LDN - Mood and depression

[godlovesatrier]

I've just started 2mg LDN last night which had a pretty profound effect. I think my immune system since the covid jab and an infection I picked up has been very over stimulated and revved up. Which I think caused an ebv flare, the ldn seemed to massively help with this ebv flare as my sore throat and neck has calmed down in a huge way.

Anyway I was feeling a little down yesterday as well due to covid anxiety and being rather unhappy probably with my recent set back due to infection. But I was wondering if anyone had experienced vastly lowered mood (depression) due to taking LDN? It could even be a start up symptom but I'd love to hear peoples thoughts/experiences where mood is concerned.

Thanks!

 

[SnappingTurtle]

I have not noticed lowered mood with ldn. I even felt "less miserable" or "more decent" when I knew my muscles and body must be aching or sore during PEM. I made these observations long before I started taking low dose antidepressant to aid in sleep.

 

[godlovesatrier]

That's true, after taking it it made me SO relaxed. My fatigue actually came back believe it or not when I took it - not straight away but by the morning. This is probably just a startup thing though. But you have a point, I actually felt happier thismorning and slept amazingly well, it was hot and I only woke up twice.

How long you been taking it?

 

[SnappingTurtle]

How long you been taking it

8 months

 

[godlovesatrier]

Nice, hope it helps you some I was amazed it helped me at all so quickly. Some people reported zero change on it. My Mum's just got rid of her osteo arthritis pain at 3mg after 3 weeks of dosing.

 

[lenora]

Hello@godloves@trier......Has your mother's pain stayed away and how long has it been since she stopped the med.? It may bode well for you, also. Yours, Lenora.

 

[godlovesatrier]

Yeah I figured as much. Although for her it's pain and auto immunity.

It's stayed away for now. Early days though.

She's not stopped it yet.

 

[Hip]

But I was wondering if anyone had experienced vastly lowered mood (depression) due to taking LDN?

Yes, I find LDN slightly worsens my anhedonia (anhedonia = loss of the feeling of pleasure or reward from life's normally rewarding activities, due to malfunction of the brain's reward circuits).

Perhaps not surprising, given that LDN has an effect on the opioid system, which is part of the brain's reward circuitry.

 

[godlovesatrier]

Yeah I think this is it. My appetite has disappeared as well. It's 9pm now, wasn't able to eat at 6 like I normally do and I am not even hungry.

Also I woke with slight fatigue in my muscles which I haven;t actually had for several weeks on the protocol, the fatigues a lot worse in the evening. But I expect this is the brain chemistry returning to normal and the immune system regulating back to where it was.

A long term experiment I think is warranted at another time, but definitely not right now as Josh's protocol seems superior at least with the egcg taken out (currently not taking any) at allowing me to function pretty well. Guess I didn't realise how well as I haven't been out of the house much while recovering from this mono flare/infection.

Thanks Hip.

 

[Rufous McKinney]

I've just started 2mg LDN last night which had a pretty profound effect.

I have been on 3.5 mgs LDN for 4-5 years now. Some really yucky symptoms that cycled thru daily, lessoned considerably on LDN (heat, inflammation, painful, often around the mouth/throat). I've only gone off it twice and each time, after a few days, those yucky symptoms intensify and start to creep back.

I also find it hard to really pin down what is doing, but I seem to never want to run out.

 

[godlovesatrier]

Hmm. Maybe if all else fails and my health truly worsens ldn will be one of the only things that will keep the immune response calm. In the years to come.

I'm still not convinced Josh's protocol is remotely potent enough to a) deal with all pathogens and b) kill deep tissue infections and b cell infections for ebv and the like. Although maybe it doesn't have to. Off topic anyway.

My sore throats been gone all day today @Rufous McKinney so it makes me think that it is the immune modulation that's allowing the ebv to replicate like mental. I really was amazed how quickly the ldn changed a lot of symptoms.

 

[Zebra]

But I was wondering if anyone had experienced vastly lowered mood (depression) due to taking LDN? It could even be a start up symptom but I'd love to hear peoples thoughts/experiences where mood is concerned

I have been experiencing and wondering this as well.

Grateful to have found this thread and because it's a few years old, I'm hoping to renew the conversation with other forum members.

Would you you all please chime in if you experienced a mood change while taking LDN?

My depression has deepened greatly the past few weeks and the only change in my world is the LDN. I was really hoping it would LIFT my mood; not drive it down.

I would really value hearing from others. Thank you!

 

[bad1080]

you could try skipping a day and if that helps implementing off-days in your regimen. i been constantly upping the number of off-days from one per week to now ~3 per week and it looks like i am going to do every other day soon. yesterday evening (off day) i was in a good mood all of a sudden.

i guess my body is either slower with metabolizing the drug or it takes longer than 24h to go back to baseline. naltrexone has a half-life of ~4h but there is a secondary metabolite with a much longer half life (~14h iirc).

 

[SnappingTurtle]

I have not noticed depression while taking LDN. I am sorry you are experiencing this. I have a loved one that suffers from depression, and it can be debilitating. What helps that person is exercise, but that us rough for us now, isn't it?

 

[Starsister]

I was on LDN almost two years and didn’t notice ( additional) problems with mood. Actually I noticed I was increasing my activity in hindsight.

But every body is different, and as we age my responses change. Had been thinking of trying LDN again and will be on watch about mood now.

 

[Zebra]

@SnappingTurtle
@Starsister
@bad1080

I am so grateful for your responses. Thank you!

@bad1080

I appreciate your suggestion to consider different dosing options, such as 3 days a week or every other day.

I think in a depressed and sleep-deprived state of mind it is easy, for me, to fall into black and white thinking.

I will follow your example and try to be more curious and flexible about how can I try to make LDN work for me.

My starting dose is only 0.5 mg, and I've been sick for 10 years and I've tried so many treatments, so I am kind of shocked and disappointed that it's not going more easily.

Thanks again!

 

[bad1080]

I appreciate your suggestion to consider different dosing options, such as 3 days a week or every other day.

maybe start with just one day off and see how you feel? many slight adjustments over time rather than one big one. LDN can take up to 6 months to separate from placebo iirc.