Naltrexone

Kaara · January 2012

My naturopahic doctor prescribed low dose Naltrexone as a preventive for bc recurrence. He said the studies are very good and his patients taking it have had good results with few SE's.

According to the studies, it up regulates the body system between 2 am and 4 am to give a boost to the immune system, and is associated with an increase in natural killer cell population, a powerful branch of our immune system that may not be working right in some cancer patients. Further, the endorphins it induces act directly on certain tumor cells, leading to spontaneous "apoptosis" or early cell death.

It is also used to treat alcohol and drug abuse in higher doses. Has anyone else had experience with this drug for treaatment of bc?

fredntan · January 2012

I've heard of this from a fellow pt, I think her natauropath prescribed it. But I asked my MO NP about it and she said. Oh you don't want to be on that. I'm curious to what others thonk

fredntan · January 2012

Bumping this up to hear from others on this

IrishInNC · February 2012

I have been on LDN for about a year and a half with absolutely NO side effects. Did your MO NP give you any reason as to why you would NOT want to take it? I started with 3mg and after several months was increased to 4.5mg where I will stay for life. It's inexpensive compared to some medications, my insurance will not pay for it and as it's a compound, I found a pharmacy in NY that will make it and mail it to me for about $20 per month. I feel we have nothing to loose by trying things that are "out of the box".

sweetbean · February 2012

I'm on LDN - I found the studies impressive and my naturopath friend recommended it highly. No side effects and it's cheap. I don't know why more people aren't doing it.

Chocolaterocks · March 2012

Hi ALL,

I just went to a medical doctor who believes in holistic medicine as a compliment to traditional medicine and rx it (4.5)? Looking for feedback?

thanks

Chocolate

ps- got a talk on the harm of chocolate except dark in moderation- so sad.

BouncingBetties · March 2012

I was on low dose Naltrexone for over two years to help control my migraines and my insomnia. My neurologist prescribed it. I had no side effects and it did seem to help with what it was prescribed for. I had heard that it would protect me against cancer but obviously it did not...I was diagnosed with stage IV metastatic breast cancer in July 2011. I had to stop taking the Naltrexone since I'm on Oxy for my pain management. I'd love to tell everyone it works but it didn't for me.

Kaara · March 2012

I am taking low dose Naltrexone every night. My ND recommended it right after my bc surgery. It seems to cause little or no SE's so I continue. The write ups on it are good.

Chocolaterocks · March 2012

Bouncing Bettie,

I am sorry that it did not work for you and appreciate you sharing your story. Not saying no yet just not sure. The best.

Kaara, can you share what else you are taking?

thanks

Chocolate

chico1 · March 2012

Wow, more things to think about. Haven't heard of Naltrexone or LDN...not sure what LDN is?? I have been taking Metformin (drug used for diabetics) as my Naturopathic Oncologist recommended 500 mg. daily for breast cancer recurrence. Have tried the AI's and tamoxifen and the side effects were just too much. Am also taking Calcium D Glucarate, and Estro Detox which contains Dim. Gave the estrogen blockers almost 2 yrs. (less 3 months). Still fill rather anxious about my decision, but decided my quality of life was more important. Any more info on Naltrexone or LDN?

Diagnosis: June 2009, IDC, 1cm, Stage1, Grade 2/3, 0 nodes, HER2+.

Anonymous · March 2012

Hi Chico, there's a yahoo group called LDN Users that's very active

http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/LDN_Users/

Also, this website: http://www.ldninfo.org/

I'm so totally with you re Tamox and AIs. I also take a combo of DIM with calcium D glucarate, will look up Estro Detox, thanks

fredntan · March 2012

would it be a waste of my time to make appt with my MO to ask about metformin? I asked the NP MO about Naltrexone before I finished chemo and she said "oh you don't want to be on that"

I'm so tired of going to doctors/making appts/copays.

Kaara · March 2012

My MO dismissed Metformin as though I were an idiot for suggesting it. My ND likes Naltrexone better because it has fewer SE's. I also take 10 mg of tamoxifen daily.

Chocolate: You asked what else I was taking. I'm taking MSM, Glutathione, Vit C, D, B, krill oil, Indole Carbinole 13C, minerals and digestive enzymes, a probiotic, and I get weekly vitamin infusions. I've recently started taking a strong vitamin formula for my macular degeneration as well. Is it helping? Who knows, but I look and feel better.

fredntan: I hear you about the doctors. I recently walked out of an app't to see a new MO because she kept me waiting for an hour and a half with no explanation. I don't need that.

Maud: Thanks for the link on LDN....I didn't know about that.

Husband11 · March 2012

Can someone point the way towards some study or studies showing the effectiveness of low dose naltrexone?

