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The use of low-dose naltrexone (LDN) as a novel anti-inflammatory treatment for chronic pain
- Source :
- Clinical Rheumatology
- Publication Year :
- 2014
- Publisher :
- Springer London, 2014.
-
Abstract
- Low-dose naltrexone (LDN) has been demonstrated to reduce symptom severity in conditions such as fibromyalgia, Crohn’s disease, multiple sclerosis, and complex regional pain syndrome. We review the evidence that LDN may operate as a novel anti-inflammatory agent in the central nervous system, via action on microglial cells. These effects may be unique to low dosages of naltrexone and appear to be entirely independent from naltrexone’s better-known activity on opioid receptors. As a daily oral therapy, LDN is inexpensive and well-tolerated. Despite initial promise of efficacy, the use of LDN for chronic disorders is still highly experimental. Published trials have low sample sizes, and few replications have been performed. We cover the typical usage of LDN in clinical trials, caveats to using the medication, and recommendations for future research and clinical work. LDN may represent one of the first glial cell modulators to be used for the management of chronic pain disorders.
- Subjects :
- Oncology
Glial cell modulators
medicine.medical_specialty
Fibromyalgia
Anti-Inflammatory Agents
Chronic pain
Review Article
Pharmacology
Naltrexone
Rheumatology
Internal medicine
medicine
Humans
business.industry
Multiple sclerosis
General Medicine
Low-dose naltrexone
medicine.disease
Clinical trial
Complex regional pain syndrome
Opioid
Microglia
Anti-inflammatory
business
Neuroglia
medicine.drug
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 14349949 and 07703198
- Volume :
- 33
- Issue :
- 4
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- Clinical Rheumatology
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....ce680105a24b7b6e5f6dec8a741c743c