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Kimberley pharmacy leading the way in appointment-based functional medicine

Michelle Gray participates in year-long study with Professional Compounding Centres of America
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Michelle Gray, owner of Gray’s Pharmacy in Kimberley. The pharmacy offers pain and wellness consultations incorporating medication reviews, by appointment.

Chronic pain is abysmal. Chronic inflammation often leads to autoimmune diseases.

Pain itself can leave you drained, and feeling like there’s no escape. Then there’s the pain management: current treatments are often unsatisfactory, risky and expensive. Until recently, prescription opioids were one of the most common medications for treating chronic pain, but their addictive qualities and adverse side-effects have made them less and less popular.

“There’s an emerging treatment, Low Dose Naltrexone, that’s shown some promise not just for chronic pain, but also chronic inflammation, neuropathic pain and AutoImmune diseases including Hashimoto’s thyroiditis and Rheumatoid Arthritis to mention a few,” says Pharmacist Michelle Gray, owner of Gray’s Compounding Pharmacy.

Gray’s Compounding Pharmacy is a member of PCCA, Professional Compounding Centres of America. Through PCCA, Michelle Gray has been participating in a Low Dose Naltrexone Study Group for the past year.

“Low Dose Naltrexone is exciting because it may offer patients relief at low risk, low side-effect profile and low dose,” she says.

What is Low Dose Naltrexone?

Naltrexone was first developed to treat opioid addiction, and has been approved for that use for over 30 years. The more recent use of Low Dose Naltrexone (one-tenth the original strength) has shown promise in clinical trials for a range of conditions including Crohn’s and colitis disease, multiple sclerosis, fibromyalgia and chronic inflammation.

Wondering if Low Dose Naltrexone might work for you? That’s where Gray’s Compounding Pharmacy comes in.

“Naltrexone has several different modes of action: it attaches to opioid receptors and down-regulates pain, and it also attaches to toll-like receptors and down-regulates inflammation. It’s not a quick-fix — it may take two months or longer to see the true benefits and impact throughout the body,” Gray says. “All of these receptors line our gut and are throughout the body including the brain. An additional benefit of Low Dose Naltrexone is that it crosses the blood-brain barrier and can improve anxiety, depression, OCD and PTSD symptoms.”

One-on-one consultations

“We offer pain and wellness consultations incorporating medication reviews, by appointment. We can help you make sense of your current treatment plan, and can often find ways to decrease your symptoms and reduce your medications,” Gray says. “Low Dose Naltrexone is just one option. The goal is to help you achieve healthier outcomes and improve quality of life.”

Do you take four or five daily medications? Do you know what each of them is used for? What about non-prescription products: do you understand where they fit in your treatment plan? Your friendly neighbourhood pharmacists Michelle Gray and Peter Wu can help you make sense of your medicine cabinet, and give you options to feel better. If you are wondering if CBD or THC is right for you, this can also be a part of your assessment. Consultation can be booked in-person or virtually.

Learn more by calling 250-427-0038, emailing pharmacist@grayspharmacy.ca, or send a direct message at facebook.com/grayspharmacy. Find Gray’s Compounding Pharmacy at 417B-304 St. in Kimberley, open Monday to Friday, 9:30 a.m. - 6 p.m.