Low Dose Naltrexone (LDN) Doctor in Seattle Bellevue Area

Our office is pleased to offer Low Dose Naltrexone (LDN) for the treatment of chronic pain conditions from our Bellevue office. We are able to work with patients from Bellevue, Seattle, Kirkland, Redmond, Everett, Tacoma, Federal Way, and Issaquah, as well as many more Washington areas. 

Naltrexone is a pure opioid antagonist. It was approved in 1984 by the FDA to treat addiction. There have been many new studies and is now used in a low dose as a treatment for various conditions such as cancer, autoimmune diseases, mental health issues and chronic pain. Because naltrexone is a pure opioid antagonist, it has no narcotic effects and is not classified as a narcotic or controlled substance or an opioid. Naltrexone is not addictive nor does it cause withdrawal symptoms when you stop it’s use.  Naltrexone bonds with the various opioid receptors such as Delta, Kappa, Mu and also Opioid Growth Factor receptors. When it bonds there is both an analgesic(pain relief)  and an anti-inflammatory effect.

Low Dose Naltrexone offers new hope to patients with difficult to treat chronic painful conditions that otherwise have not responded to others treatments in the past. Certain patients suffer from conditions like fibromyalgia, chronic pain, complex regional pain syndrome, migraines, headaches, diabetic neuropathy, as well as multiple other diagnoses. Patients suffering from such conditions usually have seen many different doctors including psychiatrists, physical therapists, physiatrists, orthopedists, as well as other interventional pain physicians such as myself and have not found relief. In these situations we offer these less common treatments such as LDN and IV ketamine infusions as an alternative treatment modality. 

Ketamine is an NMDA blocker, or antagonist, and can produce analgesic relief for certain neuropathic related pain. It blocks these pain receptors in the brain and reset over sensitized pain pathways from the brain down through the spine and nerves.  Please see our post regarding IV ketamine infusions for more information regarding it at: https://www.bellevuepainwellness.com/blog/ketamine-therapy-an-alternative-approach-to-block-and-reverse-chronic-pain

Usually, these patients have also tried medications including Cymbalta/duloxetine ,Wellbutrin, traditional pain medications including oxycodone or hydrocodone, Lyrica/pregabalin and/or gabapentin, or possibly anti inflammatories such as NSAIDs such as Advil/ibuprofen, Mobic/meloxicam, and Voltaren/diclofenac. Generally there is minimal or no relief as well as possible intolerable side effects. Low dose naltrexone (LDN) offers a new approach to eliminating or reducing the hyperalgesia that is prevalent in chronic painful conditions that is not a narcotic. Low Dose Naltrexone is generally regarded as safe and has limited adverse effects or side effects.

When Low Dose Naltrexone (LDN)  is started, patients typically start at a small amount and gradually taper upwards on a weekly basis until benefit is demonstrated or until a set dosage is achieved with an experienced doctor. It is important that certain other medications that might interact with Low Dose Naltrexone (LDN) are reduced and eliminated prior to starting Low Dose Naltrexone (LDN). 

LDN is not commonly found at a pharmacy but at Bellevue Pain and Wellness, we will work directly with compounding pharmacies to help you find this medication. If you have a preference, we can work with them if they are a compounding pharmacy.

Please give our Bellevue office a call if you would like to schedule an evaluation for treatment with Low Dose Naltrexone (LDN) or for any other painful condition that you might be experiencing. If you are in the Seattle Bellevue Metro area and you are interested in seeing if you're a good candidate for this, please visit our website at www.bellevuepainwellness.com or send us a message at www.bellevuepainwellness.com/contactus. Otherwise, please feel free to give us a 425-998-7884. 

Also check out a couple other popular blog posts about sciatica and botox for migraines here: 

https://www.bellevuepainwellness.com/blog/sciatica-getting-to-the-root-of-the-issue-of-pinched-nerve-pain

https://www.bellevuepainwellness.com/blog/botox-for-migraine-headache-treatment

Bellevue Pain and Wellness PLLC is a Seattle Bellevue area pain clinic helmed by pain doctor, Robert Bowers M.D., who is board certified in pain medicine and anesthesiology by the American Board of Anesthesiology.