Table 4.

Relative differences [%] in the dispensing of medication used in the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease [IBD] in 2011 and 2012 compared with 2013 and 2014 in defined daily doses [DDDs] per inhabitant in the entire Norwegian population. This is compared with corresponding relative changes 2 years before and after the first dispense of low-dose naltrexone to Norwegian patients with IBD. Relative differences in proportions of users in the population [N, %] from 2012 to 2014 compared with difference in number of users 2 years before and after LDN among IBD patients. Three groups based on number of LDN dispenses: LDN ×1 [N = 189] collected LDN once, LDN ×2–3 [N = 137] two or three times and LDN ×4+ [N = 256] four or more times. *p <0.05

			IBD patients [N = 582]
		Entire population	LDN ×1	LDN ×2–3	LDN ×4+
All drugs being studied	DDD	9.4	2.1	–3.8	–8.8
	N	4.8	1.4	–10.1*	–11.6*
Systemic immunosuppressants	DDD	4.7	7.0	6.2	–10.5
	N	8.1	2.2	–5.5	–11.7
Systemic corticosteroids	DDD	3.6	–10.2	17.0	–15.2
	N	3.2	0.0	–10.0	–14.0
TNF-α inhibitors	DDD	25.7	43.8	7.3	–12.7
	N	17.2	–6.3	7.1	–7.4
Other systemic immunosuppressants	DDD	16.8	–1.2	–14.5	4,1
	N	11.1	–15.4	21.7	–28.9*
Intestinal anti-inflammatory agents	DDD	6.1	–1.4	–9.5	–7.8
	N	15.0	–6.4	–12.2	–16.7*
Intestinal corticosteroids	DDD	10.7	7.2	–16.1	–35.5
	N	9.4	9.5	–10.0	–32.1*
Aminosalicylates	DDD	15.3	–2.4	–8.5	–5.0
	N	5.2	–12.4*	–13.8*	–16.5*