Recently, a patient called in and asked us to cancel a prescription her doctor had called in for her. She said she researched the medication on the internet and found out that it was a medication used to treat opioid and alcohol addictions. Since she was not addicted to opioids or alcohol, she said she wouldn’t need the medication. Another patient called and told us that he would not be getting the refill on his medication. He explained that he was experiencing headaches as a side effect and didn’t feel the medication was working well enough to continue to tolerate the headaches.
Both patients had been prescribed compounded Low Dose Naltrexone (LDN). It is true that naltrexone was originally approved by the FDA in 1984 to treat opioid and alcohol addiction at doses of 50-200mg. However, Low Dose Naltrexone is prescribed at strengths of 0.5-9.0mg and works to modulate the immune system providing relief to those suffering from autoimmune diseases, chronic pain, mental health challenges, inflammation, and more.
We are proud to specialize in compounded LDN, because we have seen some amazing results. But we recognize that this medication can be very confusing. LDN is a great example of a medication that is not one-size-fits-all. Some patients titrate from a 0.5mg dose up to a 4.5mg dose and find that the 4.5mg dose works best for them. Other patients don’t need to titrate at all and start at 4.5mg. Still other patients find that 3.5mg or even 3.0mg works best for them. And some patients need to titrate slower than others to avoid the possible side effects that LDN can produce (i.e. vivid dreams, headaches, loose stools/diarrhea).
We realize that our years of experience put us in a unique situation to help many people in our community benefit from LDN; therefore, we have started a new LDN Patient Follow-up Program. This program is designed to help us closely monitor each of our LDN patients to help them find the perfect titration schedule and dose and also to collect valuable information to use to educate practitioners on 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. If you have any questions about LDN, please stop by and visit us at the pharmacy or at NorlandRx.com.
*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. 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.