Low Dose Naltrexone | Fibromyalgia and ME/CFS

Low dose naltrexone (LDN) is an exciting, emerging new treatment for fibromyalgia and ME/CFS. The results of two small studies completed at Stanford University using low dose naltrexone for fibromyalgia were very promising. In these early clinical trials, LDN performed better than the three drugs currently approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat fibromyalgia. Anecdotal reports indicate LDN also may be helpful in those with ME/CFS and Lyme disease.

Since LDN is affordable (my 3-month prescription cost around $60) and available via prescription, a growing number of people with fibromyalgia and ME/CFS are already successfully using LDN.

Below are several online resources to help in your research if you’re interested in learning more about LDN.

(This page includes an Amazon affiliate link.)

General resources

•  “What Patients Say Works for Fibromyalgia” – The original article that led me to try low dose naltrexone for fibromyalgia.
• LDN Research Trust – A comprehensive site, including links to LDN research studies, lists of recommended doctors and pharmacists, and information that you can print off and take to your next doctor’s visit. The trust also runs an excellent LDN support group on Facebook.
• Three letters you need to know if you have fibromyalgia: LDN – This article written by Dr. Ginevra Liptan, a fibromyalgia specialist who has fibromyalgia, is a good starting point to learn the basics.
• Lowdosenaltrexone.org – A good, overall primer on LDN, how it works and its many uses.
• LDNScience.org – Another good site with basic information on LDN, research, interviews with physicians/patients and much more.
• Stanford Medicine Systems Neuroscience and Pain Lab – This site includes links to Stanford’s studies using low dose naltrexone for fibromyalgia.  (Scroll down to the section on “Low Dose Naltrexone and Fibromyalgia.”)
• University of Alabama Neuroinflammation, Pain and Fatigue Laboratory – Dr. Jarred Younger, the physician who conducted the LDN studies at Stanford, now manages his own lab at the University of Alabama Birmingham. This is a link to his new laboratory, with a listing of studies in the works.
• LDNDoctor.com – Sometimes it can be difficult to find a physician to prescribe LDN because it’s not a mainstream treatment for fibromyalgia or ME/CFS. LDNDoctor.com offers video consults to current and prospective LDN users in the U.S. for a fee.
• “The LDN Book: How a Little-Known Generic Drug – Low Dose Naltrexone – Could Revolutionize Treatment for Autoimmune Diseases, Cancer, Autism, Depression, and More” – The LDN Book explains the drug’s origins, its primary mechanism and the latest research from practicing physicians and pharmacists as compiled by Linda Elsegood, founder of the LDN Research Trust.

Helpful articles

• “Using low dose naltrexone for fibromyalgia” – Read about my own personal experience with LDN in Fibro Flare magazine, October 2015.

• “Naltrexone ‘changed life’ of fibromyalgia patient” – Read about upcoming research at the University of Alabama Birmingham involving LDN as a treatment for fibromyalgia and ME/CFS.

• LDNDoctor.com: A review – A review of LDNDoctor.com, which provides online consultations and prescriptions for low dose naltrexone for U.S.-based patients with conditions including fibromyalgia, multiple sclerosis, Crohn’s and others.

• “Three letters you need to know if you have fibromyalgia: LDN” – Fibromyalgia expert and fellow fibro warrior Dr. Ginevra Liptan gives us an easy-to-understand primer on LDN and how it reduces pain.
• “Combine opiate and opiate blocker for less fibromyalgia pain?” – Information from Dr. Ginevra Liptan on how to reduce fibromyalgia pain by combining an ultra low dose of naltrexone with an opiate.

Facebook groups

LDN Research Trust

Low Dose Naltrexone for Fibromyalgia and Fatigue

Got Endorphins? LDN (Low Dose Naltrexone)

Disclaimer: The information provided on this website is for informational uses only. It is not intended as medical advice. Readers are encouraged to do their own research and discuss their findings with their healthcare provider. I am not a medical professional and am not affiliated in any way with any company that manufactures or sells naltrexone.