# Is it OK to take Naltrexone (low doses) while breastfeeding?



## ChristieB (Jun 17, 2003)

I'm still bfing my 2 yo. I want to start taking Naltrexone, 4.5mg once/day. A website describing it's use has this to say about it (LDN stands for "low dose naltrexone"):

Quote:

Dr. Phil Boyle, a specialist in fertility care in Galway, reported the following in 2008:
I am confident that LDN is perfectly safe in pregnancy and in certain cases will actually reduce the risk of miscarriage. Thomas W. Hilgers, M.D, of the US, who developed the fertility treatment I provide, has used high dose naltrexone...up to 100mg throughout pregnancy and during breastfeeding safely without ill effect to mother or baby since 1985. I have been prescribing LDN regularly during pregnancy [for several years] and the results have been excellent. Clinical experience has proven to me that it is safe.
This makes me think seriously about taking it, but I thought I'd ask you wise women here what you know. And do any of you know anything about Dr. Boyle?

TIA


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## ChristieB (Jun 17, 2003)

Anyone?


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## Heba (Sep 24, 2004)

Dr Hale lists is as L1 (i.e. "safest"). Hale is The Expert when it comes to medications and breastmilk. I just looked it up for someone else - the thread should be not far away.

I'd be happy to e-mail you with more details and references from the book for you to discuss with your Healthcare provider.


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## MountainMamaGC (Jun 23, 2008)

How did you get a prescription. I have crohns and i want to take it but I am afraid my doctor will say no.


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## ChristieB (Jun 17, 2003)

Sorry to take so long to get back to this. My oldest got the flu, and I have 24 week-old chicks, so I've been a bit pre-occupied.

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Heba* 
Dr Hale lists is as L1 (i.e. "safest"). Hale is The Expert when it comes to medications and breastmilk. I just looked it up for someone else - the thread should be not far away.

I'd be happy to e-mail you with more details and references from the book for you to discuss with your Healthcare provider.

Thank you for looking it up! I'd love to have some more information. Thanks!

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Lydiah* 
How did you get a prescription. I have crohns and i want to take it but I am afraid my doctor will say no.

I don't know that my experience will be much help. Our dr. is our neighbor and friend, so she respects my ideas and research. And pretty much, if something isn't harmful, she just does what we ask. I emailed her links to the information I'd found, and she thought it sounded like a good thing to try. In fact, she and her daughter both have problems that might be helped by LDN, and she's waiting to see how I do (if the local compounding pharmacy makes a good mix or if I need to order from a known LDN supplier), and then their probably going to try it.

My suggestion would be to print out some of the best information you can find about Crohn's and LDN and take that to your dr. I didn't look a lot at that, since I'm dealing with MS, but I seem to remember there being some studies of LDN being used for Crohn's. Print that all out, and see what your dr. thinks. If it's a no-go, then try another dr. Maybe ask a local compounding pharmacy about who in your area prescribes it. Our compounding pharmacy has been pretty helpful in terms of answering questions like that.

I hope you can find someone. It sure seems like a pretty hopeful treatment for a lot of things.


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## BookGoddess (Nov 6, 2005)

LDN comes in a transdermal cream that you can get from a compounding pharmacy. Our doctor prescribed it for DD. The oral version isn't very palatable. The cream has no smell and it's something you put on at night. You use only a small amount of the cream.


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## ChristieB (Jun 17, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *BookGoddess* 
LDN comes in a transdermal cream that you can get from a compounding pharmacy. Our doctor prescribed it for DD. The oral version isn't very palatable. The cream has no smell and it's something you put on at night. You use only a small amount of the cream.

Hmmm, interesting. Our pharmacy makes it into capsules, so there's no problem with the taste. But maybe your DD is too young for capsules, in which case it's wonderful that they make a cream. We're considering it for our oldest, and I'll keep that option in mind. Do you happen to know if one delivery method is better than the other?


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