Fibromyalgia Blog - LDN and Fibromyalgia

What is Low Dose Naltrexone? Does it work for fibromyalgia?

Today, I talk about the generic drug, LDN. I first heard about it because a friend of mine was part of the Phase II Study they were doing at Stanford. LDN helped her a lot.

I did my homework, researched the drug, and decided to give it a try. It didn't interfere with anything else I was taking, so OK, what the heck.

In today's blog, I talk about my first six months on Low Dose Naltrexone (LDN) for fibromyalgia.

Category:

People & Blogs

Tags:

• fibromyalgia
• (FMS)
• chronic
• fatigue
• syndrome
• (CFS)
• Low
• Dose
• Naltrexone
• (LDN)

[cwcw111]

thanks for sharing Diana,,, i have fm too hope your well ,,,,,regards colin

[dianacwolf]

@cwcw111 Hi Colin! Great to hear from you! Yes, I am well, actually. I have a lot more good days than bad, these days. My headaches and back pain are MUCH better. Those were my two biggest complaints before, so I'm really happy about that. I still have muscle stiffness in my arm and legs and stuff, but I can live with that. Just getting all that back, neck, shoulder stuff under control is soooooo nice. I think it's the combination of stuff I'm doing that finally is taking effect. - Diana

[dianacwolf]

Great to hear from another writer! I spent an absolute fortune on chiro for 15 years. My muscle spasms have reached the point that the adjustments don't hold. So, I had to either marry a chiropractor, or teach my husband how to crack my back. My husband learned. I do the neck myself.

[solidsnake200467]

yea well i dunno much but im not a drugy lol if thats wut ur thinkin but i do need to look up the info and c thank u

[dianacwolf]

You crack me up. I only mention opiate addiction because that's what Naltrexone was originally used for as a medication. Using it for fibromyalgia pain, or for MS, is an "off-label" use. However, due to high pain levels, many fibro folks are actually on opiates, either Vicodin, Oxycontin, or the synthetic opiate, Ultram. Can't take any of those with LDN. (Yes, the body recognizes Ultram as an opiate, no matter what their manufacturer might claim otherwise. None of those fly with LDN.)

[FridayTN]

Thanks for the vid, Dianna. Sounds like your symptoms are just like mine. I've had FMS for about 25 years, and I want my BRAIN BACK, too! I'll discuss LDN with my pain management doctor, but I don't know if I want to give up my opiate for it. I've found one, Opana, that has very little side effects for me. (I have orthopedic reasons for my pain, not just the fibro.) Maybe he will let me switch for a while to see if the LDN works.  I hope you give some updates on how you are doing!

[lasanimasschool]

Hi Ace (continued) You mentioned night sweats. These can be caused by hormonal imbalance. I'm assuming you've had full bloodwork. Had your thyroid/hormone levels tested? Thyroid problems can mimic the symptoms of fibro, as can Lyme disease, (which I'm sure you know.) Iodoral is an OTC (non-prescription) that works well for symptoms like what you described, but you should get some tests first to be safe. Google Iodoral. Lots of info on all that. Good luck! - Diana

[lasanimasschool]

Hi Ace! (continued) I'm sure every doctor you've ever seen has already recommended this to you, but sometimes an anti-depressant helps with the symptoms of fibromyalgia. Personally, I found Lyrica made me fat, and Cymbalta just wasn't for me. But, everyone is different. So, different stuff works for different folks. Others find that Wellbutrin works very well for their fibromyalgia-related fibro symptoms. Something to balance that norepinephrine imbalance. One other thing to try...

[lasanimasschool]

Hi Ace! Heart racing. Sweating. Is that a new symptom since you started the LDN? Or, a symptom that you've always had with the fibro? Anxiety (heart racing) is common in fibro, usually due to hypoglycemia. I found that I was completely gluten-intolerant. I can tolerate small amounts of sugar, but absolutely no gluten. I also avoid dairy, nitrates, sulphites, MSG, all artificial sweeteners. Most fibro folks also have a chemical imbalance (serotonin/norepinephrine)whic­h causes anxiety.

[ace8842]

Did you have any problems with heart racing and sweating on fibromyalgia? I am on 3 g, and I wake up often in complete sweats.....I also seem to have some heart racing problems. It does seem to help with pain with my fibro....

[surfercouple]

@freespiritjustsoul Hi FreeSpirit! Nope, took six months for me to see results. Although, the "vivid dreams" started in the first couple of weeks. So, be prepared that you might see some of those pretty soon. None of my dreams were scary. Just different. Your brain might be entering deeper REM sleep than you are used to. I have auto immune disease, and I am quite sure that the LDN has kept me from needing immuno-suppresive drugs.I started LDN three months after being diagnosed.

[freespiritjustsoul]

thanks for the video and sharing your story...I am starting the LDN for an 'unknown auto immune degenerative neuroligic disorder" whatever THAT means ;) Anyway, I'm very thankful to know if it doesn't immediatly turn my world to color, I should give it some time...Hope you are well, your son is beautiful!! Happiness to you!!

[ace8842]

I have a phone appointment with a doctor to get LDN next Wednesday. I like many can deal with the pain, but the brain fog or cognitive function kills me...if I can't work, my family is in big trouble.

[utalice]

Hi Diana,

I was wondering...are you still using the LDN and how are you doing with it now? I also suffer from fibromyalgia. I rarely have any energy and my pain is increasing as time goes on. I'd like to find something with less side effects and not as damaging to my liver and the rest of my organs as most drugs are.

Could we have an update please?

Thanks!