Naltrexone for Fibromyalgia User Reviews (Page 2)

• gig...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• May 21, 2012

"This medication reduced my fibromyalgia pain and some other symptoms significantly more than any of the other medications or combination of treatments usually prescribed for fibromyalgia. Initial side effects easily managed by starting at a very low dose."

• Di7...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 12, 2020

"I just started low dose naltrexone 1.5 for fibromyalgia (FM). I immediately saw a difference. No more body pain. At first I thought, could I just be having a good week without much pain? But after two weeks, I can't believe how good I feel. For 6 years, I was in pain every day. I took Motrin every day, until I had an AFib episode. Now I can't take any NSAIDs. I'm so happy my doctor prescribed me this. I feel like I'm 40 again. I'm now 54, and I suffered for 6 years, not knowing what was wrong with me."

• Eld...
• October 16, 2016

"I have been slowly increasing my LDN for fibromyalgia for the last several weeks. It has provided better relief than the Fentanyl 100 mcg that I had been on for years! Very hopeful that I will find my optimal dose and feel even better. I have had pain relief and an increase in energy. It caused insomnia, though, so I changed the dose to the a.m. with no drowsiness noted."

• Pdl...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 15, 2019

"I was so looking forward to starting naltrexone for my fibromyalgia and hoping to eventually get off my steroid, Aleve, azathioprine, and gabapentin. But I began to gradually feel worse with joint and muscle pain on the 1.5 mg dose. After 2 weeks, when I increased to 3 mg, widespread pain was off the chart, I lay in bed at night moaning and crying in pain. I stopped it the next day and have been feeling better. I am thinking about restarting at 1 mg and taking it in the daytime instead of PM. I am so very disappointed...."

• Jil...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 28, 2020

"I cannot believe how this med, naltrexone, has helped my fibro. I've tried many meds and always have side effects. The only side effect I have with this is a bit of sleepiness, but I take it at night. I'm still on a starting dose of 1.5, but AMAZING!!!!"

• Nic...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 13, 2019

"I was using 1.5 mg naltrexone daily for fibromyalgia and neuropathy pain. It worked very well for the pain and also improved my mood and feelings of well-being. Side effects I experienced were foot cramps 1-4 hours after taking the pill, then it subsided, as well as light insomnia. Unfortunately, I experienced a rare side effect that's not listed here but is in medical literature. About a week after taking low-dose naltrexone (LDN) regularly, little blood spots showed up on my upper arms and a blood vessel in my earlobe popped. This went away when I stopped taking LDN."

• Bea...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• August 15, 2018

"Low-dose naltrexone (LDN) has reduced both my pain and fatigue. It’s made a huge difference to me. I was at the point of giving up work, but on LDN I’m able to keep working. Initially, I had a few nights of disturbed sleep, but now no side effects except the good ones!"

• BPa...
• November 18, 2020

"I've had fibromyalgia for about 7 years. I've tried everything and had all but given up. I happened to see info online about LDN (low-dose naltrexone). I asked my doctor about it, and she wrote a script but said it probably wouldn't do anything. But I insisted... desperate to try anything. However, it was for 1/2 of a 50mg tablet once per day. I felt like I had done a gram of cocaine. 2-3 hrs of sleep per night, major anxiety, heart racing, etc. Couldn't focus, hands shook, etc. I stuck with it for one week when I realized my pain had dropped significantly for the first time in about seven years. Thrilled at the results, I had to figure out how to continue the medication but get rid of the side effects and get some sleep. I called the doc to ask what I could do, as the online info said LDN should be 1.5 mg. She said it only came in 50 mg and I'd have to get the suggested low dose from a 'compounding' pharmacy. I have no idea how to do that. Can anyone help?"

• Lee...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 8, 2016

"Have had fibromyalgia for 22 years. Tried all sorts of the recommended meds. Two months ago started 4.5 mg low dose naltrexone. Fall asleep easily but horrible and disturbing dreams and subsequent pain from disturbed sleep. Sometimes I'd sleep 10 to 12 hrs and just slightly refreshed. Have a hard time getting going after waking for up to two hours. Just stopped taking it because of the side effects. Having a headache while coming off of it."

• she...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 1, 2018

"I'm normal again! I feel amazing! This medicine is truly a dream come true. I feel so thankful to be offered this thanks to my pain clinic I went to because the normal doctors would not prescribe it. It's safe, it's changed my life! I'm free of pain!"

