Low Dose Naltrexone (LDN) and The Cortisol Connection

I wrote a blog post a few months ago introducing a very benign drug called low dose naltrexone (LDN)

here is the link to this post for those that do not know what LDN is: https://paulrobinsonthyroid.com/could-low-dose-naltrexone-ldn-help-in-hashimotos-thyroiditis/

I have since experimented with LDN myself and found that it had some positive effects and some negative ones.

I have also talked to many patients who have used LDN themselves. 

Some patients using LDN experience lower autoimmune reactions (which is obviously good). Others can experience alterations in other neurotransmitters (like serotonin and dopamine balance – which may be good or bad).

Importantly, some thyroid patients appear to have improved hypothalamic pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis response. This can mean that some thyroid patients experience improved cortisol levels. I have definitely seen cortisol levels improve in some people when they began to use LDN.

LDN is not a sure-fire way of improving Hashimoto’s or cortisol. It can have unpredictable results. It can be very helpful for some people, do nothing for others, and make some feel emotional and cause more problems in the dosing thyroid hormones.

LDN is a useful tool in the toolbox.

It is one approach that I recommend leaving until the last after other things have been tried, as it can have unpredictable results.

I prefer to see autoimmune issues addressed through diet, supplements,  toxicity removal, the correction of nutrient imbalances, and the good and sensible use of a thyroid hormone treatment that the thyroid patient requires.

I have personally tried to use LDN, as I have mentioned above. My own experience is that LDN is definitely potent. It caused emotional changes that were not good in my case. I have witnessed this in others too. LDD did raise my cortisol levels, but the other side effects were not acceptable to me.

Some people may not experience any side effects. However, my experience with LDN is not extensive and I have not made a large study of it.

I have talked to many LDN users but even this is not really extensive. So, my experience is anecdotal.

So, anyone considering LDN use should do their own research. 

Circadian T3 Method (CT3M) and LDN

I believe that there is potential in the combination of the CT3M and LDN for those people who really have very low cortisol and cannot improve it sufficiently using CT3M alone.

More will be discovered about the connection between LDN and cortisol over time and considerably more research is needed.

Best wishes,

Paul