Anonymous · March 2012

There are none. It's another scam used by woo meisters to drain their marks pocketbooks. It's an opioid antagonist just like Narcan that has been used in the emergency setting successfully for decades. Narcan is pushed intravenously or down the ET tube. It works within seconds and can reverse a opioid induced respiratory arrest. Quite remarkable to see as they most always seem to come up fighting because you ruined their high. Never mind that they weren't breathing and minutes away from being clinicaly dead.

Naltrexone was developed in tablet form for the shorterm daily treatment of opioid addiction recovery. It has some success in alcoholics, also and was thought safer than antabuse but was found to be hepatoxicic in subjects with liver damage.

Naltrexone has been studied in everything from autism to cancer and has not shown much promise. There were three very weak studies in vitro showing that it may repair DNA damage but further studies could not duplicate these findings and proved nothing. However, other studies showed a smaill increase in cancer in rats being administered naltrexone.

Carcinogenesis, Mutagenesis and Impairment of FertilityThe following statements are based on the results of experiments in mice and rats. The potential carcinogenic, mutagenic and fertility effects of the metabolite 6-β-naltrexol are unknown.In a two-year carcinogenicity study in rats, there were small increases in the numbers of testicular mesotheliomas in males and tumors of vascular origin in males and females. The incidence of mesothelioma in males given Naltrexone at a dietary dose of 100 mg/kg/day (600 mg/m2/day; 16 times the recommended therapeutic dose, based on body surface area) was 6%, compared with a maximum historical incidence of 4%. The incidence of vascular tumors in males and females given dietary doses of 100 mg/kg/day (600 mg/m2/day) was 4%, but only the incidence in females was increased compared with a maximum historical control incidence of 2%. There was no evidence of carcinogenicity in a two-year dietary study with Naltrexone in male and female mice.There was limited evidence of a weak genotoxic effect of Naltrexone in one gene mutation assay in a mammalian cell line, in the Drosphilia recessive lethal assay, and in non-specific DNA repair tests with E. coli. However, no evidence of genotoxic potential was observed in a range of other in vitro tests, including assays for gene mutation in bacteria, yeast, or in a second mammalian cell line, a chromosomal aberration assay, and an assay for DNA damage in human cells. Naltrexone did not exhibit clastogenicity in an in vivo mouse micronucleus assay.http://www.drugs.com/pro/naltrexone.html http://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/index.php/low-dose-naltrexone-bogus-or-cutting-edge-science/Pseudoscientific
claimsIn addition to the known scientific uses for low dose naltrexone, there have
been a number of pseudoscientific claims on various websites (such
as "boosting" the immune system) about its use in a wide range of diseases such
as cancer, HIV and lupus, amongst others . These claims are not only
unsupported by clinical research, but are also contradictory. They claim LDN is
able to treat diseases of immune dysfunction (such as HIV) in addition
to autoimmune diseases, where improving the
immune system could make the autoimmune disease worse. Steven Novella, a noted skeptic and
professor from Yale University School of
Medicine, writes that claims of treating a wide range of diseases with
different etiologies should be a red flag to be skeptical about these claims,
which are likely to be "bogus treatment with claims that are literally too good
to be true."^[4]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Low_dose_naltrexone

CamilleL · April 2012

There aren't many studies on low dose naltrexone, but it's definitely not a scam. I have had it prescribed by two doctors and my oncologist is willing to prescribe it as well. After a year on LDN, I have many benefits from this drug---my asthma, alopecia, and eczema are gone. The drug has been around for many years, has no side effects beyond vivid dreams the first few weeks for some people, and is inexpensive. Thousands of people attest to its benefits, particularly for auto-immune deceases. I take it in conjunction with intravenous alpha lipoic acid treatments, along with Arimidex. My oncologist says I should keep doing it all because something is working---14 months at Stage 4 ILC with no symptoms and complete stability. So I would say take it on a "why not" basis---no harm, cheap, and maybe by regulating the immune system it is helping in the fight against the cancer. No one claims it is a cancer cure---but it definitely regulates the immune system and that can only be a good thing, in my opinion.

Kaara · April 2012

CamilleL: What dose do you take. I'm taking a very low dose right now and thinking of stepping it up. My ND said that I could if I wanted to. I do have dreams...I could write books from them, but they aren't bad ones. I kind of like it.

sweetbean · April 2012

I'm with Camille - I take it on a "why not" basis. My CAM MD and my ND both recommend it. I take 3mg.

Anonymous · April 2012

My MD takes it and has put a number of his patients and colleagues taking it. So I finally filled the prescription for three 50 mg pills (very cheap).

