7 Potential Benefits of LDN Explored

Chances are that you may have already heard of LDN or low-dose naltrexone prescription stories that tell of its effectiveness in the treatment and management of a wide range of seemingly unrelated medical conditions. LDN, based mostly on anecdotal evidence, may be an effective alternative treatment for medical conditions such as autoimmune diseases, chronic pain, Parkinson’s disease, and chronic fatigue. Although studies about the effectiveness of LDN are still ongoing, positive reviews from its growing number or users continue to increase.

Low-dose Naltrexone: What Is It?

As its name implies, LDN is a low-dose administration of a substance called naltrexone. Developed in the early 1960s, naltrexone was synthesized in a small pharmaceutical company based in New York City. The substance was characterized by Blumberg, Dayton and Wolf in 1965 and was found to properties that counteracts the psychoactive effects of opioids. Within the next few decades, the United States Food and Drug Administration approved the use of naltrexone for the treatment of opioid addiction and alcohol dependence. Naltrexone, in 50-milligram (mg) doses, has since been proven effective in counteracting overdoses of opiates like heroin and morphine.


A couple of decades ago, a number of studies suggested that the administration of naltrexone in small doses might have important medical uses. Doses from 1.5mg to not more than 5mg have shown effectiveness in treating or at least mitigating the symptoms associated with some debilitating medical conditions. LDN, as the studies suggest, can influence the immune system and regulate it to mitigate and even eliminate the symptoms of chronic and degenerative conditions.

The Benefits of LDN 

To date, the exact mechanism of action of LDN is yet to be determined. However, experts theorize that its ability to counteract the effect of opioids also give it its curative and therapeutic properties for a number of conditions. The current hypothesis is that by inhibiting opioids receptors with small doses of naltrexone, the body is stimulated to release more endorphins, which in turn regulates the body’s immune system response.

Higher levels of endorphins in the system and by regulating the body’s immune system, LDN administration may have the following benefits:

●    Fewer flare-ups: Users with multiple sclerosis and other autoimmune diseases report reduced episodes of flare-ups
●    Slows down multiple sclerosis progression: LDN users with multiple sclerosis also report that it slows down the progression of the disease like traditional medications minus its unpleasant side effects
●    Immune system regulation: LDN has shown effectiveness in stopping the immune system from attacking healthy cells
●    Reduces fatigue
●    Improves mood and helps manage anxiety disorders
●    Helps manage pain

Where Can You Get LDN?

Is LDN legal? Using LDN is not against the law, and its administration is categorized as being off-label. However, LDN is not the type of medication that you can buy over the counter from your neighborhood pharmacy. Since LDN is a compounded medication, you can only buy it from compounding pharmacies.

It will be a good idea to purchase LDN from a reputable and established compounding pharmacy to ensure that you’re getting genuine and high-quality products. Keep in mind that LDN use does have some side effects, and it doesn’t go well with certain drugs. It will be a good idea to consult your physician before you start dosing with LDN.

This is a guest blog entry.