Naltrexone for Fibromyalgia User Reviews

• Kim...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 12, 2025

"I had tried LDN twice over 20 years, once at 2 mg then at 0.5 mg. Both doses were intolerable due to insomnia. I recently learned of ultra low dose naltrexone-compounded of course. I started about 10 days ago at 1 microgram (1/1000 of a milligram or a millionth of a gram) and just upped to 2 mcg. I am getting relief already and ultra LDN (1-100 mcg) is actually encouraged with opiates (I have a painful surgery coming up), and ULND makes opiates work better while decreasing side effects like constipation....fingers crossed. For those who tried higher doses, I recommend trying these really low doses. I am learning that microdoses work better for me with most meds now. Some of us are built that way, I suppose, and a lifetime of doctors being disappointed that I couldn't take a 'therapeutic' dose of anything is just hooey. A therapeutic dose is as individual as we are, so don't think you have to fit into the data charts. Those doses are for science, not for individual needs."

• 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."

• 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."

• Mon...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 7, 2024

"Very good effect on pain and fatigue. From the very first day of starting on it! I am using Mysimba. This is the name of the medicine here in Norway. 8 mg/90 mg naltrexone hydrochloride/bupropion hydrochloride."

• 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."

• 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."

• 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."

• hon...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• November 7, 2022

"I use naltrexone for ME. Life-changing. No fatigue. No difficulty with information processing. No brain fog. Increased energy."

• Jam...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 31, 2022

"I have slowly eased up to 4.5 mg of naltrexone to treat fibromyalgia associated with Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (CIRS) disease from chronic mold exposure. As my dosage increased, I developed more diarrhea and neck and back pain. During this time, I also stopped gluten and was diarrhea-free during the first week of stopping the gluten, but I would have terrible diarrhea beginning again several days later. CIRS is a chronic inflammatory disease, so this may be contributing to the problem, but the naltrexone side effects of rapid heartbeat, diarrhea, severe anxiety, fatigue, depression, and agitation are all very real and scary for me. Because this is not an addictive drug, I will stop immediately. I’m surprised my doctor didn’t suggest going off of this drug (vs. all my other drugs) when I began to feel this sick with the very common and noted side effects of naltrexone."

• Win...
• May 16, 2022

"I have been prescribed Naltrexone 4 mg (have worked my way up to 4 mg slowly twice now) for fibromyalgia. I have epilepsy (controlled with Tegretol for over 35 years), POTS, hearing loss, and tinnitus. My experience with Naltrexone hasn't been positive. The first round, I experienced leg cramps and crackling pain (nerve pain I think), and the second time round, it's been more of the same, although now that I am at the 4 mg dose again, I am having pain (mostly nerve type pain) episodes all over my body (mostly legs, hips, arms, across the shoulders). This makes sleeping difficult, although I don't believe I am suffering from insomnia yet. I also do not notice any increase in energy, and I believe I have more stiffness in the morning time. Anyhow, I am going to stop taking it. I was wondering if anyone else has epilepsy and if such a low dose could react with anti-seizure meds!? Thank you for reading and/or responding. It's been enlightening reading people's experiences with this medication."

• Kat...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• February 12, 2022

"Unusual tiredness that did not come on until the past 6 months that I could barely get out of bed. Motivation: gone. This will slowly sap you dry till you're so weary you don't know what from because it used to work. Slick drug, be careful as it brings on chronic fatigue."

• Sha...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 27, 2021

"I started this medication 12 years ago with chronic fatigue and managed it until recently, when I had to leave my job. I started on 0.5 mg and worked up by 0.5 every 10 days. I saw an immediate improvement, however, I’m now on 3 mg, and I feel like the energy is decreasing again. Has anyone had this? Does it mean I need to decrease the dose or increase higher than 3 mg? Thanks!"

• kat...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 10, 2021

"I have tried the lowest possible doses of naltrexone. I have tried taking this drug many different ways. It gave me horrible diarrhea and cramping (lost 5 lbs in almost 2 weeks) and severe paranoid anxiety, like I have never experienced before. It did all of this yet never touched my pain. It was still there. This drug was worthless."

