CAN I CURE MY AUTOIMMUNE DISEASE?
When I consulted a doctor about the idea of curing my Hashimoto’s and Dermatomyositis, he told me that ‘autoimmune diseases cannot be cured and that it is something I need to live with and manage for the rest of my life.’
I couldn’t accept that because one of the medications He offered would prevent my husband and me from having more children, and I would need to wean my daughter. I wanted to breastfeed her till she was two years old and beyond.
Long story short, I was able to find a natural solution. And within 24 hours of implementing this, my brain fog cleared, and within a month, I was symptom-free.
Living free of autoimmunity is life-changing. I was bouncing off the wall with energy. I was cured…or so I thought.
After the birth of my second child, both my autoimmune conditions came back again. This time the symptoms were mild, and this time I had all the know-how and tools needed to reverse it again.
So, can my autoimmune disease be cured?
The doctor was correct. There is nothing you can do to ‘cure’ your Autoimmune disease. This is why my autoimmunity came back.
Cure implies that the disease is past tense and completely gone, never to return. But this isn’t true for autoimmune diseases. Like in my story, you can see that my symptoms came back even though I was seemingly cured.
To understand why you cannot cure your autoimmune condition, you need to know why you developed an autoimmune disease.
Those who have an autoimmune condition have a few things in common:
- a genetic predisposition to your autoimmune presentation [1]
- intestinal permeability (leaky gut or loose junctions) [1]
- an unbalanced gut microbiome [1]
- a dysregulated immune response [1]
- exposure to environmental and lifestyle triggers, namely stress [1]
- have low vitamin d levels [2]
Let’s unpack this…
Think of yourself and your genes as a balloon. As you blow up the balloon, the pressure inside builds.
A genetic predisposition is a weak spot on this balloon. And given enough pressure, the balloon will pop at that weak spot.
So if you have an autoimmune condition, and given the perfect ‘pressure conditions’, your health will take a hit, specifically in your immune system.
(the balloon’s weak spot).
So, if you have a genetic predisposition to autoimmunity, and with a life full of unknowns and given the right triggers, you will develop an autoimmune condition.
This is why you could spend life in ebbs and flows of experiencing mild symptoms and aggressive symptoms. This is why my autoimmune symptoms returned after the traumatic birth of my second baby.
So what’s the good news?
The good news is that when you know why you have an autoimmune condition, you can address the why head-on. And when you address the why, then you can see symptom improvements and move closer towards remission.
The Farlex Partner Medical Dictionary defines remission as:
1. Abatement or lessening in severity of symptoms of a disease
2. The period during which such abatement occurs
How can I achieve remission?
Firstly, you need to understand is that your body is wonderfully made. It is always trying to help you. Even though you have an autoimmune condition, it uses the resources available to it to heal itself.
Secondly, you need to understand that you have no control over some things and more control over other things.
You cannot control your genes. That is who you are. Your balloon will always have a weak spot in how your immune system responds. The only thing we can do with knowing this is to accept it.
You have a little more control over stress, but again, life is unpredictable and can throw you a curveball at any time. It is best to seek a mental health professional in this situation.
The area where you can have the most control is what you put into your body and how you can support your body to heal itself.
As a naturopath, this is the area I focus my efforts in helping people move towards remission.
In my course, “Roadmap to Autoimmune Remission”, you will learn precisely what you need to do to support your body and immune system so that you can move towards being in remission.
Once you learn the three principles I teach, you can always return to these if you relapse.
Having an autoimmune condition needs lifelong management. Wouldn’t it be helpful if you had the tools and knowledge of what you can do to manage it for life?
And even if you do have a relapse, wouldn’t you like to know precisely what you need to do to turn your health back around?
You can access the course here: Roadmap to Autoimmune Remission.
- This course aims to support your body and your immune system.
- This may mean remission for some and partial remission for others.
- Even with symptom improvements, some will need to continue medication for life. For example, someone with Type 1 Diabetes will never produce insulin again, so they need to stay on their medication for life.
- You can use this course in conjunction with your medical provider’s treatment plan. It does not aim to override the guidance provided by your medical provider.
- Never stop your medication without your medical provider’s permission.
Here to serve you,
Robyn Leigh
Robyn Leigh is a certified Naturopath & Autoimmune Specialist. She has recovered from her struggles with Hashimoto’s, Dermatomyositis, and multiple vitamin deficiencies. Robyn has made it her life’s mission to help women regain their health and vitality through her course, ‘Roadmap To Autoimmune Remission.’
Ready to live pain-free, have more energy and get rid of the brain fog?
Enrollment for my course, ‘Roadmap To Autoimmune Remission’, is NOW OPEN.
Disclaimer: These steps can complement your health care plan provided by your medical provider. Seek permission from your medical provider before commencing this program. NEVER make changes to your medication dose or stop taking your medication without consulting your medical provider. Get regular check-ups with your medical provider while following the program. You may see improvements to your symptoms, so your medical provider may need to adjust your treatment plan and medication doses accordingly.
References
[1] Fasano A. All disease begins in the (leaky) gut: role of zonulin-mediated gut permeability in the pathogenesis of some chronic inflammatory diseases. F1000Res. 2020;9:F1000 Faculty Rev-69. Published 2020 Jan 31. doi:10.12688/f1000research.20510.1
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6996528/gut
[2] Lemke 2021Vitamin D Resistance as a Possible Cause of Autoimmune Diseases: A Hypothesis Confirmed by a Therapeutic High-Dose Vitamin D Protocol
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2021.655739/full
