I am planning on starting LDN, mainly because of its anti-inflammatory effects. There are tons, probably too many, antioxidants around but good anti-inflammatories are a little more scarce. While looking at the research and recommended dosage I see that naltrexone is prescribed to drug users starting at 50mg/day.
It says its a safe drug even at that dose. So why is it necessary to titrate up from 1mg/day? Out of an abundance of caution or what/
Are unpleasant side effects common starting at 4.5mg/day?
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I started at 4.5mg and noticed no effects, for better or for worse
50 mg / day would be for opioid withdrawal—if you’re trying to break a heroin habit 
Completely different pharmaceutical properties at those concentrations compared to the Low Dose (0.5-4.5mg a day). It might even stimulate tumor growth in high doses while it definitely suppresses it in low ones. Everything is dose dependent.
I’ve read much about it and I’ve ordered it from India but taking forever to arrive.
FWIW - I have been on LDN for approximately 3 week’s. Started at 1.5mg increased on 3rd day to 3.0mg then 2 days later to the 4.5mg tried 6.0mg a few time. I take it in the morning, tried at night and can not sleep. My knee pain{both knees] almost vanished. Used agelessrx{I did not want to wait getting from overseas] to get the LDN cost was around $70.00{used a $30.00 discount code as they sell normaly $100.00] for three months supply. Included an on line live video call with a NP, sent a RX to pharmacy {compounding pharmacy] in NJ . Received a few days later.
I do not have any financial interest in agelessrx.
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So a couple of things:
1.) I was curious about LDN so did a bunch of digging. I have had weird symptoms since having Lyme many years ago. LDN supposedly helps with hard to diagnose issues. There are podcasts and websites and an almost cult following for the drug. It is cheap and so it takes boot strap, passionate groups of people to push it. Here is an example: What is Low Dose Naltrexone (LDN)? | LDN Research Trust - The Low Dose Naltrexone Charity
2.) Through one of the podcasts I found Asher Goldstein in New Jersey who is like a Dr Green for Rapa but for LDN. He is a pain doctor who also prescribes LDN. In his many 100s if not thousands of patients he has found that the best course of action is to titrate up from .5mg. The reason is to minimize side effects, nausea/GI, wild dreams, fatigue, soreness - and others. The other big reason to titrate up is each person has their own personal best dose. Some people it is .5, some 1, 1.5, 3, 4, 4.5 etc. If you jump right to 4.5 you may pass over your ideal dose and actually get little to no benefit. He has had a lot of success using this titration method.
3.) There are nuances to the fillers and how to take the capsules. Some people react negative to some fillers and not to others. I for one had no benefits from LDN unless I dissolved it in water first. So I open my capsules and poor them in water then drink before bed.
So there is a lot of experimentation and patience required for LDN. On the pls side there are 100s of life changing stories. There is an LDN facebook group with people espousing being able to walk after not being able to before because of pain and inflammation. Wild stories. BTW: For all we know rapamycin is as fickle for dose and person and method. Time will tell. So for those who have jumped right to 4.5, you may want to titrate, try different fillers and/or dissolve yours in water first.
Hopefully my hours of reading and experimenting can help you.
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There is research about LDN and rapamycin being a very good combination. From what I understand it’s not been translated from Russian yet. I am trying to get ahold of those papers.
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What are the citations for the papers?
Thanks, I appreciate that. I just happen to have 4.5 mg Naltrexone tablets arriving today.
I have a pill cutter so I think I will cut them into quarters and start at ~ 1.125 mg.
What dose worked best for you and how did it affect your sleep?
Just got them. It turned out to be capsules not tablets, so I guess the dosing is going to be a little more problematic.
FWIW, when I started quite a while ago I just did 4.5 mg every evening from the start with no ill effects, or obvious positive effects for that matter, even though I got 1.5mg capsules from agelessrx, so it would have been super simple to titrate up. (I’ve been trending in the right direction on countless measures, but I’ve changed/added a lot of things so less than zero basis to assign causality to any particular one…)
But your milage may vary
A search result on PubMed using “naltrexone low dose” for search, see at bottom.
I did try adding rapamycin to the search, saw nothing.
If there are published papers on rapamycin and LDN in Russian as post/stated by forum member “InsidOuter” {see link]
Would anyone have citations?
Using: naltrexone (LDN), I got 110 hits, but I haven’t read them yet.
Has anyone taken LDN and experienced a significant increase in blood pressure. I have.
110 with rapamycin and LDN?
In Russian?
There are ~30 clinical trials being started or in progress for LDN.
There seem to be many things low dose Naltrexone might be good for:
Erythrodermic Psoriasis
Inflammation and pain
neuropathic corneal pain
chronic fatigue syndrome
Crohn’s disease
Naltrexone a potential therapeutic candidate for COVID-19
This is only a partial list of possible benefits.
“Naltrexone does not appear to increase the risk of serious adverse events over placebo.”
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I’ve been on LDN (4.5 mg) for two months now and this is the best drug I have ever taken in terms of feeling better. Rapamycin changed many blood markers and lowered epigentic age but I felt no different.
Before starting, I had chronic neck pain and very poor sleep. Usually woke 3-4 times per night. And by 4 am my legs would ache so much that I could not fall asleep. Took multiple pain killers every night.
Now I wake only once per night and have actually slept 8 hours strait (for the first time in 30 years) multiple times. No painkillers at all. My deep sleep and REM have both increased substantially per my Oura ring. No more leg pain and my neck has stopped hurting!
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I started LDN 8 days ago and titrated up each day to 4.5 mg. Zero side effects.
