Multiple Sclerosis Treatments & Reviews
Given my recent experience, I thought it would be an interesting topic for a new column here on the blog. My idea is to create a venue where we can give feedback on the various medications and treatments for MS. Here is some information I found about Low-Dose Naltrexone, which I understand is prescribed to many MS patients. Have you taken it? How has it helped you? What can you tell us about it? If not, can you tell us what kind of treatment you have been undergoing, and how it’s going for you?
Low-Dose Naltrexone Finds Preliminary Benefit
for People with Multiple Sclerosis (MS)
Naltrexone was approved by the FDA in 1984 in a 50 mg dose for the treatment of addictions to opioids and alcohol. Naltrexone prevents the effect of such drugs by blocking opioid docking sites on the cells. In doing so, naltrexone also blocks the reception of the opioid hormones that our brain and adrenal glands produce. Many body tissues have receptors for these endorphins and enkephalins, including virtually every cell of the body's immune system.
At significantly lower doses, naltrexone has been prescribed as treatment for a variety of diseases, including various types of cancers, HIV/AIDS, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS; aka Lou Gehrig’s disease), emphysema, as well as MS and other autoimmune diseases. Until recently, there has been only limited information of Low Dose Naltrexone (LDN) and its benefit to treat MS.
LDN has been shown to provide symptomatic relief for MS, according to a number of recently published laboratory studies. Investigators cite the possibility that LDN increases levels of endorphins in the brain, which are the body’s natural pain relievers. Unfortunately, as noted by the investigators, due to study dropouts and incomplete data, they had complete data on only 60 of the 80 original participants, which weakened the statistical power of the trial results. It was suggested that their findings require confirmation in a larger, multi-center clinical trial.
Categories: New MS Drug
Tags: New Drug Multiple Scleroses MS Treatments
If you want to know what we know about LDN, start at ldnnow dot com
I use it for my secondary progressive and if I had found it 5 years ago I would still be driving my motorbike. Do do look into it, find a doctor who prescribes it and talk to him/her and see if it might help you. It is very safe to use and if it helps, then you might be able to avoid stuff like fingolimod, which interferes with your already dysfunctional immune system. LDN is a very intersting way of tackling chronic cytokine imbalance and immune dysfunction with inappropriate inflammatory responses being caused by this cytokine imbalance over long periodds of time. Prof R Good did a lot of work on this. Good luck with your research.
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Wow, I have had alot of people wanting LDN and info on it!!! Awesome. Yes a GP can prescribe it but most GP's and Neuro's wont because they don't know about it or don't believe it will help, but believe me dear it does!!! I have had MS for 20+ years, I was diagnosed with RRMS, and about a year ago I was told it is now SPMS and I was sliding downhill fairly quick. I did some research on LDN and wanted to try it, and lucky enough my neuro was one that would prescribe it!! I started at 3mg and noticed small changes the next day, and within a week I had my life back!! It's like I was 10 years back in time, just wonderful!! My biggest complaints with my MS were weakness all over but my legs were the worst, bad fatigue and balance, bowel and bladder trouble, just to mention a few!! Get on LDN, it's not a cure, and doesn't help everyone but it's worth a try!! Inexpensive, FDA approved in Canada, and very few if any side effects for 7 to 10 days. I never had any!! and it's a pill!! If your not on LDN what’s holding you back?!! I live in Alberta Canada. hugs to you my friend! Take Care, Vickie
Update: I have been on LDN since Feb 4th 2010 at 3mg and I can now jump up and down and kick butts too!! My GP hadn’t seen me since starting it so I went to visit him and he is amazed at my improvement!! And he is now willing to prescribe it to others, YAHOO! Can’t wait to see my neuro and show him what I can do now!!
Crystal's MS, TM & LDN Website
http://www.crystalsmstmldn.org
LDNNOW Website
http://www.ldnaware.org/
LDN Website
http://www.ldninfo.org/
Ps. I have been in remission from my Breast Cancer since Oct of 2006, so the chemo did a great job there but it did nothing for my MS!!
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