Naltrexone could relieve pain in Crohn’s disease

Patients living with digestive health issue Crohn's disease could find relief from a new medication, experts have suggested.

Researchers from the Penn State College of Medicine conducted an experiment which revealed the drug Naltrexone could be used to reduce inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract.
The medication, a treatment normally used to help people with substance and alcohol addiction, was found to provide relief to 78 per cent of the study’s participants.
A number of previous drugs designed to help Crohn’s disease patients have been associated with serious side effects, such as infections and lymphoma.
The condition can cause abnominal pain, weight loss, gastrointestinal bleeding and diarrhea among its patients.
Professor of medicine Jill P Smith said: “We report that naltrexone improves clinical and inflammatory activity of subjects with moderate to severe Crohn’s disease compared to placebo-treated controls.”

The NHS recommends Crohn’s patients seek treatment to prevent symptoms worsening following a course of medication to relieve the active disease.
Extract: Scientists have discovered a medication that could help Crohn’s disease patients.