Very Low Dose Naltrexone. -
Information on the use of Low Dose Naltrexone in the treatment of dogs, cats, horses and other pets. Known by the acronym LDN, this is a "low dose" form of therapy utilizing the FDA approved drug Naltrexone for the "off label" treatment of immune related disorders. The mechanism of action appears to involve an immune modulating or balancing effect of various components of the immune system mediated through an effect on Endorphin levels.
Naltrexone was approved by the FDA in 1984. It is legally available to be prescribed by physicians and veterinarians for any purpose. When given to humans in low doses, Naltrexone increases the body's production of endorphins. Endorphins are hormones, produced by the body, which help maintain and regulate the immune system. There is a growing body of information reporting the effectiveness of LDN in the treatment of a wide range of immune related and auto-immune disorders. It has been in use in this manner for over 20 years.
In developing Naltrexone for full dose use toxicity testing in rats, rabbits, dogs and monkeys determined that at therapeutic levels Naltrexone was non-toxic and had very few side effects. However obtaining FDA approval for the Low Dose regimen will require funding that due to the present out of patent or generic status of the drug will be difficult to obtain from any pharmaceutical company. Some privately funded pilot studies have been conducted and show much promise. More extensive studies are needed and funding continues to be sought by advocates of LDN.
Naltrexone was approved by the FDA in 1984. It is legally available to be prescribed by physicians and veterinarians for any purpose. When given to humans in low doses, Naltrexone increases the body's production of endorphins. Endorphins are hormones, produced by the body, which help maintain and regulate the immune system. There is a growing body of information reporting the effectiveness of LDN in the treatment of a wide range of immune related and auto-immune disorders. It has been in use in this manner for over 20 years.
In developing Naltrexone for full dose use toxicity testing in rats, rabbits, dogs and monkeys determined that at therapeutic levels Naltrexone was non-toxic and had very few side effects. However obtaining FDA approval for the Low Dose regimen will require funding that due to the present out of patent or generic status of the drug will be difficult to obtain from any pharmaceutical company. Some privately funded pilot studies have been conducted and show much promise. More extensive studies are needed and funding continues to be sought by advocates of LDN.
http://www.lowdosenaltrexone.com/ and check on PubMed, there are many studies using LDN for endorphin increase that then increased immunity. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?term=Low%20Dose%20Naltrexone%20cancer
I give Lucy 3mg at bedtime. I will give more info on Low Dose Naltrexone for dog cancer shortly. Ask me any questions in the meantime.
You will have to print these articles on Low Dose Naltrexone treatments and do Google research yourself to be able to convince your vet to write a prescription for this. They will not have heard of it and if they look it up just by drug name, they will be confused why you are wanting to give a old med used for treatment of drug addicts to a dog with cancer. The focus needs to be on "Low Dose Naltrexone for the treatment of Cancer" and such. This will be a tuff sell but if you can show them the research and talk smartly about this with conviction, you should be able to get them to write a prescription for 50mg pills that you that you can pick up at your drugstore. Just crush the 50mg pill using a pill crusher and put in 50ml of distilled water and shake before every use. Just give 2 or 3 ml at bed daily using a baby medicine dropper in a small snack. Did you know that vets by law (and dentists actually) can write a prescription for anything that may help a patient! Geez, the dog has cancer, what can it hurt to give a very LOW dose of something to try.
Here is a quote that just came in:
"Hi Gary,
Just wanted to report to you that I am starting to think the low dose naltrexone might be a "miracle drug"! The first week Lily was on it, things didn't go too well. In fact, her symptoms seemed worse and she was "wired" at night, VERY wired. But I had read that in the beginning, things might get worse before they get better, so I was keeping my fingers crossed. And sure enough, after that first week, things started to settle down and in the past few days, it seems like things are improving markedly. Lily seems much less congested, her breathing is much better, when she has a nosebleed, it is brief and the secretions are much thinner, not the thick, sticky stuff. She isn't choking in the night, which she had been doing nightly since February!
