The Promise of Low Dose Naltrexone Therapy

Naltrexone is an opiate antagonist drug developed in the 1970s and approved by the FDA in 1984 for opiate and drug abuse treatment. When used at much lower doses in an off-label protocol referred to as low dose naltrexone (LDN), the drug has been shown to halt disease progression in Crohn’s disease and certain cancers, to reduce symptoms in multiple sclerosis and autism, and to improve numerous autoimmune and neurodegenerative conditions, including Parkinson’s disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Grounded in clinical and scientific research, this book describes the history of naltrexone, its potential therapeutic uses, its effects on the immune system, its pharmacological properties, and how the drug is administered. It also lists fillers and compounding pharmacies, doctors who prescribe LDN, and patient resources, and includes interviews with LDN patients and researchers.

Elaine A. Moore has worked in hospital laboratories for more than 30 years, primarily in immunohematology and toxicology. She is a freelance medical writer and laboratory consultant. For more information, visit her website at www.elaine-moore.com. She lives in Sedalia, Colorado.

Samantha Wilkinson is a patient advocate for multiple sclerosis and LDN. Through her website www.ldners.org she educates patients about current LDN research. She lives in Edmonds, Washington.

Elaine A. Moore and Samantha Wilkinson

Foreword by Yash Pal Agrawal, M.D., Ph.D.

Format: softcover (6 x 9)
Pages: 223
Bibliographic Info: 21 photos, glossary, appendix, notes, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2009
pISBN: 978-0-7864-3715-3
eISBN: 978-0-7864-5258-3
Imprint: McFarland
Series: McFarland Health Topics

Acknowledgments      vi
Foreword by Yash Pal Agrawal, M.D., Ph.D.      1
Preface      5
Introduction      7

1. The War on Drugs—A History of Naltrexone      11
2. LDN in Autoimmune Diseases      29
3. LDN in Multiple Sclerosis      45
4. LDN in Neurodegenerative Disorders      61
5. LDN in Cancer      78
6. LDN in Autism Spectrum Disorders      95
7. LDN in Wound Healing and Infections      102
8. The Immune System and LDN in HIV/AIDS      108
9. The LDN Experience: A Patient’s Guide to LDN      126
10. The Potential Benefits and Future of LDN      148

Chapter Notes      159
Glossary      167
Appendix: Clinical Trials of LDN and Related Compounds      179
Resources      189
Index      209

“Fascinating…very well researched…is a convincing and compelling medical textbook”—Suite101