I recently watched a lecture given by Dr Sean Mackey from the Stanford University Medical Centre on Youtube. The lecture is called 'An Update On Fibromyalgia' and covered what Fibromyalgia is, it's possible causes and the treatments available for the condition. This post will focus on one treatment - LDN - Low Dose Naltrexone.
LDN is not a common treatment for Fibromyalgia. In Australia (where I live), LDN is almost unheard of. I will ask my specialist about it when I see him next, however I am prepared to be told it's not available here. While Naltrexone is a common drug here for people with alcohol and drug problems, it's not seen as a treatment for Fibro. LDN is an opiod blocker when given in doses of 50mg, which is the usual amount given to patients fighting addiction. Low Dose Naltrexone is 4.5mg, which is more than 10 times less than the 50mg dose given to patients fighting addiction.
Many, many people have found LDN to be a successful treatment. Not just for Fibromyalgia, but for M.E, CFS, Lupus and MS. Patients have reported their symptoms have either vanished, eased or improved significantly. A lot of patients given LDN have claimed to have gained their lives back. So why is LDN not a standard treatment for these conditions? - well, from what I've read and heard, the reason seems simple. The reason it's not a standard treatment is because the drug companies wouldn't profit. Naltrexone in low doses is very cheap, dirt cheap in fact, therefore if it was to become a "standard" treatment, the big medicine companies would lose out.
These findings are based on research carried out at the Stanford Univeristy Medical Centre : Using LDN has an impact on Glial cells. Microglial cells are immune sipport cells, they prop up our nervous system. These cells are heavily active during infection and when cells are damaged.
Microglial cells are usually in a resting state while passively searching for "problems" (or bugs).
When these cells are activated, microglial cells pull in their "branches" and become mobile. They then attack where the problem (infection/bug) is, which produces a number of factors in the brain and spinal cord that increases pain sensivity and feelings of being unwell.
In Fibromyalgia patients, it was found that these glial cells were not returning to their normal "resting" state. They continued to stay in a role so that illness continues. The cells were basically stuck in their "on" position...which is the reason why the pain and illness don't just stop or go away.
As I've said above, the usual dose of Naltrexone (50mg) stops Narcotics working. The usual dose of Naltrexone can have some mild side effects.
When used in low doses (4.5mg), Naltrexone blocks the Microglia (Glial cells) receptors without affecting the opiod receptors on neurons. Studies found that >50% reduction in pain for Fibro patients who used LDN. 7 out of 10 patients responded well and reported nil side effects. Within 7 days, their sleep significantly improved. When they ceased using LDN, they became sick again.
Compared to other treatments for Fibromyalgia, LDN seems to be not only the safest and the most promising, but it also seems to be the cheapest. Accupuncture has been found to improve symptoms in some Fibro patients, however it's very expensive. NSAID's have been found to generally have no effect whatsover but are still regulardly handed out to Fibro patients (I can honestly say they did nothing for me). Lyrica (or Pregabalin) has improved the lives of SOME patients, however the side effects can be an utter nightmare. Some Fibro patients have tried low level lasers however not enough research has been done about the effects. Hydrogen Peroxide has been a debated treatment for Fibro (among other conditions) but seems to carry dangerous risks and huge costs.
Guaifenson seems to be a popular treatment for Fibro. Guaifenson is the active ingredient in a lot of cough medicines and blocks the MNDA receptors. There is evidence that when used in low doses, it may work on Glial cells. The usual (large) dose of it can have significant side effects, mainly being sedation. Lower doses may have some, little or no side effects but there isn't enough research available to show any real numbers. In fact when it comes to this treatment in general, there just doesn't seem to be enough research to really say whether it will help patients with Fibromyalgia or not.
Obviously there are other treatments for Fibromyalgia. As well as our prescription medications, a lot of us take vitamins and supplements to try and improve our condition...we all take different things, we all do different things but we all have one thing in common, we're ALL trying to figure out what will work for us. Unfortunately, most of us keep hitting a brick wall. This isn't only disapointing for us, it's expensive!
Given the research done, given the fact that LDN has proven to be an extremely safe and generic drug, given the fact that it's cheap, given the fact that countless Fibro patients have said their lives have improved because of this drug...it is time it became available to us!! It is time we're at least given the chance to try this medication. Nobody is saying it's a cure...but it's worth a try in my opinion. I'm hoping my specialist will be able to shed some light on when...or if...LDN will become available in this country, I am looking forward to hearing his opinion about it.
To learn more about Low Dose Naltrexone for the treatment of FM/CFS/M.E and other conditions, simply type LDN into Google. To watch the video 'An Update On Fibromyalgia' or see more medical studies/reports from Dr Sean Mackey, please go to http://www.healthlibrary.stanford.edu .
Hope you're all having a peaceful day :)
Em
xoxoxo
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