Low-dose naltrexone

I'm happy to report that I'm finally feeling better. I found a medication that helps with sleep, but more importantly, another that helps with a range of debilitating CFS symptoms. Florinef, which I was convinced was going to help since taking the buffered salt tablets was so helpful before, hasn't seemed to do anything to increase my (low) blood volume. However, the last med that Dr. Klimas prescribed -- low-dose naltrexone (LDN) -- has been extremely helpful. I've been on it for two weeks now and have had significant relief. I put off starting it because I had read varied reports of it helping people with ME/CFS, yet a few others seemed to think that it made them worse. But it's ended up being by far the most effective treatment I've tried so far.  Specifically, it's helped greatly with food intolerances. I've suddenly been able to eat pizza again without feeling sick afterward (and let me tell you, I've been having a lot of pizza these past 2 weeks). It seems to have turned-down my immune response so that my body is not so reactive to everything. This in turn has given me more energy (a highly-activated immune system will make you feel very run down), and has also helped with reactive hypoglycemia. I do still have trouble sleeping and have the POTS/orthostatic intolerance issues, so it's certainly not a cure, but I feel so much better overall.

I'm curious why LDN is helpful for me and other patients with ME/CFS. The mode of action is to increase the body's endorphin production, but as Scottish doctor Tom Gilhooly pointed out in this youtube video (I recommend watching all three parts), there are lots of things that boost the body's endorphin output (exercise, eating chocolate), and they don't make patients better. After doing some more digging I found this site which has a lot of great info and mentions: "LDN is also thought to block activation of microglia, a type of white blood cells found in the central nervous system (brain and the spinal cord). Activation of microglia causes so-called "sickness behaviour", e.g. fatigue, fever, pain and other bothersome symptoms." Now suddenly this makes sense, and would explain the benefits I've had since starting it.

So in summary: LDN has been the most effective treatment I've tried. Suddenly life no longer feels like such a chore. At long last: progress.