The Effect of Low-Dose Naltrexone on Medication in Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Quasi Experimental Before-and-After Prescription Database Study.

ABSTRACT:

Background and aims

Low-dose naltrexone [LDN] is a controversial off-label treatment used by many Crohn's disease [CD] and ulcerative colitis [UC] patients. A small number of preliminary studies indicate that LDN might be beneficial in CD, but evidence is too scarce to demonstrate efficacy. We sought to examine whether initiation of LDN therapy by patients with inflammatory bowel disease [IBD] was followed by changes in dispensing of relevant medication.

Methods

We performed a quasi-experimental before-and-after study following a sudden increase in LDN use in the Norwegian population in 2013. IBD patients were identified from among all the patients who had at least one LDN prescription recorded in the Norwegian Prescription Database [NorPD] in 2013. Drug dispensing 2 years b

SUBMITTER: Raknes G 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5972567 | biostudies-literature | 2018 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature