cried more than anyone else. I went there to support my friend and she ended up consoling me. Songs make me cry full blown. It’s ridiculous. I certainly wasn’t like that before. So it’s hindered my social life and I fear having a conversation with anyone because the slightest thing will set me off. I’m embarrassed and yet unable to hold it back. This month it’s been a year since I stopped it. BUT since I stopped it I get up early (for me, I’m retired ) 8am-9am. When I was on Cymbalta I got up anywhere from 1pm to 5pm. I thought it was fibromyalgia fatigue until I got off Cymbalta. BUT when I first took it I was so bad from fibro that I could hardly walk and sometimes I would crawl. So it did help me then. I’m taking LDN now not sure if it’s working yet (I’ve heard on here it could take up to 6 months to work), I do get flare ups, sometimes kind of bad. But use heat ice chiropractor, biofreeze, etc. and Advil when the other things don’t work. Not very often. I’m not great - especially with all the crying, however being able to get up early is great. I will never take it again.

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@jeannesf1 There is a Facebook support group for Cymbalta users, called Cymbalta Hurts Worse Support Group. Maybe some of those members could offer some advice. I read that drug is only somewhat effective for only about 30% of people with fibromyalgia, so I decided the side effects weren't worth any possible benefits, but it was the first drug my rheumatologist suggested. Luckily I found LDN which helps tremendously. Good luck to you.

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Vanessa Valentine | @luvpets15 | Mar 22 8:41am

I was finally diagnosed with fibro last October, after suffering with it for years. It takes a long time to get into a specialist in my area (rheumatologist), but my primary care doctor is wonderful. I asked her for a prescription for LDN to try to help with the pain. Sadly, it did nothing for my pain.

When I finally saw the rheumatologist, she prescribed Cymbalta. It worked well at first (might've been my wishful thinking), but then the gastric problems began and they became intolerable - the the pain went back to high levels.

I am currently using Palmitoylethanolamide (recommended in this forum) and it seems to work the best for me. I'm on my third bottle. I am also adding liposomal glutathione (just started yesterday) to see if that improves the "legs feeling like lead" I experience every few days. Will report more after a month of taking it.

I appreciate this forum more than you can possibly know. Sending all my fellow suffers hugs and healing!

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MC4314 | @mc4314 | Mar 22 2:25pm

The LDN Research Trust (.org) has some wonderful LDN guides under the LDN Resources tab of the website that explains what LDN is, how it works, and typical dosing.

As for constipation, LDN acts as a prokinetic, meaning it can help with that.

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lena1 | @lena1 | Mar 22 4:48pm

My Rhumetologist suggested it, but the idea kind of concerned me.
I do not understand how it works, but I'm curious.

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lena1 | @lena1 | Mar 22 4:52pm

LDN is what I'm curious about. Should I agree to it? I've been taking pregabalin but it does not ease my pain and I'm up to 4 a day.

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daisy17 | @daisy17 | Mar 23 12:05pm
In reply to @lena1 "My Rhumetologist suggested it, but the idea kind of concerned me. I do not understand how..." + (show)
Profile picture for lena1 @lena1

My Rhumetologist suggested it, but the idea kind of concerned me.
I do not understand how it works, but I'm curious.

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@lena1 Please try it. It helped me very much by reducing pain and curing my insomnia. I have no bad side effects. The only problem is that you have to slowly work up to a maintenance dose so you won't experience benefits for a few months. Once you get to the maintenance dose of 4.5mg/day it can take 1-2 months to notice benefits. Also, it doesn't work for everyone, but you won't know unless you try it.

The other downside is that it's not covered by insurance and you must get it from a compounding pharmacy, where they make it in the proper doses, because it's not generally available to pharmacy's at the lower doses.

I posted this article before, there are lots of others out there can find by searching. https://chronicillness.co/low-dose-naltrexone-for-fibromyalgia/

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