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Low-dose Naltrexone for lower back pain
I have had low back pain for several years. It is at its worst when I get up in the morning. The only med that is currently working is tramadol 100 mg. If I take it when I get up and then use cold and heat on my back occasionally throughout the day and perhaps lie down with my legs propped up I can manage the pain though it does not go away. I want to get off tramadol and any other opioids. After reading online about low-dose Naltrexone being effective as an off-label use, I found a doctor who was familiar with it and got a prescription from a compounding pharmacy. I haven't taken it yet as the doctor said I should not take it along with tramadol. Also, tramadol works in 1-2 hours whereas I have read that Naltrexone may take many days, and I don't know how long I want to go without the tramadol while I am waiting to see if the Naltrexone will be effective in relieving the lower back pain. I would like to hear if anyone has experience with low-dose Naltrexone for lower back pain relief.
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I do not understand why they would give you Naltrexone. It's for Opioid withdrawals. That's crazy. Who gave that to you and why? I look up every medication I get now since I got one from a Doctor that I trusted and it threw me for a loop.
It's not for pain at all. It's for Opioid overdose. Look into it further please.
Thanks luv. Interesting. I take Suboxone which is 4 parts buprenorphine to 1 part naltrexone. I have never heard of naltrexone being used for pain management but I certainly believe you. and yes, naltrexone will keep opiates from working, one reason it is prescribed to people in recovery, like me. I think of it as a kinder/gentler Antabuse!
I'm sorry about your lower back pain. There could be many causes. Have you tried physical therapy? Usually when my back is sore, I've pulled or strained a muscle in the gym and that strain then creates a spasm in the back. That's where the pain come from. But that's acute and your pain sounds chronic. I hope you find some relief. Thanks again for the info.
Low dose Naltrexone (LDN) is used for pain. My functional medicine doctor recently started me on it. Works on inflammation and where there is pain, there is inflammation. It has other benefits too, such as immune system. You start low and gradually build up.
Thanks this is all very interesting. And yes, reducing inflammation also reduces pain and soreness. I didn't know it benefitted the immune system. Again I've been taking it for years because it's a part of Suboxone. Didn't know there were other benefits beyond making opiates ineffective.
Hey Joe, Here’s an article on a study re LDN with immune related disease and cancer therapy if you’re interested.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29885638/
I read of so many problems with batteries rupturing etc esp at the spero clinic website, I've had 4 back surgeries, I'm in constant pain. I'm fortunately allergic to all opioids! and have would have surgery again before every allowing a scs. But I also have CRPS and nobody cuts into my body unless they have to.
And i'd still much rather have somethings fixed via surgery than this installed? So many things go wrong, can go wrong. (And my BIL has one. He started complaining of pain again and everyone just figure it was his scs failing,, etc. They opened him up again and it turned out he had a malignant tumor of his spine -nothing to do with tbe scs except its supposed to be the last thing done, not the first! And they ignored his cancer pain because they thought it was more of the same. I get concerned about that for myself. What about if its not just more if the same?
I hate when pain doctors jump to doing this as they aren't surgeons so SCS is the last thing they can do. Go back to your back dr. Second opinion from ortho AND neuro! Read aboit terrible sequelae of SCS. Due diligence is in us. Go to spero clinic website. Watch youtubes.
Many drugs are used off-label these days. Doctors gave me heart medicine, anti-depressants and anti-seizure medicine for my daily persistent headache. None worked and I look like a drug addict now when you look at my chart.
Same here. I'm prescribed a bipolar drug to basically "stabilize" my mood, but the real reason is that it helps me sleep. That simple. Fortunately I'm not bipolar.
But damn every time I go in to see my PCP or a specialist, it takes the nurse a long time to read through the list of my meds on my chart. Are they all really necessary? They just kinda piled up over the years.
Thank you! It's interesting because I've been taking it for years as part of Suboxone. The primary use is to stop someone from abusing buprenorphine, which is hard to do anyway. Suboxone is a deterrent for opioid abuse (I'm sober 12 years now and still use it.). But naltrexone or naloxone used alone can save the life of someone who ODs on opiates.
I recently had both knees replaced and had to rely on Celebrex and then Tylenol for pain. A nerve block was also used for a few days. But I never had a real problem with the pain from what is a traumatic procedure. Maybe it was the naltrexone!