LDN / low-dose naltrexone

Sorry I don't have time right now to find and add the links--I will try to get it done for you tomorrow.

In the meantime, you can read my (l-o-n-g) post to Rinky-Dink on the thread they started a few days ago titled "RA and type 1 diabetes".  I discuss what I've learned so far about LDN...that part is about halfway down the post.

There is also a book about it that I've sent for called Up the Creek With a Paddle--Beat MS and All Autoimmune Disorders With Low-Dose Naltrexone (LDN).  The author's name is Mary Boyle, and I found it on amazon.com.

There are also some YouTube videos about it, if you'd like to do a search there.

I'll get the links to you as soon as I can...take care!

April,

Below are some of the links I've been looking at regarding LDN therapy.  Google will come up with quite a bit of info, but I found these sites particularly helpful.

I corresponded with a woman whose MS (also an autoimmune disease) was helped dramatically with LDN--she maintains a "database" of physicians who will prescribe LDN if your doctor refuses to--there a even a handful who will do phone consultations/prescriptions.  Email her and she promptly provides doctor's names and contact information. 

She also maintains a list of compounding pharmacies that will custom-make the low-dose capsules when they receive a prescription from your doctor. 

She told me that she's corresponded with many people about LDN, and she finds that specialists like my rheumatologist tend to be unlikely to prescribe it, as they are "locked in" to all of their standard treatments.  She suggested I discuss this with my primary physician, as she said they tend to be more open-minded than the specialists.

Her site... www.crystalangel6267.webs.com/ldntrickingtthebody.htm is geared more towards the treatment of MS, since that what she has that LDN has improved, but it contains much info on LDN therapy.  (Not sure why this link won't show up as "hot", but this is just one page on Chrystal's site that I thought would be particularly helpful for those learning about LDN)...her home page is www.crystalangel6267.webs.com

Three other sites I've found helpful are www.LDNers.org and www.ldninfo.org and www.webspawner.com/users/whatisldn/index.html  

There are also YouTube videos and many other sites on the internet that are just a google search away.  One video I watched is by Dr. Burt Berkson, and he discusses how LDN therapy is most beneficial for autoimmune disorders, but is also useful for some cancers and other conditions, which is what I've read elsewhere.  This video is part of a five-video series, but I still need to watch 1-4...this one (number 5) came up in a YouTube search I did.  The url for this video is www.youtube.com/watch?v=nttilGKpJvU  

Good luck to you, and if you (or anyone else here) employs LDN therapy, please post your experience with it.  I'm going to "pitch" the idea to my new doctor as soon as I can get an appointment, and if I try this, I will share what I learn and whether it helps me.

You are a hundred percent right--naltrexone has been used in 50-300 mg. dosages to help people trying to kick heroin and other opiate drug addictions, and the drug has been on the market for about thirty years.  (It's now generic.)

 The dose used to treat autoimmune and other disorders is much smaller; only 3-4.5 mg., thus the moniker "low-dose naltrexone", or LDN. 

When the drug was in clinical trials, it wasn't known that it could help people with autoimmune disorders (as well as some other health conditions, including some cancers), so any prescription for those conditions is considered "off-label", which is perfectly legal.  However, many doctors don't know about this use, so finding one who will prescribe it can be a challenge.

In addition, because the smallest strength the pill is produced in is 50 mg., once you find a physician willing to write a prescription, that prescription will need to be sent to a compounding pharmacy to have them make up capsules with the smaller dosage.  I have a list (and can provide a link to it) of compounding pharmacies in the U.S.--there are several.  They will just mail you the capsules after they make them up.

I already get my current medications by mail, so that's no big deal.  I see a new doctor in about ten days, so I'm going to take her some info about LDN, then make a follow-up appointment to see what she thinks.  I've ordered a book about LDN from Amazon.com (there are at least three books on the subject), so I'm going to let my new doc read the book after I finish it, if she's interested.

I've read that there are now some clinical trials going on, so maybe this drug will soon be more well-known by doctors, and will then be produced in the lower 3-4.5 mg. strengths. 

I'm trying not to get too excited about this, but it's hard...a cheap ($35/mo.) drug that's worst side effect is vivid dreams?  Comparing that to Enbrel and methotrexate's "lymphoma, fatal blood diseases", etc...if this works, how much of a Godsend would it be to the millions of people who suffer from autoimmune diseases?!

I'll post after I have my doctor appointment to share what happens, in case anyone's interested.

Blessings!

You're certainly correct that methotrexate is even less expensive than naltrexone, and, like you, I tolerate methotrexate well.  Unfortunately, methotrexate alone didn't work for me, and I need Enbrel as well.

The potential side effects of both methotrexate and Enbrel include lymphoma and other serious disorders, which can occur after years of tolerating them well, so if I can replace their effects on my RA for a mere $35 a month and a few vivid dreams, I'll consider it a bargain! 

Best of luck to you! 

I am brand new to this forum. I am on my second week of LDN. I did research for a while and then decided to try this option because I also have Crohn's disease and do not want to be on the big drugs, I also have RA so I figure if I can find one cheap drug with little side effects it will be a miracle. I have been on steroids and NSAIDS for treatment of my RA(before I was diagnosed with Crohn's, can't take any NSAIDS now) My RA doctor recommended the big drugs but where I feel my pain is sometimes tolerable I decided to not do the drugs. lately I have been hurting alot more so i am erally hoping that the LDN will work. I saw my GI to try and get LDN prescribed but he wouldn't do it for me but told me how I could get it on the internet and so my journey started. I ordered from a pharmacy in Canada, didn't need a prescription. They are the 50mg tablets that I compound down to a liquid form and take it that way. I found videos and articles on how to do this correctly online but the Pharmacy already knew how and also gave me the same directions. It is very easy and I don't mind the liquid form that much. My GI did suggest that I start slowly with only 1.5mg for a few weeks to work my way up to 4.5mg. I did a week and am now up to 3mg a night. I do believe it will take at least a month before I start to see the results for both the Crohn's and RA but I am very optimistic. I will keep you posted of my progress. Good Luck on your journey