Low Dose Naltrexone (LDN)

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 :slight_smile: 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 :wink:

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 :slight_smile: 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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I am using Rapamycin and have just started 1.5mg of LDN a few weeks ago.
Every time I try and increase my dose of LDN I feel crappy. Is anyone else on 1.5mg of LDN and is this enough for anti aging benefits ?

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Just wanted to write my experience briefly, I tried doses from 1mg up to 4.5mg over 2-3 months with the hopes it would help with inflamed joints or heart palpitations and it didn’t end up being effective. I didn’t have side effects either though, except maybe slight GI that went away in time. I’m guessing that it can end up having some effects on the microbiome so worth taking into account.

naltrexone is basically a waste of money for anyone. likely those who post all these things about it are a case of placebo effect.

What time do you take it?

@dazz 1.5mg might be too high a dose for you. Many start .5mg and titrate up .5mg a week. If you feel like crap it is too high a dose. As for longevity benefits there are no conclusive studies and there is no amount or dose that will ensure a benefit. It is more a health span drug to improve inflammation and hard to treat conditions.

@dan_hayes interesting feedback. Your assertion is based on personal experience? Research? I find it highly unlikely that a cheap drug would support a cult like following without any benefit. Certainly it doesn’t work for everyone, nothing does. Why shoot it down? You must have a very good reason to do so, please share.

Not sure about anti-aging benefits. How do you feel when taking 1 mg