Low dose naltrexone (LDN) for immune system?

[Kelly & Oscar]

I am contemplating a phone consultation with a vet that prescribes low dose naltrexone for cats and I am wondering if anyone here has had experience with their kitties? It is supposed to bring the immune system back in line (helps both over active and under active immune systems by helping the body understand self and non-self particles). I have read a lot about the use in dogs from other owners, and there are a lot of humans that use this too. It is only FDA approved for the use in detoxing from opiate addictions, but there is a lot of anecdotal evidence that it works wonders for the immune system in low dose form. (helping get rid of cancer, dealing with FIV, etc). There are no human or animal studies in low dose form, and because of this, my vet is not willing to prescribe it. A cat's dose is in the neighborhood of 0.12-0.25mg a day and naltrexone only comes in 50 mg pills. You have to get this through compounding pharmacies.

Oscar continues to have hair loss and will not regrow his hair on any place that has lost hair or has been shaved. His glucose numbers go down when ever he gets a lime-sulfur dip, a bath, or a dose of advantage multi (we are suspecting a demodex out break or something similar with him) and I am wondering if his immune system can't handle what ever mite (or what ever is going on) at all and that is the reason he has good numbers for a day with the treatments and then things are back to normal (for him). I know diabetes depresses the immune system (or the cat has diabetes partially because of a depressed immune system). Any info or insight would be appreciated.

 

[Kelly & Oscar]

bump for any info

 

[carolyn & jesse (GA) & spock]

No info on LDN, but I have used Transfer Factor which sounds like it has the same qualities (and no script required). I used TF to treat one of my cat's oral squamous cell carcinoma and it actually slowed the growth. There is a TF specifically for pets, but I read some vet recommendations that the human form works better.

I just did a search for Transfer Factor and see that that there are now a lot of links about TF being a scam.
I guess we all just have to read everything and make up our own minds.

 

[BJM]

When in doubt about the science, PubMed is a good place to search.

Here are all the abstracts which were listed. I have not reviewed all of them! So far, most of the research seems to be on mice, so the vet may be seeing how it works in felines.

Various Clinical Trials have or are being done, some looking at immune response.

 

[IloveLarry]

hey kelly! i know this post is SUPER old...just seeing if ur still around? did u ever try ldn? and results? thanks for any info!