The most popular episode of my Long Covid, MD podcast is Episode 19: Low-Dose Naltrexone for Long COVID. In under 30 minutes, I explain how low-dose naltrexone works and why it’s commonly prescribed to treat Long COVID symptoms. Low-dose naltrexone, often abbreviated LDN, has been found to help fatigue, brain fog and pain in people with Long COVID. But even before the pandemic hit, it was used as a promising treatment for Crohn’s disease, multiple sclerosis, and complex regional pain syndrome.
For me, LDN is a game-changer. When I started it in 2022, my symptoms were debilitating, cognition included. My brain didn’t just feel foggy, it felt like sludge. LDN improved my cognition so much that I felt like one of Robin Williams’ patients in the movie “Awakenings.” My story is different than Robert DeNiro’s character, but if you haven’t seen it, I won’t ruin the ending for you.Subscribe
Naltrexone is a fascinating drug. At standard doses, it blocks opiate receptors. When these receptors are blocked, opiates don’t work as well. This means they don’t reduce pain and they don’t cause euphoria. Naltrexone is FDA-approved at these standard doses, 25mg to 100mg, to help people with substance use disorder get off, and stay off, opiates and alcohol.
At low doses – I’m talking as low as micrograms – naltrexone actually acts the opposite way. It’s a pain-reliever. In addition, at these low doses, naltrexone impacts immune function and might interrupt pathways involved in chronic inflammation.
So why did LDN ‘awaken’ me? How does LDN improve brain fog? Well, low-dose naltrexone binds to cells in the brain called glia that might cause chronic inflammation, or are themselves inflamed. I talk more about glial cells and the pathways they control in the episode.
Even though I’ve benefitted from using low-dose naltrexone and I continue to take it, it hasn’t always been easy. It’s not a perfect drug, and for most people with Long COVID it’s not an ultimate cure. In the podcast episode, I explain the ways I’ve used LDN, the side effects I experience, and the dosing tips I use to get maximum benefit from this wildly powerful drug.
As with everything having to do with Long COVID, we still need focused research on LDN. Which patients does it help and why? Which patients experience the strongest side effects and how? And, of course, your ultimate question is: Could LDN help me?
Today, I encourage you to listen to my Long Covid, MD podcast episode on LDN in order to get closer to answering that question. I’m also sharing a printable reference sheet for you to keep handy. Like the reference sheet I created for metformin, you can add it to your resource list, or bring it to your next doctor’s appointment to kickstart a discussion. Feel free to print out the double-sided sheet (I recommend downloading the pdf to get the best printed image), and share with anyone you think it might benefit. I created this with the best of intentions. Please, if you find I have written something incorrectly, let me know and give me the opportunity to correct it. Like you, I’m learning as I go, and trying my best to share reliable information.
Have you used LDN for Long COVID or another condition? How did it work for you? Leave a comment and let us know. Trust me, we’re interested!