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dc.contributor.authorRaknes, Guttorm
dc.contributor.authorSmåbrekke, Lars
dc.date.accessioned2018-02-14T08:36:59Z
dc.date.available2018-02-14T08:36:59Z
dc.date.issued2017-11-03
dc.description.abstractLow dose naltrexone (LDN) has become a popular off-label therapy for multiple sclerosis (MS). A few small, randomized studies indicate that LDN may have beneficial effects in MS and other autoimmune diseases. If proven efficacious, it would be a cheap and safe alternative to the expensive treatments currently recommended for MS. We investigated whether a sudden increase in LDN use in Norway in 2013 was followed by changes in dispensing of other medications used to treat MS. We performed a quasi-experimental before–and–after study based on population data from the Norwegian Prescription Database (NorPD). We included all patients that collected at least one LDN prescription in 2013, and had collected at least two medications with a reimbursement code for MS, or collected a medication with MS as the only indication in 2009 or 2010. Outcomes were differences in cumulative dispensed doses and incidence of users of disease modifying MS therapies, and medications used to treat MS symptoms two years before and two years after dispensing the initial LDN prescription. The eligible 341 patients collected 20 921 prescriptions in the observation period. Apart from changes in line with general trends in MS therapy in Norway, there was no difference in neither dispensed cumulative doses or number of prevalent users of MS specific medication. Initiation of LDN was not followed by reductions of other medications used to treat symptoms associated with MS.en_US
dc.descriptionSource at <a href=https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0187423> https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0187423 </a>.en_US
dc.identifier.citationRaknes, G. & Småbrekke, L. (2017). Low dose naltrexone in multiple sclerosis: Effects on medication use. A quasi-experimental study. PLoS ONE. 12:e0187423(11):1-13.en_US
dc.identifier.cristinIDFRIDAID 1530348
dc.identifier.doi10.1371/journal.pone.0187423
dc.identifier.issn1932-6203
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/10037/12157
dc.language.isoengen_US
dc.publisherPublic Library of Scienceen_US
dc.relation.journalPLoS ONE
dc.rights.accessRightsopenAccessen_US
dc.subjectVDP::Medisinske Fag: 700::Basale medisinske, odontologiske og veterinærmedisinske fag: 710::Farmakologi: 728en_US
dc.subjectVDP::Medical disciplines: 700::Basic medical, dental and veterinary science disciplines: 710::Pharmacology: 728en_US
dc.titleLow dose naltrexone in multiple sclerosis: Effects on medication use. A quasi-experimental studyen_US
dc.typeJournal articleen_US
dc.typeTidsskriftartikkelen_US
dc.typePeer revieweden_US


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