Chronic pain is a serious medical condition affecting one in five people worldwide. As we discussed in last month’s newsletter, medical therapies for treatment of chronic pain may be unsatisfactory, risky, and expensive. Until recently, physicians utilized opioid therapy widely, but— because of their highly addictive qualities and side effects—that is not the case anymore.
Unfortunately, there is no one-size-fits-all solution to pain. We are sharing from our patients’ experiences some options that we have seen work. Last month we covered CBD. This month we want to tell you about Low Dose Naltrexone or LDN.
LDN is a novel therapy which may fulfill the four Ls that many patients look for when using nontraditional therapies: low risk, low side effect profile, low dose, and low cost. Naltrexone is a mu receptor antagonist medication originally designed and approved for the treatment of opioid addiction at a dose of 50-100mg per day. More recently it has been suggested that LDN may be utilized for the treatment of chronic pain, in an off-label fashion at a much lower dose: 0.5-4.5mg per day.
There has been a growing body of evidence that your body’s endorphins (naturally occurring opioids) have a crucial role in regulating your immune system and providing pain relief. LDN’s blockade of opioid receptors has been shown to upregulate endorphin production. LDN’s blockade of Toll Like Receptors is believed to contribute to the anti-inflammatory and immune dampening effects. These mechanisms help us understand why LDN can be beneficial for chronic pain.
LDN is available only by prescription, is custom made at a compounding pharmacy, and costs about $1 per day. The most common side effects include vivid dreams, sleep disturbances, and headaches. The key to success in using LDN is an understanding that optimal dosing is ultimately patient specific and is not dependent on a set protocol. Dosing strategies can vary tremendously. Some patients find success very quickly, while others need to try a variety of dosing strategies, which may take up to several months to achieve success. Therefore, it is critical to work with a provider or a compounding pharmacy knowledgeable in strategies that can help ensure success with LDN.
Since we began specializing in LDN at Norland Avenue Pharmacy, we have seen a wide variety of successes. It is these successes that motivate us to continue to try to help other patients. We have even implemented an LDN patient follow up program to ensure our patients get the very best results possible.
If you are interested in learning more, please join us for our FREE seminar.
FREE SEMINAR: What’s All the Fuss About LDN?
SPEAKER: DR. WAYNE MYERS
DATE: THURSDAY, APRIL 18TH
LOCATION 1: NORLAND AVENUE PHARMACY, 3:00PM
LOCATION 2: BIBLICAL EDUCATION CENTER, 7:00PM
Low Dose Naltrexone (LDN) is an off brand use of an FDA approved medication that is helping people with chronic pain, autoimmune disorders, Lyme disease, anxiety, depression, and more. This affordable, compound-ed medication has many of our customers raving! Find out what all the fuss is about at this free seminar.
Seating is limited, please reserve your spot: NorlandRx.com/events or 717-217-6790.
*These statements are culmination of the knowledge and experience of the team at Norland Pharmacy. The information provided here is for informational purposes only. Please consult your healthcare provider with questions concerning any medical condition or treatment. Compounded medications are not reviewed by the FDA for safety or efficacy.
*This information is presented for educational purposes only and was developed to provide an understanding of the potential applications of cannabinoids. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration, and this product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.