Naltrexone is a medication that was originally approved by the FDA in the 1980s for the maintenance of heroin and opioid dependencies. For these applications, the recommended dose was 50 mg daily. Naltrexone functions by blocking opioid receptors and consequently affecting 2 hormones produced in our body: beta-endorphin and metenkephalin.
A US medical doctor, Bernard Bihari, MD soon discovered that lesser dosages of naltrexone (example: 3 mg / day) had immune enhancer qualities and may help HIV positive patients to combat the infection. Later on Dr. Bihari successfully tested low dose naltroxene (LDN) for cancer and autoimmune disorders. An investigation published in 2003 in the New England Journal of Medicine, found that opioids may modify the progression, differentiation, and functionality of immune system cells, therefore supporting the benefits of low dose naltrexone for conditions that impact the immune system.
Other research studies performed in humans, revealed further details on the advantages of LDN for cancer. These reviews indicated that the rise of endorphin and enkephalin levels created by this drug impacts the tumors’ opioid receptors and maybe even cause the death of cancerous cells. It is also shown that LDN works like a natural painkiller and strengthens the body’s defense mechanisms against cancer. Currently, a dosage of 4.5 mg/day when going to bed is considered optimal.
Dr. Bihari, along with additional physicians and researchers found low dose naltrexone to be actually advantageous for the following types of cancers: breast cancer, colon and rectal cancer, carcinoid, bladder cancer, glioblastoma, liver cancer, lung cancer, neuroblastoma, malignant melanoma, ovarian cancer, pancreatic cancer, prostate cancer, uterine cancer, throat cancer, renal cell carcinoma and blood/lymphatic system cancers such as Hodgkin’s and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, lymphocytic leukemia, and multiple myeloma.
Low dose naltrexone additionally has a corresponding effect with traditional anti-cancer drugs, identifies the result of a newly released study, posted in the July 2011 installment of “Experimental Biology and Medicine.” In this particular study, conducted in animal subjects, researchers found that administration of naltrexone over six hours every second day, lowered the development of DNA and replication of malignant cells of the ovaries. Furthermore, naltrexone combined with the chemo drug, Cisplatin, exhibited a strengthened anticancer action. Interestingly, low dose naltrexone also reduced the toxicity linked with Cisplatin. Based upon this research, the authors recommended that low dose naltrexone may be a non-toxic and powerful therapy which may help individuals identified with ovarian cancer.
Several case reviews performed in sufferers with late stages of pancreatic cancer suggest that low dose naltrexone can be utilized in conjunction with intravenous alpha-lipoic acid, as an ancillary therapy for this particular type of cancer. Alpha-lipoic acid is an anti-oxidant which is made by the body and is located in every cell, and is also available in supplement form. Once again, no adverse or toxic responses were reported during the treatment with LDN and alpha-lipoic acid.
Speak with your physician regarding the possibility of using low dose naltrexone and discover even more about its advantages and safety. Beside its utilization as an adjuvant treatment for cancer, LDN shows promise in the management of other diseases like Alzheimer’s disease, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, Lupus, fibromyalgia and Crohn’s disease.
References:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21685240
http://www.lowdosenaltrexone.org/index.htm#What_is_low_dose_naltrexone
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20042414
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