LDN - Low Dose Naltrexone and chronic pain

Posted , 5 users are following.

I've been on LDN - Low Dose Naltrexone for a few months now. It's been a bumpy road and the journey has had both positive and negative points.

I've been adjusting the dose but in so far the 3 main benefits I can claim from it are:

- some sleep improvement;

- less pain intensity;

- apparent normalising effects on some blood markers such as LDH (lactate dehydrogenase).

However I feel exhausted to an unbearable point and continue prone to inflammation. I've decided to continue treatment with LDN because I've read extensively about it and many authors say it may take up to a yer to come to fruition.

Meanwhile I've resorted to naturopathic medicine and I'm under treatment as well.

We're all different in the way we react to medications and because I've been reading so much suffering here with so little hope of remission that I thought of encouraging you of not giving up and trying new things.

I would like to share with you a recent study on LDN whose Abstract is:

"The use of low-dose naltrexone (LDN) as a novel anti-inflammatory treatment for chronic painJarred Younger, [corresponding author]  Luke Parkitny, and David McLain

Abstract

Low-dose naltrexone (LDN) has been demonstrated to reduce symptom severity in conditions such as fibromyalgia, Crohn’s disease, multiple sclerosis, and complex regional pain syndrome. We review the evidence that LDN may operate as a novel anti-inflammatory agent in the central nervous system, via action on microglial cells. These effects may be unique to low dosages of naltrexone and appear to be entirely independent from naltrexone’s better-known activity on opioid receptors. As a daily oral therapy, LDN is inexpensive and well-tolerated. Despite initial promise of efficacy, the use of LDN for chronic disorders is still highly experimental. Published trials have low sample sizes, and few replications have been performed. We cover the typical usage of LDN in clinical trials, caveats to using the medication, and recommendations for future research and clinical work. LDN may represent one of the first glial cell modulators to be used for the management of chronic pain disorders.

Keywords: Anti-inflammatory, Chronic pain, Fibromyalgia, Glial cell modulators, Low-dose naltrexone, Microglia"

Younger, Jarred, Luke Parkitny, and David McLain. “The Use of Low-Dose Naltrexone (LDN) as a Novel Anti-Inflammatory Treatment for Chronic Pain.”Clinical Rheumatology 33.4 (2014): 451–459. PMC. Web. 13 July 2015.

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    • Posted

      HI Karen!

      You never forget asking do you? How sweet of you!

      I'm a bit better guess, than you.  In the last few days I ate some wheat breads and... I can tell you that it makes me feel worse. I know I can't have them more than once a week but I relapse and then I pay the price. In my case I feel it really impacts on fibro. 

      It's shame you're not sleeping more Karen... you know it'll also impact on your health. It's chicken and egg situation, I know. Have you asked your doctor if the leg pain isn't also related with poor circulation? Because if it is you can take bioflavonoids and other helpful things. But I know numbness is very common in fibro patients - I have every night usually in hands and arms. 

      Is Charlie well now? 

      I wish you a peaceful and joyful weekend. XXX. Teresa.

       

    • Posted

      Is he a cocker? I have a friend that had one (a she dog) and she would eat just about anything: soy, fruit, vegetables, anything! 
    • Posted

      So glad to hear Charlie is on the mend, wonderful news. xx

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      Take care ladies (and gents if any are reading), I'm off to pack now and won't be online til I get back next Friday. Big gentle hugs and stay safe. xx

    • Posted

      Hey: happy holidays! Seaside, countryside or moutains?
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    • Posted

      Hi Karen. I'm so sorry i didn't reply sooner but I've been out more now. I'm not too bad, thank you. I still wake up as if someone beat me up during the night but improve after the "magic potions." In the last couple of weeks I've managed to do things at home I hadn't done in a long, long time. Tomorrow I'll resume the mild psysichal therapy/gymnastics I used to do before getting so much worse these last 12 months. We'll see how it goes. Sleep is still a bit messed up - but I notice that during the days I take progesterone (10 days a month) I sleep better. 

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      My prayers go out to you. Have blessed night. XXX T.

       

    • Posted

      Hi Teressa so pleased to hear your getting out more and that things have improved for you so that you are now able to do things, that you havnt been able to in along time. That is ablessing Im really pleased for you its great when you hear something positive like that. hope the psysihal therepy/gymnastics go well for you.No still not sleeping great will have word with gp when she gets back off holiday. she knows me inside and out I trust her implicitley. charlie is loads better now hes back to his old self thank you for asking. hope you have alovely day take care gentle hugs karen x

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