Low Dose Naltrexone And Depression

Naltrexone is a medication that can be used for the treatment of opioid violations and alcohol addiction. The research that was conducted in order to study the action of this drug showed that naltrexone can also be taken within the patients suffering from severe depression.

As a result of the research, it was found that taking the drug naltrexone can help to reduce depression. The patients participating in the research were people, who had depression and took antidepressants. It was set up that the severity of depression was reduced within the patients taking naltrexone. The results of the research were published in the Journal of Affective Disorders in January 2017.

The author of this study was David Mischoulon, a medical specialist of the Massachusetts Hospital and one of the specialists of the Harvard Medical School. He was the leader of the group that studied a variety of ways to treat severe depression. The group studied the action mechanism and the effect of antidepressant medications, as well as the mechanisms that contribute to the development of depression. Initially, the LDN drug was patented as the drug indicated for the treatment of restless legs syndrome (RLS), but during the treatment of patients with RLS taking LDN, it was found that LDN also positively affects suppression of depression.

One of the mechanisms of the low dose naltrexone medication is dopamine. It is a neurotransmitter, which is associated with the regulation of human mood and helps to reduce depression.

The studies, connected with LDN, have also shown that if a patient suffers from depression and takes antidepressants that work with dopaminergic mechanisms, the additional use of LDN in combination with the antidepressant drugs can help to cope with depression in a shorter period of time.

There was also a disadvantage of the research. It is connected with the fact that there were just 12 patients who participated in the study. This number of the participants is too small to make exact conclusions, concerning the LDN action mechanisms and taking it in order to treat depression. To be sure about the action of this drug during treating depression, more studies should be done, involving larger groups of participants. In the study described above, the patients used just the antidepressants, acting through dopaminergic mechanisms. This fact does not give any confidence that LDN will act positively in combination with other antidepressants, for example, with serotonergic and noradrenergic antidepressants.

Moreover, it would be useful to conduct an optimal LDN study, as the LDN medication includes a number of different dosages and they are all defined as low doses. Such a study has not previously been conducted. Therefore, some medical specialists who prescribe LDN should inform their patients about this drug and warn the patients that the therapy associated with LDN while treating depression is experimental. The patients should be aware of the potential risks before taking this medication, as the drug is not accepted in medicine, regarding the treatment of depression.

LDN can’t be bought at most pharmacies, although it can be obtained by prescription from a licensed doctor. The commercially available forms of naltrexone come in much higher doses. To get LDN, you need to bring a prescription from your doctor to the pharmacy and there the appropriate dosage form will be prepared for you. In general, LDN is available for the majority of people.