This articles's author Brad White, R.Ph
Working as a pharmacist in New Philadelphia for the last 20 years has provided me with an opportunity to meet and learn from thousands of patients. There have been a lot of opportunities to help improve the quality of life of patients, and those experiences have been very rewarding both personally and professionally. There are also those occasions when you are standing across from a person who is so desperate for help, for a solution, for anything that can ease their pain or make them feel better. Those are the challenging times that you wish you had the power and the knowledge to provide a remedy for what ails them.
Just last week I traveled to an educational pharmacy conference that shared developing research on a variety of topics in medicine, and one topic has me really excited! It is called Low Dose Naltrexone (LDN).
What Are Common Health Conditions That LDN Therapy Has Shown Benefits?
Cancer
Crohn’s Disease
Fibromyalgia
Multiple Sclerosis
Anti-Inflammatory
AIDS/HIV
Complex Regional Pain Syndrome
Posttraumatic Stress
Psoriasis and Eczema
Over the last several years there has been an explosion in research on LDN to treat a variety of autoimmune diseases. PubMed, a literature repository for the US National Library of Medicine, lists 230 published studies from respected academic organizations like Stanford, Harvard, Penn State, Brown University and the Mayo Clinic. LDN is most commonly used to treat Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue, Multiple Sclerosis, Psoriasis, and Autoimmune Thyroid Diseases. Additional research is being conducted on over 100 other health conditions.
What is LDN and How Does It Work?
Low-dose Naltrexone (LDN) therapy was developed in 1985 by Dr. Bernard Bihari, a Doctor of Internal Medicine, Psychiatry and Neurology. Dr. Bihari found that AIDS patients had 20% of the normal endorphin levels of healthy patients. Dr. Bihari’s key discovery was that 1% of the normal dose of naltrexone caused an unusual effect of a 300% increase in endorphin levels!
Endorphins are chemicals that interact with receptors in your brain that reduce the perception of pain. Endorphins also trigger a positive feeling in the body, often described as euphoric. This feeling can be accompanied by a positive and energizing outlook on life and a sense of well-being resulting in less pain. Low levels of endorphins are associated with the opposite effect: physical and emotional pain and depressed feelings. Naltrexone has several mechanisms of action that have an effect on opioid receptors that are distributed throughout the brain, spinal cord, nervous system, and digestive tract. LDN appears to enhance immune function and improve the inflammatory reaction.
Why Haven’t I Heard About This Before?
Naltrexone was patented in 1967 approved by the FDA in 1984 for heroin addiction using a 50mg dose and in 1995 the FDA approved it for treatment of alcoholism. Dr. Bihari’s creative application of a medication that is not controlled by a pharmaceutical company has provided a platform for hundreds of independent research projects that may benefit millions of patients worldwide.
The mechanism of action increases endorphin release, and it appears these endorphins can modulate the immune response. More research needs to be done but LDN appears to have promising benefits in a variety of health conditions. On the other hand, higher doses like 50mg doses appear to overwhelm the receptors and negate the immune system effects.
How Is LDN Therapy Initiated?
LDN is a prescription therapy that requires you to work with a physician and your pharmacist. Your doctor will generally begin therapy at a low dose and increase gradually over several weeks until your condition has stabilized and you are side effect free. Doses start generally at 0.5mg and slowly titrate up depending on your health condition and side effect tolerance. Because a pharmaceutical company does not make LDN, prescriptions can only be filled by an accredited and licensed compounding pharmacy.
What Are The Side Effects?
The most common side effects of LDN are sleep disturbances, often due to endorphin response, vivid dreams, or insomnia. Side effects generally resolve in four to seven days. Only 10% of the cases reported side effects for more than a week.
LDN has great potential with clinical research to support multiple immuno-modulated disease states. It is non-toxic and has a low side effect profile. It can be dosed both orally and topically and there is evidence to support use.
LDN doesn’t work for everyone and the slow titration in dose schedule is important, your pharmacist can work with you and your physician to help you achieve the optimal outcome. If you are in a position where you have tried multiple therapies and specialists searching for a solution to your health problems, then LDN may be an option you should learn more about. LDN is a cost effective therapy that promises to evolve in the next decade as more research is done to evaluate the benefits.
How Can I Learn More?
The Medicine Center Pharmacy in New Philadelphia is your resource in Northeast Ohio for LDN information. Brad White R.Ph. is a graduate of Purdue University School of Pharmacy and has experience with customized medication solutions and operates the only PCAB Accredited Compounding Pharmacy in East Central Ohio.
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Are you 50? Time to get tested and prevent colorectal cancer When she was 55 years old, Valerie B. made a promise to a total stranger. It may have saved her life.
“I was sitting in the doctor’s office for a mammogram,” the Atlanta woman says. “A lady there said she recently learned she had colon cancer. I knew nothing about it; nobody had ever told me to go get a colon test done. That woman in the doctor’s office urged me to get tested. I promised her I would. And I did.”
She made an appointment right away. During the test, Valerie’s doctor found and removed six polyps (abnormal growths) in her colon. Three were precancerous, meaning there was a good chance they could have turned into cancer if they had not been removed. “The doctor was really glad I was there,” she says. “He said ‘Why did you wait so long?’”
Screening is recommended for men and women beginning at age 50 and continuing until age 75. Among men and women combined, colorectal cancer is the second leading cancer killer in the United States. But it doesn’t have to be. Screening helps prevent the disease by finding polyps, so they can be removed before they turn into cancer. Polyps don’t always cause symptoms, so you may not know you have them. That is why getting a screening test is so important.