• Bar...
• July 11, 2016

"I've been put on Naltrexone for 4 weeks, going on five. I started taking one 5mg tablet nightly. After two weeks, I take 2 tablets for two weeks. I stopped increasing the dose by one for five days, and my pain returned. I upped the dose to three, and the pain has started to diminish greatly within 24 hours. I suffer from an autoimmune disease. To add insult to my pain, I was put on Ciprofloxacin for a bacterial infection the first day of February and suffered from tendon and muscle damage resulting in not being able to walk, severe pain in my feet like knife stabbing. Naltrexone took all my pain away, every bit of it. When my pain started to come back five days ago, I started increasing my dose by a third 5mg tablet. I see my doctor in two days."

• Rar...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• December 24, 2019

"I've been taking LDN (low-dose naltrexone) 25 mg twice daily since 2016 for my fibro. It's made a big difference with taking meloxicam too, 7.5 mg twice daily. However, it's more effective in the mornings. My second daily dose sometimes doesn't work at all, or not as well. Stress, activity, sleep, and weather also are factors. However, I'm not on NSAIDs or opioids. I take Tylenol for arthritis as well in between on bad flare days. I'm very, very grateful for naltrexone."

• But...
• October 19, 2015

"I started naltrexone in December of 2014. I started noticing improvement after about 4 weeks. I no longer had hot flashes. Then my pain started to lessen and I had shorter periods of flare-ups. Over time, I experienced longer periods of feeling much better and even days of feeling good and not constantly fatigued. This lasted until about 6 weeks ago. I started having hot flashes again and a really bad flare-up that has persisted for a month. I'm so disappointed and am now easing off naltrexone so that I can once again take something for the pain."

• Nut...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 25, 2020

"I tried naltrexone at a low dose of 4.5 mg years ago for fibromyalgia, and it had no effect on my pain levels. But at a higher dose (I started with 24.5 mg and now take 50 mg), it is extraordinarily effective. I'm thrilled with this result, but I worry about the long-term effects, so I do not plan to take it indefinitely. The side effects - energy, a spacey feeling - I find pleasant. But this also makes me worry that perhaps this is just another painkiller, and that I'll build up a tolerance and be worse off when I try to wean myself off it. It's promoted as safer and non-addictive, but not enough is known about it yet for those claims to be trusted. It perplexes me that naltrexone is an opioid antagonist, but it feels slightly like an opioid to me. So I'm thrilled to have relief from the pain, but I proceed with caution."

• San...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• May 19, 2017

"I have fibromyalgia, Sjögren's syndrome, and central pain sensitization. I started taking low-dose naltrexone, slowly building up to 4 mg, but felt it was too much as it made me feel agitated. Reduced to 3.5 mg, which is good for me. Initially, straight away, I felt more energy and my mood lifted. Helped Sjögren's considerably - mouth not so dry. Somewhat reduced pain. Sleep better. I've been on it for 8 months, and I get the feeling it's not working as well now. Maybe my body has gotten used to it, and it's not as effective. And I have noticed a hoarse voice, memory problems, cramping, waking more often at night, and irritability, which I read can be side effects. Thinking I may either reduce or go off altogether to see what happens. NZ dollars $59 a month."

• Hol...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 20, 2023

"I started at 1.5 mg per day, which gave me migraines every day within a few hours of taking it, plus nervous tension increasing every day until after 10 days I had to quit as my body was like a clenched fist. A week later, I tried again on 0.5 mg, which was just about tolerable. Still, side effects of nervous tension, anxiety, and crazy lucid dreams every night. I felt no benefit, so after 6 months, I quit. For the next ten days, I felt wiped out with fatigue, then after a month, suddenly felt very spaced out and haunted by feelings of doom and dread, agitated, afraid to be alone with my anxious thoughts, and scared of the slightest thing, unable to relax or focus on any given task. Three years later, I am still suffering these constant debilitating symptoms, which only started the day I took naltrexone, and now consulting a psychiatrist to hopefully reverse whatever this drug did to my brain. I wish I’d never touched this drug, which can make you feel so terrible, and in my case, I suspect permanently."

• Cas...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 27, 2019

"I tried LDN (low dose naltrexone) in 2018 and 2019 - worked up from 0.50 to 3.00 mg over 4 months (never got to 4.5) - still got the worsened sleep (bad as it is) and then worse depression, agitation, drier eyes (burning) and mouth, pain still the same and worse in other areas of the body. When I got spontaneous bruising this last week on my arms, then thighs, I finally quit yesterday. Improved sleep in one night after quitting. Useless for my situation, but enjoyed the weight loss (not worth it this way!)."

