Retrospective Analysis of Naltrexone for Persistent Neuropathic Pain Case Series

Persistent neuropathic pain (NP) is a prevalent and debilitating problem, often resistant to first-line treatment. Low-dose naltrexone (LDN) has shown promise in treating fibromyalgia and other forms of chronic pain.

Retrospective analysis was performed on 14 of 18 patients with diverse forms of NP who met inclusion criteria by using LDN (1.5-4.5 mg) as a second-line medical pain therapy. Pain Numeric Rating Scale (NRS-11) in all patients decreased from 6.29 ± 2.20 to 3.71 ± 2.89 (P = 0.001) from initiation to final visit. Median treatment length was 252 days with longest being 1,054 days. All 6 patients who remained on LDN > 1 year reported reduced pain NRS-11 at last visit. Side effects were mild and did not result in cessation of therapy.

LDN may show promise in treating persistent NP.