naltrexone and hep c

[maxygirl]

is it safe to take this drug with hep c.  I need to quit wine.  It has a very good success rate.  Just wonder if it is bad on the liver.  I am not on tx yet.

[SteveHepC]

I wonder what HR thinks of HDL. It's not on his current list of supplements that he suggests for non-responders. Since my viral load is so high, which I know does not correlate to fibrosis..........I sure would like to get it down. My Hepatologist wrote me a prescription for LDN, 4.5 mg. He's mailing it to me. There is a local pharmacy that will compound it, but I'm wondering if I should mail it off to one of those that Crystal recommends.

Steve

[annieCinMD]

Try Benadryl for the insomnia. I've been using it for years, and it's not addictive. It's like the only thing you can take when your pregnant. Alcohol actually makes insomnia worse. At least that was my experience. You wake up too soon.

[fretboard]

Yes there was a post up on this forum awhile back about naltrexone being beneficial in lower doses for HepC.  Personally I took it around 15 years ago under the name of Trexan.  It used to be given by prescription at the local downtown methadone clinic, well not given for free.lol   Anyways I found a little bit of information on the subject, I haven’t read everything this article says so I hope I don’t get my a-- in a sling.lol    good luck  


Naltrexone (in the full dose) was originally FDA approved to help drug addicts. However, since that time, it has been found to have other uses, including Primary Billiary Cirrhosis, Pruritus (intense itching) caused by liver disease, etc. Once a drug is FDA approved, it can legally be prescribed for any other condition (and about 25% of drug prescriptions are used in what's considered an `off-label' manner, i.e. for a use other than the FDA approved disease). Because of the high cost of clinical trials and since Naltrexone is already FDA approved, there's little financial motivation to get further FDA approval for other disease conditions.

The use of LDN is relatively new in the medical community (within the past 20 years) and many doctors are unaware of the link between the body's own opioid receptors and the immune system, as well as how opioids and opioid antagonists can influence (either positively or negatively) the immune system. From my experience, most conventional doctors are unaware of Low Dose Naltrexone (LDN) benefit. My Conventional Gastroenterologist was using regular doses of Naltrexone to help his patients with Pruritus for severe liver conditions, but he had never used it in low doses (i.e. LDN). He was very impressed with our results and believes there is true merit in getting LDN / Hepatitis Clinical Studies.


However, it sounds like more Complimentary / Alternative Medicine (CAM) or Integrative Medicine doctors are becoming aware of LDN. For that reason, if you are interested in using LDN, I would suggest calling local CAM / Integrative doctors in your area to see if they are aware of LDN (or are open to reading about it). To find a doctor in your area, there are some resources listed in the Message (How to Find a CAM doctor - links to ACAM, Functional Medicine, FAQS). Additionally, there are lists that some of the other LDN advocates keep (off-line) on doctors who use LDN in their practice. Therefore, if you are unable to find a local doctor, please let me know and I'll put you in touch with one of LDN advocates with the prescribing doctors list.

Also, there is growing research into opioids, antagonists, immune function, as well as a few clinical studies that have already been completed regarding LDN for Crohn's / Irritable Bowel, Multiple Sclerosis, and some Cancer case studies. These are found in the Links Section of the Yahoo CAM Group (Link up in the right corner of this page), under the Treatment (CAM) - Low Dose Naltrexone (LDN) folder. Here are a couple of different folders with many links to different articles, clinical studies, and other information on LDN.



http://www.lowdosenaltrexone.org/ldn_latest_news.htm

[maxygirl]

easier said than done...I do it much less but stress and not sleeping helps with wine...I will check into the drug....

[annieCinMD]

I took naltrexone after my relapse nearly 6 years back. Actually it was not too long after I got my diagnosis. I'm sure it is the lesser of two evils. I'm here to tell you alcohol and Hep C do not mix. I got very sick from that little incident. Naltrexone really helps with the cravings. They have used it for years with heroin addicts and discovered it works pretty well with alcholics, too.  Good luck!

[Trinity4]

BTW, if you need help getting off wine, you are probably drinking excessively.  Drinking and hepc do not bode well, especially in excess.

Denise is right, try stopping now.  You may find it isn't as hard as you think.

[Trinity4]

It seems to be well tolerated as indicated below but they advise checking liver values prior to using.

"In alcohol dependence, naltrexone is considered a safe medication. Control of liver values prior to initiation of treatment is recommended.  

Recommend you speak with a good hepatologist and see what they say.  Most GP's and many GI's do not know.

[GSDgirl]

http://www.medhelp.org/drugs/naltrexone/show/4324

I don't know anything about that drug but I would just quit drinking the wine.  Believe me I also had and can still have a problem with wine.  I quit

Denise