For 52-year-old Randy Talley, the path to screening was different, but the results were similar. His doctor strongly recommended that he get checked for colorectal cancer when he was 50. Polyps ran in his family—his mother had them— and both Randy and his mother had irritable bowel syndrome, a condition that can raise a person’s risk of getting colorectal cancer. Plus, he was at the age when screening is recommended.
It turned out that Randy had five polyps, all in an early, noncancerous stage. They were removed. “This testing is recommended for a good reason,” the Washington, DC, resident says. “You either experience a little discomfort with the test now, or you could face something a lot worse later in life, if you get colon cancer. So if you’re 50 or older, my advice is to get screened now. I am completely glad I got screened.”
There are several screening tests: colonoscopy, high-sensitivity fecal occult blood testing, and sigmoidoscopy. If you’re 50 or older, talk to your doctor about which is right for you.
Valerie, now 60, is a cheerleader for getting screened. “After my colonoscopy, all I did that year was talk to people and tell my story. I found that five family members over 50 weren’t tested. I begged them to go, and they all went.”
Most insurance plans and Medicare cover screening without a deductible or co-pay.
To learn more about colorectal cancer and screening, visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC’s) Web site for Screen for Life: National Colorectal Cancer Action Campaign at www.cdc.gov/ScreenForLife
It seems like there is a pharmacy on every corner; either free-standing or inside a grocery store or big box chain. Believe it or not, there are roughly 67,000 pharmacies in the United States.
Pharmacies continue to take a bigger role in healthcare. Overall that is great news for you because the pharmacy isn’t just about filling pill bottles. Pharmacies continue to offer more comprehensive services – everything from making sure that the medicine you take is right for you for preventative care and health monitoring.
These services make it more important than ever to have the right pharmacy and to make a change if you aren’t satisfied with the role your pharmacy is playing in your health care. Here are some of the top 5 reasons to consider switching pharmacies:
- Limited Prescription Packaging – does your pharmacy only offer traditional bottles? Do you ever forget to take your medication? The Medicine Center Pharmacy offers several choices. Bottles, blister packs or individual packets are offered so you can tell at a glance if a dose has been taken or missed.
- Waiting for Prescriptions – Keeping customers waiting is actually part of the marketing strategy at some stores! The Medicine Center Pharmacy offers prompt 15 minute prescription processing and voice or text alerts to let you know when your prescription is ready.
- No Delivery – The Medicine Center Pharmacy offers free prescription delivery within certain geographic limits.
- Lack of Specialized Dosing or Compounding – The Medicine Center is an accredited compounding pharmacy able to make specialized doses or products.
- No Preventative Care – The Medicine Center Pharmacy offers immunizations, low cost blood screenings for blood glucose, thyroid, cholesterol and A1C tests on a regular basis.
Switching pharmacies is easy! Let your pharmacist handle the transfers and you’ll be on the road to better health with the convenience of the Medicine Center Pharmacy.
February is Heart Health Month. During this month, the Medicine Center Pharmacy encourages our patients and our community to take practical steps to heart health. A few suggestions include:
- Eating Healthier
- Increasing Physical Activity
- Managing Stress
If you have questions about heart health, we encourage you to talk to your doctor and pharmacist. The American Heart Association lists many ideas on how to live healthier - check out the link below.
Heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women in the United States. The good news? It is also one of the most preventable. Making heart-healthy choices, knowing your family health history and the risk factors for heart disease, having regular check-ups and working with your physician to manage your health are all integral aspects of saving lives from this often silent killer. FEBRUARY IS HEART HEALTH MONTH. Make a difference in your community by spreading the word about strategies for preventing heart disease and encouraging those around you to have their hearts check and commit to heart-healthy lives.
from http://www.theheartfoundation.org/heart-disease-facts/heart-awareness-month/
The continual process of managing diabetes can be cumbersome, time consuming, expensive and frustrating. Research and technology has improved the tools to be less invasive and more convenient and has also created less expensive items options. Meters and strips are available from many manufacturers, all using technology that accurately measure your blood sugar. Many people stay with one manufacturer and pay whatever price this company charges for their supplies. Some find less expensive options by talking with their doctor or pharmacist.
It is important to be diligent and consistent in monitoring and treating diabetes. We encourage everyone to ask there pharmacist how they can make it easier for you to continue managing your diabetes by finding more convenient, less expensive or alternative methods to monitor the condition.
At our pharmacies, we offer EasyMax meters and test strips. We have found these to be an excellent value, especially in the long term. Strips are a daily expense that can quickly add up. EasyMax strips cost only 16 cents each, saving you money everytime you choose EasyMax over more expensive compititors.
Sources:
http://www.diabetes.org/advocacy/news-events/cost-of-diabetes.html
http://www.diabetes.org/living-with-diabetes/treatment-and-care/blood-glucose-control/checking-your-blood-glucose.html
http://www.diabetesforecast.org/2012/jul/anatomy-of-a-test-strip.html
Are you or someone you love diabetic?
Stop by one of our Diabetes events to see how we can improve your life!
January 24: New Philadelphia
Autoimmune diseases are a complex group of conditions in which the immune system mistakenly attacks healthy cells and tissues. While treatment options exist to manage symptoms, there is no known cure for autoimmune diseases. However, recent research has shed light on the potential benefits of Low Dose Naltrexone (LDN) in managing these conditions. In this blog post, we'll explore some of the latest research findings on the use of LDN in autoimmune diseases.