• Kat...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• January 29, 2024

"This is a wonder drug. I was titrated in with drops. At two drops, one-tenth of a ml, I felt a wave of good feeling. It passed, but I knew then it was going to work. I take one gm now every day in the morning. Fibro pain lifts for the whole day, comes back around 8 pm or so. No idea why anyone would take it at night, you would sleep through its effects. The worst part is finding a doctor who will prescribe it. I have also noticed a definite improvement in gut issues, an unexpected bonus."

• tro...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 3, 2019

"Update: today is day 27 on low-dose naltrexone and day 14 of the 4.5 mg dose. So far, things have not improved, getting more aggravated as the days go on. My doctor will not give me anything else for pain or muscle stiffness. 30 mg a day of Flexeril for 10 days did nothing to relieve the muscle tightness and stiffness. His option is aquatic therapy and trigger point injections in the trapezius muscles. I don't want to do the injections, why do something invasive when they could try a different muscle relaxer? Anyway, was ordered to stay on the naltrexone for 30 more days and have to talk with the doctor at the end of the month. He also said it can take 3 to 8 weeks for it to work, we shall see. Not keeping my hopes up."

• for...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 12, 2024

"I had chronic fatigue syndrome and fibro for around 30 years. Tried LDN at 4.5 mg twice without success. Decided to try it one more time. Built up from 2 mg a day to 4 mg a day. Read about someone taking 50 mg naltrexone a day, and it relieved their fatigue. The 4 mg helped me but didn't relieve my fatigue. Dr. agreed to increase my dose to 25 mg. So much improvement now. I may ask to go up to 50 mg a day, but at this point, I'm really happy with results so far. Had some nausea while starting at 2 mg, but none now."

• Ano...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 7, 2023

"I was prescribed LDN at a low dose of 1 mg. It was one of the worst things I ever did to my body! I suffered extreme depression and suicidal thoughts on it. I couldn’t feel happy and didn’t know why. It never seemed to help my pain, but I became dizzy, extremely fatigued, and unable to live my life. I started having heart episodes while on it. Getting off it was one of the best things I ever did for my health."

• Bin...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• November 29, 2020

"I have suffered from fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome for over 15 years. I tried so many different medications in that time, none helped. Then I was prescribed low-dose naltrexone by a specialist. It helped immensely, I felt better within two weeks. I was able to get up on the exam table without a thought. Before, any exertion at all was difficult, painful, and would leave me sore and exhausted for up to a week. I feel almost normal now. My dose is on the high end for low dose at 5 mg, and I have to get it at a compounding pharmacy (just Google and call). My doctor said it works for about 50% of patients. I suggest reading up on the mechanism of action before asking for a prescription. In short, it stimulates natural endorphins and has a mild anti-autoimmune effect. It only stays in your system for four hours. Always check for drug interactions. Good luck!"

• Tlo...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 13, 2018

"So I took my first dose last night, was very excited to start this new med after reading so much good stuff about it. Took my tablet at 9 and went to bed. At 10 I was so ill I wanted to die, vomiting, heart pounding, and sweats. Did not go to sleep until 5 a.m. Very disappointed and afraid to try it again."

• Spu...
• November 23, 2019

"Had fibro since birth. Took over my entire body and mind at the age of 32. Started with 1.5 mg, and within a week was up to 4.5. The naltrexone was working like a charm for my fibromyalgia: no more brain fog, pain diminished by about 60 percent. Started to be able to take care of myself again after being bedridden for nearly 3 years. For the past 5 months, I have been experiencing waking after 5 hours of sleep with a burning sensation in the back of my neck and headaches in the sinus areas of my forehead, along with a tight rubber band feeling in my head. My spine burns, along with upper muscle spasms. Depression has worsened. The pharmacy sent me a different brand of LDN this past month. I question the quality? Or am I just having a bad relapse from extreme stress and overdoing? I've also experienced tingling down the back of my legs, along with my 3rd, 4th, and 5th fingers. I'm stumped! I'm seeing a chiropractor Monday to see if this could be coming from my neck and spine. I also have several herniated discs. I should also try another brand of naltrexone to see if that helps."

• Tin...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 1, 2024

"LDN has completely changed my life. Suffering from chronic pain for 20 plus years has been so trying. Doctors and others have no idea how to help, and they all think it’s all mental and not physical. I have tried self-medicating and about ten other RX scripts with all the same discouraging results. I stumbled upon LDN from a Newsweek article, and it changed my life for the better! I take only 1.5 mg, and my pain is so much better. Truly a life-changing drug. Try it and don’t give up hope."