Low Dose Naltrexone (LDN)

Description

Low dose naltrexone (LDN) means taking a dose of naltrexone that is up to one-tenth, or 10%, of the dose that is usually taken for opioid addiction. A low dose of naltrexone is approximately 4.5mg of naltrexone a day compared with the usual dosage of naltrexone for opioid addiction which is 50mg to 100mg a day.. Using low dose naltrexone for these conditions is “off-label” (which means it hasn’t been approved by the FDA but it is still a recognized use.. Tell your doctor or other health care provider of any recent use of opioids or any history of opioid dependence before starting low dose naltrexone to avoid having an opioid withdrawal. Your doctor may require that you pass a naloxone challenge test and/or a urine screen for opioids prior to low dose naltrexone use. . If you have been taking opioids of any kind, allow at least 7 days after your last dose of short-acting opioids or 10 to 14 days after your last dose of long-acting opioids to pass before starting low dose naltrexone.. If you are on opioids long term for conditions such as chronic fatigue and do not want to stop them, then you cannot take low dose naltrexone.. Low dose tramadol (50mg two to three times daily) does not appear to cause problems with low dose naltrexone, according to some sources.. Low dose naltrexone should also be stopped at least 7 days before surgery.. The long term side effects of low dose naltrexone are unknown because research has not investigated what happens to people who take the medication long term. However, naltrexone has a long history of safe use when used to treat opioid addiction.