09/01/2026
I can't believe the number of patients that come in and have been diagnosed with Hashimoto's, but have no idea what this means. I also have numerous patients that have no idea they even have Hashimoto's, they just know they have a "thyroid issue" but have never been educated on their autoimmune disorder.
There is so much more to Hashimoto's than just taking a thyroid medication, so let's discuss low dose naltrexone in relation to Hashimoto's and what it does.......
What is Naltrexone?
If you are not familiar with naltrexone, it is an FDA-approved medication that has been used since the 1980s for opioid withdrawal. It is used at a higher, standard dose of 50 mg per day. However, low doses of this medication (hence, low dose naltrexone or LDN) has been found to modulate the immune system and has shown promise in improving cases of autoimmune disease.
LDN is truly an intriguing drug. It can be incredibly helpful for quite a few symptoms that are common for people with Hashimoto’s. Patients are able to reduce their pain, inflammation, decrease their thyroid antibodies significantly, and even lower their thyroid medications with the use of LDN.
Doses of 1.5-4.5 mg per day are usually recommended and have been reported to enhance immune function by increasing the body’s production of endorphins, also known as endogenous endorphin production. This is important for autoimmunity because the increased endorphins help to modulate and regulate the immune system. LDN also reportedly works by reducing inflammation, promoting DNA synthesis, and slowing down motility in the GI tract, to facilitate healing.
To get a little more technical, LDN balances the immune system by increasing the amount of T-regulatory cytokines and modulating TGF-B, leading to a reduction of Th-17, the promoter of autoimmunity. This means that it turns off the cells that cause autoimmunity.
Do you suffer from Hashimoto's and need help?
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