Naltrexone

@vostie
THANK YOU so much for posting on this thread. I'm finding your information 100% factual. So much so I had to look to see if I posted it. Sadly in fact, there are so many drs who jumped on the bandwagon of LDN - the L being LOW! - that even many of them are prescribing it entirely wrong. Even a friend asked their doctor for it knowing I take it and I happened to be in the car when she had just gotten it filled. These wrong scripts will cause people to denounce LDN as having huge side effects such as insomnia or dreaming similar to lucid dreaming. These are not side effects of LDN, these are effects that can occur when prescribed incorrectly. My friend was given a full dose 4.5mg from day one. This ensures side effects as it needs to be started in minute dosages and built up over weeks.

I hate to see people refusing to use LOW dose naltrexone because it was prescribed wrong when it could potentially help them if prescribed correctly and remove most uncomfortable side-effects by like 95%. Also, do not expect to feel different in 2 weeks or even 2 months and even potentially 6 month. LDN includes a commitment to N O T use ANY opioid pain meds long term. In fact it can be dangerous for this reason: because naltrexone is mostly prescribed at 50mg as an incentive to stop using opioids (esp street drugs) by just preventing them from working at all includeing any desired high which is probably the side effect most desired (I'm not saying 100% as some people with chronic pain sadly need to resort to illegally buying their pain meds as so many Drs have stopped prescribing opioids etc for pain control. A whole separate issue and conversation tho there are important corellations between Naltrexone at ANY dosage and opioids - only opioids - that the consumer should understand. I'll start that long sentence again. In short forum when the use of opioids has not 100% stopped weeks before starting naltrexone, and the person still desires a high, this desire can cause the person to I eep taking an opioid in search of that high and end up overdosing. They will never get high when one is one naltrexone - at any dosage and in fact it will prevent all of an opiods effects (like pain reduction) also. As a result and for the same reason, if you are having surgery that will even possibly require the use of opioids for pain control, you will need to stop using any dosage of naltrexone and should be a thing to always discuss with your prescriber and your surgeon. Categorically, no Opioids will stop pain when taking naltrexone full stop,

We are all encompassed to do our own research and never assume any drs knows everything about all medication but especially the off label use of all medication ESP LDN,

Don't even believe me! I will post some legitimate sites to read,

Starting LDN is a long term commitment to not using any opioid, period. Not only that, but the antiinflammatory effect of LDN, because of how it works with your immune system, won't be felt for even potentially months, or at all as the benefits begin at such a slow pace and depend on us taking the smallest dose possible for our unique bodies which also takes time to figure out as all of us will potentially end up needing different doses as our Dr and we work to find the exact dose for our own body. The half life in my specific body depends on how fast or slow I metabolize naltrexone. LDN is most effective when it stays in your body the LEAST amount of time, the shortest half-life thus the smallest dose possible. Unlike most drugs, the smallest dose of LDN that works to shut down you immune system for like 2 hours, the better. The effect of LDN is when the immune system kicks back in - not when it shuts down.

Again, don't automatically belief anyone on a peer directed forum as we are not here as professionals ever. And none of us should assume our Dr prescribing esp with LDN as it works counterintuitively. Not all drs specialize in endocrinology, nor may not even remember the nuances of the endocrine system as it's not their specialty. They may not have done their own deep dive into LDN and even have spoken to other members of your medical team esp if one Dr is prescribing your opioids and another your LDN. Our team of drs must always be talking and staying in their own lane i.e. your heart surgeon should not ideally be prescribing an antidepressant and your psychiatrist should never be prescribing your blood thinner, but I digress.

As someone who did a deep dive into LDN about 7 years ago for an entire year before I took it - there were very few drs prescribing it at the time, I so appreciate you @vostie also being here correcting sooooo much misinformation on this thread. Please, if you are interested in trying LOW dose Naltrexone, do your own research. Do NOT assume your Dr knows all about it or k own anything about it, if your first script is for 4,5mg, you will almost 90% experience U toward side effects and may not stay on it because of "side effects" of the drug when it's actually a side effect of the dosage.

A funny thing about LDN I have rediscovered several times as I go off and on for surgeries is I only know it's working when I go off and pain returns that I kind of forgot existed so bad over the years I've taken LDN.

LDN ONLY affected opioids. There is no effect on alcohol use. In fact, because there is ZERO connection between how opioids and alcohol affect the body, I don't see how any drug can affect both regarding it's use. Yes, the way meds affect the liver, kidneys, and other organs is always a concern for any chemical we put in our bodies for example, if you have kidney disease I'm sure most drs know what meds you should not be taking including vitamins and minerals. But maybe you didn't tell your dentist you take blood thinners. (Please see your dentist as part of your medical team and make sure they know all your diagnoses and medications.)

Too often people like me don't want to tell our dentists that we have an abuse history, have a dissociative disorder, can experience a flashback or esp a panic attack, It's hard but they don't need to know why. We don't need to expose details but again, they should know we take LOW Dose Baltrzone - do NOT say nalrtrexone. The recommended dosage of 50mg for a recovering addict is way different than the 3mg I take.

But in the end due diligence is the answer to our best medical care, It's a lot on us now (or our family caretakers who care about/love us to learn about potential drug interactions etc. I recently read someone saying that their pharmacist should keep their nose out of the meds our drs order. WRONG. Knowing how drugs react and interact makes our pharmacist also an important member of our health team.

Sorry to be so long if you hung read this long epistle. Due diligence is the name of the game and don't include or trust any and all peer led discussion forums including Facebook, tiktocs, Reddit, YouTube influencer etc. Be your professional reference. Esp commercials. Know your drug side effects and interactions from reliable websites esp. Betty

@celia16
OMG that sounds so good! But it would just wipe me out, make me feel exhausted...

@sandguy , oh, that’s unfortunate. I find that a glass of wine relaxes me just a little. In fact, I’m quite relieved that most of my post covid issues have resolved. I have a good number of days in which I feel VERY good physically! I hope it continues. I’m still working on a couple of things. I really wish others were improving too. I recall how frustrated I was early on. The uncertainty is so stressful.

I recently started taking LDN, and I reached the therapeutic dose (4.5mg) 10 days ago. It has been nothing short of a miracle drug for me.

My Post Exertional Malaise has vanished. Stress and physical exertion that would have me in bed no longer impacts me more than would be expected for anyone. While I don’t feel 100% by any stretch, I definitely have more energy to be on my feet, be social, stay focused, etc.

I know LDN has no effect is for some people, but I would certainly encourage folks to at least give it a try. By crushing and mixing 50 mg tablets in distilled water, it is inexpensive also.