An affordable “off-label” cure for chronic pain

Some days, I feel like I must be stuck in some sort of time loop.

As you know, I’ve been practicing nutritional medicine for almost 30 years now. And as the years have passed by, I’ve seen numerous treatments and therapies that I used at the start of my career with Dr. Atkins rising to fame… decades later.

And yet, I can’t tell you how many times my mentor and I were both ridiculed—whether by other physicians or the press—for doing what we did (and did well).

From vitamin D and intravenous therapies, to ketogenic dieting and fish oils, the list of solutions that we pioneered is endless. But today, I want to talk about low-dose naltrexone (LDN) specifically, and what it can do for you.

Cheap, safe, and effective

LDN is a super cheap and safe alternative treatment for several chronic neurologic, rheumatologic, psychiatric, and gastrointestinal inflammatory conditions—according to “recent findings.”

But let me be clear, here—this is only “recent” to some people. Because it just so happens that I use LDN in my practice all the time… for several reasons.

First, though, a little background: We call it “low dose” because this is a drug used to treat opioid and alcohol dependence in a 50 mg dose. (Naltrexone is an opiate antagonist—meaning, it blocks the effects of opiates, like pain relief and euphoria, on the brain.)

But for my purposes, I use 1.5 to 4.5 mg at bedtime. (Some practitioners go as high as 12 mg.) At this low dose, naltrexone operates as an anti-inflammatory agent via the central nervous system.

The side effects—which can include nausea, insomnia, headache and vivid dreams—are super mild to most. And in most patients, they eventually go away. That’s why I usually work my patients up from the 1.5 mg dose to 4.5 mg, as tolerated.

And one of the best things about LDN is that it’s very inexpensive, depending on the compounding pharmacy you use. But of course, the fact that it’s so cheap might explain Big Pharma’s lack of interest in clinical trials.

Because heaven forbid they actually do something to help people…

Promising data

As it stands, the current research on LDN’s “off label” uses is limited, but impressive. For example, one recent patient report showed it relieved pain and fatigue, brain fog, and post-activity exhaustion in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS).

That’s a big deal, because there’s currently no approved treatment for this awful condition. (LDN is also something I use for fibromyalgia—another pain disorder with limited treatment options.)

Data supports these benefits: One Finnish study of more than 200 patients showed that dosages up to 4.5 mg daily delivered positive responses in nearly 75 percent of patients. Benefits ranged from increased alertness and improved physical function to reduced pain and fever.

And get this: Norway aired a documentary about the benefits of LDN, which led to an uptick in prescriptions among the population. And over the next year, the country saw dramatic declines in scripts for expensive rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, and antidepressants as a result.

We may never have “definitive” proof of the true healing powers of LDN. But the science is out there.

Meanwhile, I’ve personally seen it work for decades—which is enough for me to keep prescribing it. Especially since opioids actually increase sensitivity to pain in the long haul. LDN has the opposite effect—making it a much better fit for patients with chronic pain. (Not to mention, we’re still very much in the middle of an opioid epidemic. And sadly, that isn’t going away any time soon, as I explained last week.)

Now, your insurance likely isn’t going to cover LDN. But it’s only about $30 to $50 per month—still affordable, even paying out of pocket. So, in my view, it’s absolutely worth a try.

P.S. For additional ways to relieve and eliminate any type of acute or chronic pain—naturally—I encourage you to check out my Pain-Free Protocol. To learn more about this comprehensive online learning tool, or to enroll today, click here now!

Source:

“Low-Dose Naltrexone: An Inexpensive Medicine for Many Ills?” Medscape Medical News, 03/11/2020. (medscape.com/viewarticle/926611)