Low Dose Naltrexone for Cancer

Naltrexone is a drug that blocks opiate receptors. It is used in people at higher doses to help them with opiate addiction. BUT at Low Doses, it has proven to be very helpful for animals and people with Cancer, and other diseases.

The theory behind low dose naltrexone is that by giving a tiny dose at bedtime, we briefly block the production of endorphins just when they are expected to peak. This causes extra secretion of endorphin stimulating factor and results in higher endorphin levels in the patient.

Endorphins help control pain and focus the immune response to better attack invaders while lessening the likelihood of attacking one’s own cells. This has been used to help palliate chronic arthritis pain in pets who do not tolerate other medications, to assist in treating some immune mediated disorders, and to help slow the growth of some cancers.

Naltrexone Use in Veterinary Medicine

Naltrexone has been a mainstay in veterinary medicine, used to reverse reactions to and overdose of opiates by blocking opioid receptors. It is also used for the treatment of recurring, compulsive animal behavior disorders such as tail-chasing and self-mutilation such as acral lick dermatitis.

Many More Uses for Naltrexone in Animals when Given as a Low Dose

Based on the positive experiences of pet owners in using low-dose naltrexone (LDN) themselves, many opted to try it on their pets who had similar conditions. It is currently being used in animals to help lessen the pain of chronic arthritis, to treat some autoimmune disorders and to help slow the growth of some tumors. Good results have been reported in treating lymphoma, adenomas, nasal/sinus cancer, inflammatory bowel disease, degenerative myelopathy and others.

The dose of LDN is based on the weight of the animal and must be prepared by a compounding pharmacy. It has been found that giving dogs LDN at night works best, whilst for cats morning doses are more effective since they tend to be nocturnal animals. Many pet owners find it easier to administer LDN as a liquid. In this case, it usually needs to be mixed with a flavoring as it is quite bitter.

Here is one study showing the benefits of LDN for Animals with Cancer

LDN Added to Chemotherapy Increases Survival in Dogs, Oct. 2018

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of low-dose naltrexone (LDN) as a carboplatin chemotherapy-associated drug in female dogs with mammary carcinoma in benign mixed tumors (MC-BMT) after mastectomy and to assess its association with quality of life and survival rates.

The results showed higher serum concentrations of beta-endorphin and met-enkephalin, fewer chemotherapy-related side effects, and better quality of life and survival rates in the LDN-treated groups than in LDN-untreated groups (P < 0.05). Evaluation of clinical and pathological parameters indicated a significant association between the use of LDN and both prolonged survival and enhanced quality of life. These results indicate that LDN is a viable chemotherapy-associated treatment in female dogs with MC-BMT, maintaining their quality of life and prolonging survival rates.

Side Effects

LDN is well tolerated in most patients and limited further when a patient is started on a start low and go-slow method. This means the patient should be started at a low dose and titrated up slowly. When side effects occur, they are usually mild and include:

● Sleep disturbances

● Mild headache

● Mild agitation

● Nausea/GI effects - consider switching to liquid sublingual LDN to bypass GI tract

It has been found in patients that experienced side effects, that they can be stopped by decreasing the dose by half for 2-3 days, and then continuing with titration again.

Dosing

Starting doses can be anywhere from 0.5 mg to 1.5 mg, and is increased up to 4.5 mg; which is the maximum dose for Low Dose Naltrexone. Specifically for cancer patients, the dose should be a goal daily for at least 7 days before starting an "on/off cycle"

Small animals (cats, gerbils, rats, and such) can safely use 0.5 mg to 1.5 mg per day.

Medium to large animals (dogs) can safely use 3.0 to 4.5 mg per day.

Cancer Regimen

● An "on/off cycle" consists of 3 days on and 3 days off LDN

● The 3 days off should fall directly before chemotherapy treatment. Although there are no known contraindications with chemotherapy, it is recommended to avoid use together until further research is completed

It has been seen in some cancer patients, that taking a CBD product on the 3 days off increases the anti-tumor effect of LDN