This Is MS Multiple Sclerosis Community: Knowledge & Support

[curiouser]

Urgent Question: Has anyone had any experience of low dose naltrexone raising their ck (creatine kinase) levels? I've finally persuaded my doctor to let me try LDN, and 10 days after starting I had a regular 3-monthly blood test that I have for other medical screening purposes, and it showed elevated ck levels, suggesting muscle damage is happening. I'm having a re-test next week, but before then I'm trying to find out if this is a known side effect of LDN, since some ck muscle problems can be drug induced. If the levels stay high next week, then the doctor will start investigating various possibilities, but since the LDN is new and he's not familiar with it and is suspicious of it anyway, this will be the first suspected cause that he will want me to stop to see if it changes the ck levels. Since I did the research that persuaded him to let me try LDN, I feel it's up to me to check out this possible danger which I had not seen any mention of on any of the LDN sites. I actually have thought I've seen some small improvements in leg muscle strength since starting the LDN, so I'm reluctant to stop it so soon unless I need to. Has anyone else come across an LDN-raised ck side effect?

[mormiles]

Curiouser, My husband just had a complete physical with detailed blood work. I have no idea if "creatinine" is the same as or similar to creatine kinase, but his creatinine level tested normal. He's been on LDN since June '06. In fact, all 48 tested items were normal, including liver and kidney function. We were waiting for these results with particular interest since he has also added three antibiotics (Wheldon CAP), two antivirals, and heavy metal chelation therapy since his last checkup.

[sh8un]

Just a quick explanation:
Creatinine is used to diagnose impaired kideny function. At times it can be elevated but along with another test, it can be used to test renal function. Creatinine Kinase is used to test for heart muscle damage. Not that accurate as it can also indicate neurologic or skeletal muscle disease.
NN

[Loobie]

I had a heightened CK level for my second blood draw for a Tovaxin trial. My DR.'s first question was had I worked out before the blood draw. Apparently rigorous exercise will also show heightened CK levels, so to just say it shows muscle damage can be a bit misleading since exercise shows the same thing.

I could be wrong since I am not in the med. field, but that is what my Dr. said about CK levels.

[sh8un]

You are very correct. I think it's a dumb test.

[Frank]

I had the same experiences with CK tests when I took statins.
My all over CK level usually was 110, but then on the fourth test it was elevated to 211.

After various CK tests while taking statins or dont taking them, I can definietly say the elevated CK came from muscle workouts.

--Frank