With a dose of 4.5 mg right at bedtime, I found it gives me a profound night’s rest.
I was already sleeping quite well after a few months on rapamycin. LDN seems to give a much deeper sleep and I wake up quite refreshed.
Some people seem to not respond as well to LDN, but if you are having trouble sleeping at night, you might want to give it a try.
I empty a 4.5 mg capsule into a little water and hold it in my mouth for a little while before I swallow it. LDN is the last thing I take at night right before I go to sleep.
It also significantly reduces sleep onset latency.
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I am new here so please forgive my short essay Naltrexone, as a topic, I confess, inclines my poor soul to wax lyrical. As mentioned in another post, I used Naltrexone to stop drinking and fell in love with its mystery and miracle. Likewise, it can be used to curb almost any addictive behaviour including food, gambling and sex. Fortunately alcohol and food were the only ones on my list.
The process it works by is called [
Pharmacological Extinction
](Pharmacological Extinction | SinclairMethod.org)
I have found Dr.'s who truly understand this concept as rare as tigers who like their steaks cooked and served in the dining room.
Basically naltrexone blocks your opioid receptors and makes the addictive behaviour less biochemically rewarding. After a few gos trying to get the old buzz back, your system starts saying Nah - not interested anymore - let’s go after something more rewarding. For this reason it is extremely important not to take it every day in higher doses as it will rob your whole life of joy. You can however become a sculptor of your life and literally decide what you you want to leave behind and what you want to become addicted to. Gym in the daytime–with an eye on keeping it fun–and Naltrexone in the evening before food and alcohol and in no time this size 20, bookwork of a gal, whose only joy in life–besides books–was eating and drinking, had transformed herself into a size 8 gym bunny 
What a tool for the wise!!!
After taming my worst nature I couldn’t help but continue the romance.
If you want to ride this sweet pony for the long haul, I believe that Naltrexone’s trick of inducing an instant dopamine fast, is why titration is important. As it will temporarily drain some of the colour out of your rainbow, you want to take it at bedtime if possible. The aim is to block your receptors for only a few hours while you are asleep. The result is that the next day your whole system gets a reboot and upgrade which is often more effective than antidepressants and far more comprehensive. Immune function, dopamine reward system etc.
Titration for me is how much LDN gives me a great nights sleep and great mood the following day. Too little no effect. Too much and I cannot sleep and feel flat the following morning.
For me this is about 3.5 mg
I can only get 50mg tablets on prescription in Australia and so break a pill in half and dissolve both halves in 50mls of water. I then use a syringe sans needle and measure 1ml for 1mg of Naltrexone and take it orally. Like Brahmi, I have been taking this wonder drug for so long I no longer can tell you what it does for me. Only what happens when I forget to take it.
If I find myself asking, “How did I built a life I am not smart enough to operate?” eventually a danger light goes on saying, “OMG I have not had my Brahmi in a week or more!” On the other hand, if I find myself feeling tired and teary and wondering why I would ever have wanted to live a day longer on this retchid planet, the dash instead blinks, “uh oh I better mix up some more LDN ready for bedtime.”
Even better than all of this was the surprise added extra that it makes the idea of having to run 2 blocks chasing a bus to make it to the stop in time oddly appealing. I am the only person I know at the gym who is genuinely digging it (listening to Earth Wind and Fire in my headphones) while doing sets lifting weights to failure.
What’s not to love once you understand how to use this?
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An unexpected side effect: After taking LDN for 14 days I have noticed a distinct decrease in hunger. I normally do IMF 16/8 but the time that I am first hungry is getting later and later. Today I just ate supper. I really don’t want to do a one-meal daily routine as it is too uncomfortable for me to try to get my daily calorie requirements in one meal. May it’s not too surprising since it is used to control cravings and has been noted to decrease appetite as a side effect in several studies. LDN is one of the few supplements that has lived up to the hype for me. Next, I am interested to see if has any effects on my blood markers
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karismac, That was a great explanation that gives better depth to understanding LDN. It blends perfectly with what I’ve read, but it’s more understandable in your words. My order is stuck in limbo in India, but if it works for me I plan to talk to my sister about it. She continually struggles with the side effects of metformin for diabetes, and acarbose will never be on her list. Unfortunately, canagliflozin is not in her price range. I wonder if blocking opioid receptors could help her. Any thoughts?
I just now read desertshores note about LDN decreasing his hunger. So, it may be useful for my sister, but probably not for me because I already have a very low BMI. My need is better sleep, not emaciation. Any thoughts on getting the effect you want without overdoing it?
Thanks,
Jay
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I only find that Naltrexone decreases hunger if I take it a few days in a row before I eat food that I enjoy too much I am not sure if it affects blood sugar. Taking 50mg in the early evening before I used to eat and drink did noticeably curb my appetite. Once the cravings are gone there is no need to continue as long as you are not over indulging and getting re-addicted. As a side note, sex that same night you take it might prove challenging!
It works so well that a year or more after I stopped drinking, and I experimented with drinking one glass of red wine a night for my health, without taking the LDN beforehand, after a week or so I had trouble continuing. I just didn’t have enough dedication to the habit anymore to bother with buying it and drinking it. This after me once being an alcoholic.
The sleep issue is a bit hit and miss for me when using it in low doses before sleep as I am doing so many things to improve my sleep. I do find that I need to have something small after to take the taste out of my mouth or that can keep me awake.
On the flip side you do not want to take it before you do things that you want to enjoy such as exercise, sex or socialising. I brief, I take it before I engage in old habits that I want to lose my desire for but not before new habits I am trying to find more joy in. This is what I meant when I said you can use it to sculpt a new life for yourself.
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