LDN has been used to treat a number of conditions including ME, Fibromyalgia, MS, Parkinson’s amongst others. Naltrexone is an opioid antagonist which in its normal dose is used to treat drug addiction. In low dose form it is believed that it may help to reduce inflammation and to regulate the immune system. LDN is now often used in Long Covid.
We have reports that some patients are receiving conflicting advice regarding LDN and it’s use in Long Covid.
We are very concerned to hear reports of some clinicians in Ireland telling Long Covid patients to stop taking their LDN immediately (which to be clear has been prescribed by another Doctor) & even in a few cases patients were told that it could be harmful to them.
Whilst we respect that some Drs don’t wish to prescribe LDN themselves yet due to lack of RCT data availability yet for Long Covid, the claim of potential harm is not evidence based.
ALL medications CAN of course cause side effects & carry risk of adverse reactions. Interfering to this degree with another Dr’s advice particularly when it is often Doctors with far far more experience and knowledge of post acute viral illness than those in question and scaring patients without cause is deeply concerning.
LDN is a well tolerated drug (used in people of all ages) which has been around since the 1960s & which has been used in low dose form for many illnesses since the 1990s!
We have three private LC services in Ireland (all in Dublin). In ALL cases they are prescribing LDN as appropriate.
LDN is not new.
Naltrexone no longer has a patent (ie other companies can produce it, not just the initial company who developed it) (older drugs do not typically have a patent) this means that because the potential for large income is not there (patented drugs allow pharma companies to charge more as they have exclusivity to produce), pharma companies are far less likely to fund RCTs (which are extremely expensive).
This is what has led to delays gathering RCT evidence for LDN in a whole range of conditions where it may be beneficial.
However there is now research ongoing for LDN use in LC, including here in Ireland.
This drug has managed to get some LC patients back to work. Estimates suggest that up to 70% to 80% of LC patients may have a positive response to LDN.
We are often told by Doctors, public and private that good medicine is about weighing up potential benefits vs potential risks.
For the majority, the potential benefits of LDN far far outweigh potential risk (though of course patients should monitor their response to ANY new meds carefully and immediately flag any concerns to their Dr).
We are not clinicians. We are sharing patient experience. We have not heard report of harm coming to a Long Covid patient using LDN (though some may have negative side effects that lead them to discontinue as with any medication or for some they do not experience a benefit leading to them stopping LDN use). Its important to note, that LDN has been used for many years in ME/CFS, a condition very similar to Long Covid. It is estimated that about 50% of patients with LC qualify for a diagnosis of ME also.
If you hear conflicting advice about LDN or ANY approach to managing Long Covid it may be useful to ask yourself..
1) Is this claim backed up by international practise and expertise with regard to Long Covid?
For example Dr Binita Kane, Dr Claire Taylor (UK) and Dr David Putrino (of Mount Sinai in New York) all prescribe LDN as appropriate and advocate for LC patients to have access to it.
David Putrino is considered one of the world leading experts on LC.
His expertise as someone researching and treating LC since 2020 from one of the most well respected hospitals in the world can hardly be disputed.
We have not come across ANY Long Covid specialists concerned about LDNs use in LC patients
2) What is the patient community’s experience? ie. have there been reports of harm/adverse effects?
3) Do I feel confident that the person raising concerns over LDN has adequate experience and expertise regarding Long Covid?
Do they seem well informed on Long Covid in comparison to your own knowledge and research as a patient and are they well informed on developments in the LC space internationally?
4) What are well established LC charities’ ( in the UK, US and elsewhere) position on LDN?
You can find out more about LDN at;
There are also a number of FB groups dedicated to LDN. These are large groups and include patients using LDN for a range of illnesses.
If you still have questions please contact us and we will do our best to answer or direct you elsewhere.
Long Covid Advocacy Ireland 