Low Dose Naltrexone (LDN)

My naturepath is considering starting on me on a very small amount of naltrexone on the suspicion that I have an autoimmune disorder, because the drug has been used, with some efficacy, in many autoimmune disorders (MS, fibromyalgia) and seems to decrease inflammation.

I have heard accounts, however, that even low doses of this medication can exacerbate tinnitus (it interferes with so many chemo-receptors, so I am not surprised).

Has anyone been prescribed this to treat an autoimmune disease, or for other reasons? If so, have you noticed any increases in tinnitus spikes or other hearing problems?

 

If you have an autoimmune disorder, have you done any antibody tests? Also, why are you seeing a naturopath? They're not real doctors.

 

@The Red Viper

My antibody tests, as of March 2016, were negative for lupus and rheumatoid arthritis, and any autoimmune ear disease. My current tests, which came back a week ago, showed that my immune system is ok for the most part. However, there is a particular leukocyte count that is abnormally low in me as my September tests have showed. I also have one of four markers for an autoimmune inner ear disease, although I am unlikely to acquire the condition because of that alone.

The people who performed the autoimmune tests were naturopaths, but among them were also licensed medical professionals (MD degrees). My general practitioner is essentially a naturepath.

All I can say to your comment regarding naturopaths is that my naturopaths have helped me far more than any neurologist or ENT I have visited, actually care about me as an individual, and are very open minded. They have pointed me down many avenues that everyone else has failed to consider. They have also started me on hormonal therapies that, for periods of time, have saved my life and gotten me out of suicidal depression waves.
Without their help I would presently be in the dark corners of a psychiatric hospital because the vast majority of other specialists I have seen have told me I am nuts and that my health problems are all in my head. And, without my naturopath's advice, I could have been made sicker by many of my medications prescribed by all the 'real doctors' I have seen.

Do you have any answers to the actual question I posted?

 

Fair enough, I would just say don't put too much faith into alternative medicine. While it does help people sometimes, it may just be a form of the placebo effect. I have no love for regular doctors either, I as find that they completely lack empathy, but I wouldn't jump to alternative simply because they lack empathy. Science is real whether or not there is any empathy present, though empathy should be a requirement for doctor training.

Check this (go to 6:30, but whole video is worth watching):

Richard Dawkins exposes homeopathy for what it is

 

Hi

Im in the same boat as yourself.

Did you end up using LDN? If so, result?

 

@DebInAustralia

I haven't yet, because nobody knows what's wrong with me. I may have a neurologic autoimmune disorder, but I think some of my problems are due to mechanical abnormalities that have developed in my head/ears/neck from repeated minor injuries.

I'm not going to consider anything like this until it is confirmed that I have an autoimmune disease.

 

I see its used for chronic pain states as well ie fibro.

If it helps you, it could be diagnostic of autoimmunity

 

I've been taking it on and off for six months. It caused some spikes at first. Taking a couple days off it sometimes makes things very quiet.