LDN- GP says he has no clue: I was asked for a... - Thyroid UK

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LDN- GP says he has no clue

Pisces06 profile image
16 Replies

I was asked for a letter from my GP in order to get LDN prescribed for hashimotos by e-med.co.uk.

GP said he has no clue what ldn is and refused to do a letter.

Seems like dickinson chemist in Glasgow are not doing it either.. Anyone know any other source.

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Pisces06 profile image
Pisces06
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16 Replies
MaisieGray profile image
MaisieGray

I've sent you a PM Pisces06

VintageMustard profile image
VintageMustard

I used to get LDN for fibromyalgia from Dickson’s in Glasgow. They were the cheapest supplier. I started on liquid which had to be refrigerated and ended up on capsules which they posted to me after receiving a prescription from my GP. Unfortunately my GP stopped me from having it with an NHS prescription as he said there wasn’t any proof it worked. I was devastated. My local pharmacy had used other suppliers which were much more expensive. I’d be interested in finding someone who would do a private prescription but it would be price dependent. I didn’t know it was used for thyroid problems.

MissGrace profile image
MissGrace

Your GP is a star. Nothing like a practitioner with an intellectual curiosity about medicine. Just a refusal - not ‘I don’t know what that is, give me time to look into it, speak to people about it so I can make an informed judgement.’ Instead you just get told to FO. What a master of his art. 🤸🏿‍♀️🥛

Naomi8 profile image
Naomi8

I didn't want to involve my GP in my decision to start taking LDN,so I asked reception to get my GP to simply write a letter stating I had Hashimoto's.This they did,except the letter only said I had an underactive thyroid!It didn't state I had Hashi's,as requested.I posted this up to clinic 158 & was immediately provided with the private prescription Dickson's needed to begin sending me LDN.

Forry5 profile image
Forry5

I had a private appointment with clinic 158 who provided me with a private prescription for LDN. They sent this to Dicksons in Glasgow who post it out to me.

On the clinic 158 pages when you register, you can give them permission to access your GP notes, I did this and had no issues.

Pisces06 profile image
Pisces06 in reply to Forry5

I rang them last week.. No answer whatsoever. Also I read on dicksons pharmacy website or somewhere that they are not doing ldn service.. I will double check next week. Thank you

Howard39 profile image
Howard39

Hi

I have a private prescription for ldn but my friend went through emed with no issue.

Ldn is the icing on the cake though, you need to ensure you have all your ducks in a row first.

Gluten free diet

Absorbtion good

Vitamins optimal

Then adrenals and thyroid meds sorted.

It improved my energy levels and helps my awful sleep some. It does help muscle pain for MS suffers.

But I’d never use it to fix my hashimotos. I did that first then i started the meds.

Dicksons do their own screening too. If you need the details please just ask.

bessygo profile image
bessygo in reply to Howard39

What does LDN do for you? Just wondering....am in the U.S....lots of claims that it does wonders....just a few practioners use it....why do you take it?

Howard39 profile image
Howard39 in reply to bessygo

Hi

As I said it improved my energy and helps my sleep by say 25% but I am only on a small dose. I’d say I have slightly less muscle pain too.

If my thyroid issues had been fixed earlier I’d probably never would have had so many issues.

Some of my patients want it for hashimotos to reduce their antibodies but that’s cheating and in the long run you need to be gluten free.

I use it mainly ( at work) on MS / Parkinson’s patients and obviously people who have addiction issues.

It’s v helpful but for thyroid patients I’d reiterate it’s best to sort everything else out first.

Pisces06 profile image
Pisces06 in reply to Howard39

Thank you for the tips howard39.

Britomartis29 profile image
Britomartis29 in reply to bessygo

Hi, bessygo, I am in the US too, formerly in the UK. LDN is the tiny fractionally-low dose of Naltrexone. Naltrexone in high doses such as 50MG is used to treat drug and alcohol addictions (LOW dose Naltrexone is 2.5 or 4.5 mg---a fraction of what is used for addictions). Not being a drinker or drugger myself, I thought it would be completely ridiculous for me to try LDN. I also thought, how in the world could this help an autoimmune condition? (I have lupus SLE (systemic kind) and hashimotos/autoimmune thyroid disease.) Currently on lupus drug (plaquenil, aka hydroxychloroquine, 400 mg) and 100mcg levothyroxine (T4) and 25 mcg liothyronine (T3). even with all that and B12 and ferritin-check and gluten and magnesium and ALL THE REST of the adjustments we know so well, I still had extra weight, brain fog, pain, dry skin, hair fall, all the miseries we also know so well, even when all the lab numbers looked better. So, in desperationbut with total skepticism, I tried LDN.

Reader, she loved it: WOW. Unreal results after about 5 days. Started at 2.5mg and moved up to 4.5mg as prescriebd. I did and often still do have vivid dreams but just clear and memorable dreams, not scary ones. But I slept! And I feel really good, like my old self! I can think, I can get through a day, I am not dragged down and woeful. It's ME again in here. The only issue has been someheart palpitations which the doc says is common when it kicks in, as there is then a need to reduce T4 and T3; the trick is to be very gradual and to get blood tests. Still waiting on my endocrine appointment. But am down to 25 T4 and 10 T3 (doctor said to keep the both going but reduce reduce reduce gradually; for me T3 has always been the key and levo always a problem, so I was happy to cut that junk out sooner!).

The doc who prescribed it for me has done a bunch of clinical trials on lupus with it. Apparently it modulates the immune system by working on receptor cells that then trigger a change in T-cell activity and other immune activities. All that is beyond me, but for me, this stuff is a godsend. In the US it is a little bit expensive, not covered by insurance, and has to be compounded; my pharmacy has it for an annual price of $200 (that is with my discount). I think the prices vary widely here because the other pharma I tried made it 40/month. Not sure about the UK because I moved here before trying there. Sorry for long post but it has been a long journey; I really hope it works for you.

bessygo profile image
bessygo in reply to Britomartis29

I can only find one dr who prescribes LDN for thyroid issues. It sounds quite complicated. Did you adjust your synthroid after taking the LDN....I heard you had to titrate the dosages up.

Britomartis29 profile image
Britomartis29 in reply to bessygo

Actually I’ve had to reduce my thyroid medications quite a bit since starting LDN, and because I was told to do that gradually, I felt overmedicated for a while during the weeks when I was gradually reducing doses of T4 and T3. Used to be on 100 mcg of Levothyroxine plus 25mcg of Liothyronine each day. Now on only 25mcg of the Liothyronine and seemingly stable. Came down gradually by using pill-splitter on the Levo tablets, 75 for a week then 50 for a week then 25 then 25 every other day, then every third day, then off. Started reducing T3 but then early on was advised to keep up T3 the whole time. I would advise consulting a doctor when coming off, because I’ve heard it can be dangerous to reduce thyroid medicine, and one must do this carefully and gradually and under medical care with blood tests every few weeks. Good luck!

LAHs profile image
LAHs

Fascinating discussion, but what's LDN?

Marz profile image
Marz in reply to LAHs

Low Dose Naltrexene ..

ldnresearchtrust.org

Hashi-hacker profile image
Hashi-hacker

I get my LDN from Dickson's if they don't answer the phone, call again later as they are sometimes busy and only a small number of staff.

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