It may be premature, Gary but...I am starting to get my hopes up that Lily may be around for quite a while! :-)
Best regards,
Cathy."
ARTICLE 1
LOW DOSE NALTREXONE FOR CANCER
ARTICLE 2 - MORE ON LDN AND CANCER RESEARCH STUDIES
ARTICLE 3 - HOW TO GET YOUR VET TO PRESCRIBE LOW DOSE NALTREXONE
Occasionally, during the first week's use of LDN, patients may have some difficulty sleeping. This rarely persists after the first week. Should it do so, dosage can be temporarily reduced
You will have to print these articles on Low Dose Naltrexone treatments and do Google research yourself to be able to convince your vet to write a prescription for this. They will not have heard of it and if they look it up just by drug name, they will be confused why you are wanting to give a old med used for treatment of drug addicts to a dog with cancer. The focus needs to be on "Low Dose Naltrexone for the treatment of Cancer" and such. This will be a tuff sell but if you can show them the research and talk smartly about this with conviction, you should be able to get them to write a prescription for 50mg pills that you that you can pick up at your drugstore. Just crush the 50mg pill using a pill crusher and put in 50ml of distilled water and shake before every use. Just give 2 or 3 ml at bed daily using a baby medicine dropper in a small snack. Did you know that vets by law (and dentists actually) can write a prescription for anything that may help a patient! Geez, the dog has cancer, what can it hurt to give a very LOW dose of something to try.
Here is a quote that just came in:
"Hi Gary,
Just wanted to report to you that I am starting to think the low dose naltrexone might be a "miracle drug"! The first week Lily was on it, things didn't go too well. In fact, her symptoms seemed worse and she was "wired" at night, VERY wired. But I had read that in the beginning, things might get worse before they get better, so I was keeping my fingers crossed. And sure enough, after that first week, things started to settle down and in the past few days, it seems like things are improving markedly. Lily seems much less congested, her breathing is much better, when she has a nosebleed, it is brief and the secretions are much thinner, not the thick, sticky stuff. She isn't choking in the night, which she had been doing nightly since February!
It may be premature, Gary but...I am starting to get my hopes up that Lily may be around for quite a while! :-)
Best regards,
Cathy."
ARTICLE 2 - MORE ON LDN AND CANCER RESEARCH STUDIES
ARTICLE 3 - HOW TO GET YOUR VET TO PRESCRIBE LOW DOSE NALTREXONE
YOU WILL NEED TO TALK YOUR VET INTO THIS ONE.... READ LINK AND PRINT OUT ALL 3 ARTICLES FOR VET. They will not understand why this med is used in this manner at all unless you educate them. Gently...
Lucy gets 2ml to 3ml (this is the most common dose no matter weight unless very small dog - human normal dosages start at 50mg/ml so this is, well, low dosing. This is all that is needed to boost immune system) of LDN Low Dose Naltrexone prescription from measured baby medicine dropper (shake bottle first) into the above nightly PM snack that I self compounded from 50mg standard Naltrexone tablets ground into 50ml of distilled water (hey cool - it turns 50mg into 50ml for easy dosing) with a few drops of colloidal silver as preservative and refrigerate. Pharmacy area will have bottles and droppers and pill grinder.
Lucy gets 2ml to 3ml (this is the most common dose no matter weight unless very small dog - human normal dosages start at 50mg/ml so this is, well, low dosing. This is all that is needed to boost immune system) of LDN Low Dose Naltrexone prescription from measured baby medicine dropper (shake bottle first) into the above nightly PM snack that I self compounded from 50mg standard Naltrexone tablets ground into 50ml of distilled water (hey cool - it turns 50mg into 50ml for easy dosing) with a few drops of colloidal silver as preservative and refrigerate. Pharmacy area will have bottles and droppers and pill grinder.
*Occasionally, during the first week's use of LDN, patients may have some difficulty sleeping. This rarely persists after the first week. Should it do so, dosage can be temporarily reduced.