I was instructed to grind each pill with a mortar and pestal and disolve a small amount of powder in water before bed. Some people get low dose capsules made up at a compound pharmacy but this saves a boatload of money.

I'm sleeping deeper with it. He said it may take a while to slowly protect the immune system. He gave me some articles on it. Apparently there was a LDN conference recently????

fredntan · April 2012

Do you think its okay to do this with metformin and with the tamox.

Kaara · April 2012

fredntan: I'm on tamoxifen and I take the naltrexone. Truthfully, I didn't ask my MO if it was OK because I know what his answer would be:( My ND has no problem with taking the two. I am sleeping so much better and have really pleasant dreams. My energy is returning to normal. I'm waking up each day feeling like my old self, and I've been very healthy.

Anonymous · April 2012

Here's an interesting study on stress, cancer and naltrexone

Abstract

Exposure to stress has been associated with alterations in both immune function and tumor development in man and laboratory animals. In the present study, we investigated the effect of a particular type of inescapable footshock stress, known to cause an opioid mediated form of analgesia, on survival time of female Fischer 344 rats injected with a mammary ascites tumor. Rats subjected to inescapable footshock manifested an enhanced tumor growth indicated by a decreased survival time and decreased percent survival. This tumor enhancing effect of stress was prevented by the opiate antagonist, naltrexone, suggesting a role for endogenous opioid peptides in this process. In the absence of stress, naltrexone did not affect tumor growth.

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0196978183900104

I don't know if my onc will prescribe (pretty stubborn guy) but I'll show him the studies and if I may print your post Camille so that he is aware that other oncs prescribe it. Thanks

Not only does LDN help with this issue but with fibromyalgia and a host of other conditions. Sounds almost too good to be true !

Heidi207 · May 2012

I've been doing some research on LDN for breats cancer and the information seems pretty positive. I meet with my doctor next weekand will aks her to prescribe it. However, it IS an FDA approved drug and can be ordered online (cheaply) through Canada.

Some good resources I've found for info are:

http://www.ldninfo.org/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DAZ1fQKdOC8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xr-n8jMLenU&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bOekLFIvR7I&feature=related

fredntan · May 2012

Thanks for bringing the info back on my radar. Going to see docs next week. Oh joy

Heidi207 · May 2012

Have just started on the LDN a few days ago at 2.5mg. So far no apparent side effects. I'm curious as to how long it takes to feel the benefits? What was your experience? How long before you noticed a difference?

Kaara · May 2012

Heidi54: I've been on this LDN for about 5 months and don't really notice much of anything. It's supposed to be an immune system booster so don't know if you would actually "feel" any benefit...unless it's that you don't get sick as much. I've had no colds or anything else since I started taking this along with numerous supplements. I do notice that I dream a lot more at night which is what the ND said might happen, but they are pleasant dreams.

sweetbean · May 2012

I haven't noticed any changes. As for not getting sick, I did get a horrible stomach flu in March, but otherwise have been healthy. That was the worst I have felt in YEARS - and I had cancer!

Tillycat · May 2012

I was taking LDN for about a year (I was already stage iv)

I had quite a lot of bone pain and agreed to take oromorph for it - LDN and oromorph really did not mix well!! I felt like I was 'tripping' for about 24hours - twitchy, buzzy, waking nightmares. It was horrid and very scary.

I still need the oromorph (it's less harsh than most pain killers on my poor damaged liver) so I have stopped taking the LDN. Shame really as I am sure it did help.

Melissa

HealingDreams · May 2012

I took LDN, low dose naltrexone, for about a month for my auto-immune disorder. There are amazing testimonials about its effects, for example, with MS. One of these testimonials is a TED talk.

Unfortunately, for me all it did was interfere with sleep and trigger a flare. A terrible outcome.

When I went in to see my new rheumatologist, I told her about my experience. She said that I was the third person that week who had told her that LDN had triggered a flare. These are the testimonials that don't make it onto TED.

I didn't know at the time that I had breast cancer.

MsBliss · June 2012

Black Cat, the dosages described in the posted extract are 30 to 300 times the recommended dosages adjusted for BSA and do not proscribe to the low dose model of low dose naltrexone as a therapeutic agent. There are no validated studies that have shown low dose naltrexone to be carcinogenic. But when a compound is used in such high concentrations in a study it makes me wonder what the real purpose of the study was about. Even water can be made to appear toxic or lethal in extremely high doses.

Kaara · June 2012

I continue to take it at the low dose levels...about 7 months now, and so far so good. I feel very healthy and have a lot of energy. All my recent tests were NED. I'm taking tamoxifen as well and feel that I'm not having the SE's reported by others, which might be offset by my supplementation program.

Naltrexone

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