• Mf3...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• August 17, 2021

"Greatly reduced nerve pain. 4.5G notice positive effects after about 4 months."

• SC...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 12, 2021

"I experienced some odd side effects: drowsy all day on a low dose, hard time working as all I wanted to do was sleep. No pain relief for fibromyalgia, instead, I woke up each morning with stiffness and pain in lower limbs to knees and neck and upper arms pain to elbow. In addition, I felt down most of the time, just depressed and blue. I also had diarrhea throughout the day. Bizarre side effects included the limb stiffness and unusually frequent sexual thoughts, not normal for me. My appetite was lower, and I slept longer at night. It was very difficult to work though with drowsiness all day, which made pushing through heavy fatigue difficult. I drove my car to do errands nearby and had trouble navigating and drove over curbs a couple of times. That scared me. So finally, with these side effects in a two-week period, I stopped taking the med. My side effects are unusual from what I have read."

• Kim...
• April 30, 2021

"I am so happy my doctor prescribed this. I just needed to find the dosage that worked for me, and ever since, things improved tenfold."

• Wit...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• April 24, 2021

"I’ve been taking LDN for my autoimmune condition, Graves’ disease, for over 5 years now at 4.5 mg, just recently down to 3 mg. I’ve never gone completely into remission this time around, though I’ve gotten close, my numbers have been all over the place. I feel like it may have improved my sleep a bit, but since it’s hard to see whether or not it’s actually helping my autoimmune disease, I’ve tried to stop taking it various times over the last few years and wake up at night a few hours in with body aches, restlessness, and stiffness every time I don’t take it or forget to take it. I’ve searched and can’t find anyone else who has experienced this. It doesn’t seem like a good thing that I’m experiencing these withdrawal symptoms when I don’t take LDN. If I take it when I wake up in the middle of the night, the symptoms stop. I don’t experience any negative effects while taking LDN. Are these LDN withdrawal symptoms?"

• Ida...
• February 21, 2021

"LDN (low-dose naltrexone) has changed my life in almost every way! Cured fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, and Cushing's disease! No more chronic pain, fatigue, or weakness. There’s no detectable testing as far as blood work and was severely disabled for over a decade on multiple RA meds. LDN does not just treat, it cures!"

• 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!!!!"

• Rap...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• December 15, 2020

"In response to BP, I’ve learned that Naltrexone is most effective at lower dosages for Fibromyalgia, but the smaller dosages have to be compounded individually. Most towns/cities have compounding pharmacies or hospital pharmacies capable of compounding for you. My ‘script runs about $45 for 90 pills. I started at 0.75 mg for a week, 1.5 mg for a week, then 3.0 mg, and finally, 4.5 mg. By increasing it gradually over a month’s time, I avoided much of the “new med” issues. The doc said we could go up to 9 mg, if necessary. I can’t take opioids nor narcotics, so Naltrexone has been a Godsend for me. I have Lupus, Fibromyalgia, and severe arthritis in my neck. Naltrexone is the only drug that has worked - and has worked without the nasty side effects of other drugs. Hope this info helps!"

• 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!"

• 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."

• 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?"

• 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."

• ajt...
• October 29, 2020

"It was fine for a few days taking naltrexone, but then, ten hours after I'd take it, I had crippling nausea, anxiety, was sweaty, and shaking. I thought I might have eaten something bad, so I rode it out. It happened the next night, at the exact same time as before. I began to suspect it. The same thing happened again at the same time. I told my doctor, and we stopped it. It was just 1 mg. This drug feels cultish. It's really hard to find someone to prescribe it. My rheumatologist wanted me to take it, but she said she couldn't write it. Why? And look into the trials done with LDN. One of the books about it tries to convince patients that testimonials are just as good as double-blind testing. That's not how science works. It supposedly treats a laundry list of things from cancer to MS. That's a red flag. Please research this. You'll find people without medical licenses prescribing it and people getting their ability to prescribe it taken away. It's a very suspicious situation."