Jade's Journey with Hashimoto's and Low Dose Naltrexone

Jade from South Africa talks about dealing with Hashimoto'sand her journey with Low Dose Naltrexone (LDN). Jade was diagnosed withHashimoto's in 2010, but she only discovered LDN in 2019 after stumbling uponit in a Hashimoto's Facebook group. She consulted with a functional doctor inSouth Africa who prescribed LDN for her.Before receiving her Hashimoto's diagnosis, Jade experiencedsevere hair loss, which prompted her to seek medical attention. Although shedidn't exhibit typical symptoms such as weight gain, she suffered from fatigue,which she later learned was related to Hashimoto's. Initially diagnosed with anunderactive thyroid, it took years before she was informed of her Hashimoto'scondition.After moving to Germany in 2016, Jade's symptoms worsened,leading her to research and seek out support groups to manage her conditionbetter. Despite making dietary changes, she found that her antibodies remainedhigh, which motivated her to explore LDN as a potential solution. Since then,she has seen significant improvement, with her antibodies dropping to remissionlevels.Obtaining LDN in Germany proved to be challenging, as manydoctors were unfamiliar with the medication. Ultimately, Jade continues tosource her LDN from her doctor in South Africa and relies on family members tobring it to her when they visit.Jade started LDN at a low dosage of 0.5mg, graduallyincreasing the dose each week until she reached 4.5mg. Initially, sheexperienced vivid dreams and fatigue for the first few weeks.Overall, Jade's journey with LDN and Hashimoto's highlightsthe challenges of accessing specialized treatments and the importance ofadvocating for oneself in managing chronic conditions.In addition to managing her Hashimoto's with LDN, Jadecontinued taking LDN throughout her pregnancy. Despite some doctors advising againstit during pregnancy, she did her own research and found a supportive community.She believed LDN potentially helped her from having a miscarriage and had apositive impact during her pregnancy. She had a healthy pregnancy and a smoothbirth, and her baby is now three months old and healthy. She values theimportance of doing her own research and seeking second opinions from doctorsand is grateful for the positive experience she had during her pregnancy.