LOW DOSE NALTREXONE - Alternative therapy for autoimmune problems
Low Dose Naltrexone (LDN)- For Autoimmune Diseases, Cancer, AIDS?HIV, COPD and More
How to Use LDN
FIRST - Cautionary warnings / Side-effects
Adverse events reported in clinical studies -
temporary insomnia and vivid dreaming in some patients.
Cautionary warnings - according to
lowdosenaltrexone.org , special
precautions are required if any of the following situations apply:
- If you use opioid
agonists, do not take LDN until such medicine is completely out of your system. i.e. narcotic medications such as Ultram (tramadol), morphine,
Percocet, Duragesic patch or codeine-containing medication;
- Patients taking thyroid
hormone replacement for a diagnosis of Hashimoto's thyroiditis with
hypothyroidism need to begin LDN at the very lowest range (1.5mg for an adult). As LDN may lead to a prompt decrease in the
autoimmune disorder, which then may require a rapid reduction in the dose of
thyroid hormone replacement in order to avoid symptoms of
hyper thyroidism.
- People who have received
organ transplants. These people are taking immunosuppressive medication on a
permanent basis and are cautioned against the use of LDN because it may act to
counter the effect of those medications.
Using LDN
LDN should be obtained by prescription - i.e.
under medical approval if deemed appropriate; although it can also be
obtained OTC cheaply, but admittedly with questionable reliability (E.g.
<$50/mth at
4.5mg/day).
If purchased in 50mg tablets,
they can be ground up and repackaged as 4.5 mg capsules or
made into 4.5 mg
liquid doses at home
LDN is available as:
• Liquid
• Capsules
• Sublingual drops
• Topical cream
Ideally obtain LDN from a reliable pharmacy - a list of such is given at
lowdosenaltrexone.org
•
LDN capsules should not contain calcium carbonate
as a filler -since it has been found to interfere with absorption of LDN capsule
• DO NOT get LDN in
slow-release form
Dose - therapeutic range is 1.5 mg - 4.5 mg every night. Lower doses have no
effect and higher doses likely block
endorphins for too long, interfering with effectiveness
• Usual adult dosage is 4.5mg taken once daily at
night - to avoid interfering with rhythms of the body's production of master
hormones, LDN is best taken between 9pm and 3am. Most patients take it at
bedtime.
•
Exceptions include :
• With multiple sclerosis that has led to muscle
spasms - use only 3mg daily and maintain
that dosage
• For those with Hashimoto's thyroiditis with
hypothyroidism who are taking
thyroid hormone replacement medication -
please
read about intial dosage of LDN in Cautionary Warnings above.
• For Cancer
- do
not take LDN the week before and the week after cancer chemotherapy (this does
not include the drug tamoxifen or daily medications for prostate cancer).
See
lowdosenaltrexone.org
for more details
•
LDN Research Trust
(in UK) suggests that one should gradually build up to the therapeutic dose over
a period of weeks - until you are stable /side
effect free. The starting dose can vary from 0.5mg to 1.5mg
- and is usually increased over 4 - 8 weeks to 4.5mg.
• For Autoimmune Diseases - normally start at 1mg
and increase to 4.5mg daily over a period of 4 weeks.
• For Hashimotos, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome,
Fibromyalgia or cancer - usually start with
0.5mg and increase by 0.5mg a week until 4.5mgis reached.
Good online references for LDN
www.lowdosenaltrexone.org
LDNers.org
www.dustysplace.org/docs/nax.pdf
ldnresearchtrust.org
