jannz wrote Yes...this is true....who wants to suffer.    That's what a lot of folks that get addicted to drugs are after -- an escape of some sort.  However LDN is NOT an illegal drug and causes no harm that I'm aware of.   I do wish there was a better method of determining it's effectiveness.  ie; a blood test that determines homeostasis or ~whatever.  I'll be seeing my doctor this week so I'll be asking her opinion based on my experience thus far. Jann

Jann,

Good points!

Personally, I don't equate escaping from reality to that of seeking wellness in the face of chronic and often debilitating illnesses. It's the difference between getting high and becoming well. For me, the pursuit of wellness is purely medical. I don't make the distinction between LDN and other drugs or supplements that address deficits, for example, SSRI's which boost Serotonin levels (which doctors may in fact be overprescribing without first testing levels), or how about deficits in Vitamin D, where inexpensive supplementation can help someone feel much better or even experience recovery (so many exciting studies on Vitamin D lately regarding autoimmune diseases)?  If there is an endorphin deficit, would we see it any differently as it concerns such a miniscule amount of a drug. Nevertheless, if someone is looking to get high on LDN, they are going to be very disappointed!!! 

As for evaluating whether LDN works in thyroid autoimmunity, it needs a trial. Will antibodies be the criterion? Maybe the criteria will include other facets of functioning as well.  Yes, it would be nice to know what's really occurring, but in a simple doctor-patient setting, the type of testing required, which is likely expensive and uninsurable (outside the AMA-insurance recommendations for testing and treatment), might be prohibitive. All we have right now is anecdote and the hope for trials concerning LDN in Graves & Hashimoto's diseases -- diseases that often come in pairs with other diseases and conditions. 

In the end, if LDN is making the patient feel more well, it would be cruel to be against it. We do know that not everyone responds to it this way, some having more success than others and all this needs to be addressed -- why some, not others?

Unrelated, I read your Amazon review on Elaine's new book; it was excellent! Bravo, Jann! I hope you will include it as a post here, please!