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Many patients visit me at Whole Family Wellness in Hardwick and Burlington Vermont for help with managing the symptoms of autoimmune disease.  The most common  autoimmune disease that I treat is Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis (HT), the unpleasant effects of which include fatigue, weight gain, “brain fog,” and hair loss. 

What causes these symptoms?  When the immune system attacks the thyroid gland, its weapon is a thyroid-degrading enzyme known as TPO (thyroid peroxidase).  TPO gradually inflames and destroys the thyroid gland, and the symptoms of HT emerge as the thyroid loses its capacity to produce crucial hormones that regulate body metabolism. 

The standard allopathic treatment of HT uses levothyroxine (synthetic T4), which treats only the symptoms; not the root cause.  While some patients feel a slight increase in energy after taking levothyroxine, the active thyroid hormone T3 is absent in this medication, though in some cases liothyronine (synthetic T3) is added to a patient’s treatment plan.

Unfortunately, treatment of HT is complex and involves a whole system approach.  The essence of naturopathic medicine is to look beyond symptoms to address the root cause, and always with care to protect and support the body’s natural healing potential. 

My treatment of choice in HT is  low-dose naltrexone (LDN).  Some people may know naltrexone as an FDA-approved treatment for opioid addiction, but the prescription of LDN in Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis is much different.  The micro-dosages that I typically prescribe for use in HT can be as little as 1/2000 of the dosage used in opioid addition.  This micro-dose of LDN is typically prepared in a tablet or capsule form by a local compounding pharmacy and is relatively inexpensive and available.

In addition to lowering the risk of thyroid damage that synthetic hormones pose, LDN addresses thyroid inflammation itself.  Reportedly, LDN modulates the immune system by increasing the body’s production of endorphins, while also inhibiting production of cells that cause autoimmunity. 

However, research on LDN is sparse, and there have been no specific studies or clinical trials on its use in HT.  At the same time, there is considerable clinical evidence that LDN can reduce harmful, high levels of TPO and improve other markers of thyroid function. 

In my clinical experience, patients feel improved energy, improvement of brain fog, and reduced hair loss after a six-month course of LDN.  But LDN is not a panacea for autoimmune disease– I consider it one element of an integrated treatment including whole foods, nutrition, a healthy lifestyle, and botanical medicine or homeopathy.  Like any other drug, it is also not risk-free: Reported side effects include nausea, headache, mood changes, and liver toxicity.  Liver enzymes must be monitored carefully through bloodwork during use.

HT and other autoimmune diseases are complex, and allopathic medicine does not have much to offer patients.  In contrast, Dr. Thauna Abrin at Whole Family Wellness in Hardwick, Vermont and Burlington, Vermont is skilled in naturopathic medicine, which encourages the body’s natural healing capacity.  In Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis, LDN is one tool used to dampen thyroid inflammation and can yield positive clinical results.

The foregoing blog post was personally written by Dr. Thauna Abrin, ND.