Is Low Dose Naltrexone (LDN) Helpful for Dermatology?

Clinical Pharmacist Nat Jones
Answered by Nat Jones, R.Ph. FAPC

Is Low Dose Naltrexone (LDN) Helpful for Dermatology?

What would you say as a roundup on Low Dose Naltrexone (LDN) in dermatology?  As a roundup on LDN for Dermatology I think LDN has a massive place for any autoimmune dermatologic condition.  It would be on the list of add-ons to therapy for pretty much any autoimmune dermatologic condition for patients who have inflammation.   LDN would be very beneficial for any kind of dermal inflammation, even if it's not an autoimmune disease. For inflammatory process oral Low Dose Naltrexone is going to help with that. If they want to go topical for the inflammation or topical for the pruritus I think topical would be the benefit there. 

If they don't want to go systemic and you know sometimes it's difficult to get a new prescriber to write a prescription for Low Dose Naltrexone early on for a dermatologic condition,  so sometimes they say they’ll use it.  I'll use it topically but I don't really want to give it orally.  They don't know much about it.  They're misinformed on what Naltrexone does and how it works but if not I like it for anything autoimmune.  Specifically any autoimmune dermatology conditions.