Quick overview of what we’ll cover in this blog post:
- Why AgelessRx offers 2 starting doses
- The difference between 0.5mg & 1.5mg
- Who should start at which dose
- What to do if you want a different dose
Naltrexone is an enigmatic treatment whose benefits vary depending on which dosage you’re receiving. Just by the name alone, we can tell that Low Dose Naltrexone (LDN) is on the lower end of this spectrum, and its ideal use strays significantly from higher doses – namely, in how it affects our longevity.
But the name shouldn’t suggest that there’s a single dose of LDN that’s considered the low dose. In fact, anything under 10mg of Naltrexone can be considered LDN.
This begs the question: just how low do the doses go, and which dose is right for me?
These questions are what drove us at AgelessRx to offer multiple starting doses for LDN. Here, we discuss the differences between these starting doses (0.5mg and 1.5mg), so you can make the most informed decision with your prescriber about what might be best for you.
Why the low dose?
Many medications have different effects (and therefore different uses) when prescribed at higher or lower doses, and LDN is no exception.
Naltrexone is most often prescribed to treat opioid or alcohol dependence at doses ranging from 50-150mg. When prescribed at these doses, Naltrexone acts as an opioid antagonist to temporarily block the effects of both opioid drugs and naturally occurring opioids, as well as the release of dopamine (the reward signal associated with drug addiction).
When used at lower doses, though, Naltrexone appears to have a paradoxical effect that allows the brain to produce more endogenous opioids (endorphins), which help to improve pain relief. Additionally, lower doses of Naltrexone may also prevent overactivation of immune cells in the body and the brain (known as T-cells and microglia respectively), thereby blunting the destructive consequences of chronic inflammation.
For these benefits, Naltrexone is prescribed at 9mg/day or under. The most common dose is usually 4.5mg/day, at which most users experience the greatest benefits with the least risk of side effects.
What are the doses for LDN?
One thing to keep in mind is that 4.5mg/day is the optimal dose for most users, when they reap the most benefits with minimal (if any) side effects after a period of titrating up from even lower doses. For 4.5mg/day, users will start at 1.5mg/day, which is the standard starting dose offered at AgelessRx.
Now when we say “most users,” we mean that 4.5mg/day isn’t necessarily the most beneficial dose for everyone. Some may find that higher doses are best for them, but often, we find our subscribers ask for even lower doses, both as a starting point and as their ultimate, therapeutic dose.
That’s why we introduced the 0.5mg LDN Protocol as a new starting point for LDN. This way, those who are interested in starting LDN can still experience the benefits, without risking side effects that may occur by starting with too much, too quick.
What’s the difference?
The main differences between the 0.5mg and 1.5mg LDN Protocols involve not just the starting doses, but also the titration plan and the threshold for when users can expect to feel benefits, providing an opportunity for increased precision and personalization.
Doses & Titration
The 1.5mg LDN Protocol is the de facto standard for longevity benefits with the simplest titration plan.
If you elect the 1.5mg Protocol, you will receive 1.5mg capsules and take 1 each night before bed for the first 10 days. You will then increase your dosage to 2 capsules (3.0mg total) each night for another 10 days, before finally capping the dose at 3 capsules each night (4.5mg total).
Standard Titration Schedule
| Week | Strength | Caps per Dose |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1.5 | 1 |
| 2 | 1.5 | 2 |
| 3+ | 1.5 | 3 |
The 0.5mg LDN Protocol is, by comparison, more complicated, with more dose adjustments to keep track of and a longer titration period. But this protocol also allows for much greater flexibility and precision, allowing greater precision to observe the nuances of LDN’s effects on each individual’s personalized physiology.
Slower Titration Schedule
| Week | Strength | Caps per Dose |
|---|---|---|
| 1-2 | 0.5 | 1 |
| 3-4 | 0.5 | 2 |
| 5-6 | 0.5 | 3 |
| 7-8 | 0.5 | 4 |
| 9-10 | 0.5 | 5 |
| 11-13 | 0.5 | 6 |
| 14+ | 1.5 | 3 |
Should you choose the 0.5mg Protocol, you will receive 0.5mg capsules and take 1 each night before bed for the first 14 days. You will then continue to increase the capsules you take each night by 1 every 14 days, until you reach 6 capsules each night, or 3.0mg/day. At this point, you will start receiving 1.5mg capsules and cap your dose at 3 capsules each night, or 4.5mg/day.
Benefits & Side Effects
In the experience of our prescribers, most start to feel the benefits of LDN when they reach a dose of about 3.0mg/day, with the max dose of 4.5mg/day reducing symptoms even further. This means that those on the 0.5mg LDN Protocol may have to wait several more weeks to experience benefits like pain reduction.
By contrast, those on the 1.5mg LDN Protocol may also have to tolerate more noticeable but temporary side effects (i.e. headache, upset stomach, restless sleep) that emerge as a result of taking greater doses within a shorter period of time. In fact, the idea of the 0.5mg LDN Protocol is to give your body the best chance at tolerating the medication by gradually introducing smaller doses over a longer period.
Which Protocol is right for me?
Starting with 1.5mg/day is the standard for LDN and gives you the best opportunity to experience the full benefits as quickly and safely as possible.
As such, we recommend starting with the 1.5mg LDN Protocol, unless:
- You have taken LDN before and stopped, especially if you found you could not tolerate the side effects.
- You are generally sensitive to medications, or if you commonly have bad reactions to a variety of medications. This doesn’t have to be an allergy.
- You have been diagnosed with one of the following – mast cell disorder (MCAS), chronic mold toxicity syndrome, chronic Lyme disease (or related co-infection disorders) or chronic/frequent migraines. Any of these may make it difficult to tolerate the 1.5mg LDN Protocol.
What if I want a different dose?
Finding the best LDN dose for you can be difficult. Though we’ve taken great care to develop protocols that match most users’ needs, the fact is that everyone experiences medication differently, so no single dose is ideal for 100% of users.
We encourage all subscribers to move forward with their selected protocol, but take care to listen to your body during titration. Are you feeling the benefits you were expecting? Or are the side effects mitigating any benefits?
If you find that it’s difficult to ramp up your LDN dosage as scheduled, let your ARX prescriber know: we can always modify your schedule so your body has more time to adjust, or even keep you at your current dose until you’re ready.
The key takeaway here is that we at AgelessRx are here to provide the best possible LDN experience for you. Since your experience is unique, our prescribers are ready to help you narrow down which dose of LDN best matches your intended experience. We’ll be with you every step of your journey. All you have to do is contact us and let us know what’s on your mind.