LOW-DOSE
NALTREXONE (LDN)
What is LDN?
Low-Dose Naltrexone (LDN) is a simple yet unique medication that has shown tremendous potential in the treatment of chronic pain, autoimmune diseases, and mental health conditions as well as the associated pain, inflammation, and gastrointestinal, dermatologic, and neurologic issues.
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LDN has demonstrated strong potential as a way to strengthen both brain and bodily resources to promote psychological well-being as well as bodily health.
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The drug Naltrexone was FDA-approved in 1984 and was originally used in the treatment of alcoholism and opioid detoxification. However, the typical daily dose of (high-dose) naltrexone is 50 mg or higher. At this dose, naltrexone has shown success, but can be also largely unsuccessful because of the unwanted side effects and poor patient compliance. It wasn't until a New York physician named Dr. Bihari discovered that in lower doses, about 10-100 times the strength of traditional naltrexone, that it has a completely different mechanism of action in the body and therefore produces a different physiological response.
Collectively autoimmune diseases have been identified in about 24 million people in the US, and only 1/3 are diagnosed. That means about 72 million people have an autoimmune disease. It's not looked for. Our system waits until the signs and symptoms are severe enough with organ failure and irreversible damage before we identify it.
- JEFFREY S. BLAND, PhD
How Does it Work?
Unlike most other medication, LDN works to treat the underlying root causes, rather than the symptoms, which optimizes the immune system and allows the body to work to heal itself. It does this by temporarily blocking our internal opioid receptors, which causes your body to increase its own supply of internal endorphins.​
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These endorphins possess properties to help regulate, heal and restore the immune system back to normal function, which allows the body to work to heal itself.
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The increased amount of endorphins and the enhanced immune function result in bodily changes that can help to reduce inflammation and stop the progression of rheumatoid, gastrointestinal and neurological autoimmune disorders.
Who can benefit from LDN?
ANY PATIENT WITH A CONDITION THAT FITS INTO THE FOLLOWING CATEGORIES:
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Autoimmune Diseases
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Gastrointestinal Diseases
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Mental Health Conditions
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Chronic Pain
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Thyroid Diseases
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Dermatological Conditions
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Cancer
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Neurological Disorders
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Multiple Sclerosis (MS)
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Women's Health
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Addiction
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Opioid Withdrawal
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Periodontal Disease
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Inflammatory Conditions
How can one medication help so many people with different health conditions?
LDN works by boosting your body's own production of endorphins. This increase in endorphins helps to regulate and normalize your body's immune system to function properly and reduce inflammation levels throughout the body.
Immune system dysfunction and chronic inflammation are often the underlying root cause of the pain and other symptoms that come with chronic disease. This is why LDN's mechanism of action is so simple yet so beneficial in the treatment of a wide spectrum of chronic ailments.
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By addressing the root of the problem, rather than the symptoms, LDN is able to bring the body up (or down) to a normal baseline and allow it to take care of the rest by healing from the inside out.
Dosing
With LDN, there is no one-size-fits-all approach - to be effective, it is important to match the dose to the disease or condition and the individual patient.
Every patient is unique and has different circumstances and needs when it comes to their health and in order to achieve optimal success with LDN, it is crucial to work with a knowledgable compounding pharmacy to develop a dosing schedule for you to find your perfect dose.
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For a long time, 4.5 mg was the only dose of LDN prescribed, but we have now evolved to working with over 20 different doses ranging from 1 mcg to 8 mg, that can all be customized to you and your unique disease.
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It is so important to work with a healthcare team that knows how to differentiate you from someone else with your same condition. At Custom Medicine, we will work with you and your physician and if needed, advise them on what is necessary to optimize LDN's ability to help you and bring you a new sense of normal.
Check out our upcoming LDN webinars!
If you are interested in getting started with LDN or want to learn more, reach out to us via phone or email anytime - we're here to help!