I have been pregnant five times, and have two living children. Both of my living children were conceived while I was on low-dose naltrexone and I continued to take it throughout my first trimester when I weaned off the drug slowly.
I was first prescribed low-dose naltrexone in 2017, after being diagnosed and treated for endometritis, an inflammatory condition in the uterus. At this time my husband and I had been trying to conceive for three years.
We were thrilled to finally get a positive pregnancy test in November after I was treated for endometritis and had been using LDN for several months.
When my son was two years old I had an ectopic pregnancy, followed by a twin miscarriage about a year later and a chemical pregnancy two months after that.
I was on the same protocol I was when I successfully conceived my first child but realized LDN was missing. I asked my doctor about it and she put me on it right away.
In addition to LDN, I was using letrozole, progesterone, levothyroxine, and metformin, as well as a prenatal.
I finally got pregnant again after using LDN for a few months. This time it was a healthy pregnancy and I was able to carry the baby to term.
What is Low Dose Naltrexone?
Naltrexone is a drug used to treat opioid addiction.
Low Dose Naltrexone (LDN) is about 1/10 the typical dose. LDN has been shown to have anti-inflammatory and immune-boosting properties and has been used to treat a number of conditions including autoimmune conditions.
How Does LDN Boost Fertility?
Doctors have also successfully used LDN to boost female fertility. It has been shown to improve hormone and uterine functioning and result in healthier cycles and healthier pregnancies.
I was prescribed LDN by my Napro doctor, but I’ve noticed at the time of my writing this article in 2023 LDN seems to even be used at IVF clinics to improve IVF outcomes.
How Do I Take LDN?
My doctor prescribed me full-strength naltrexone and I ground up the pills myself with a mortar and pestle. I added the ground-up pills to a certain amount of water and then used a dropper to give myself the correct dose every evening.
You can order LDN through a compounding pharmacy to get the correct dose in pill form, but I have heard from others who have gone this route that it ends up being much more expensive. The prescription that I had to dose myself cost less than $10 for several months.
I had no negative side effects from using LDN. It helped with my anxiety and improved my sleep in addition to boosting my fertility.
LDN is not recommended for anyone who is being treated for opioid addiction. It is also recommended you not consume alcohol while using LDN.
Ask your doctor if it’s worth trying!
Sources:
https://www.compoundingcenter.com/blog/ldn-infertility-fertility
https://ldnresearchtrust.org/what-is-low-dose-naltrexone-ldn