Can lupus nephritis be cured?

You may not have heard of lupus nephritis in your life, but this disease is relatively common. Lupus nephritis is generally an autoimmune disease that causes kidney damage. Lupus nephritis can actually be treated. Here are some ways to treat lupus nephritis using traditional Chinese medicine.

Lupus nephritis treatment with traditional Chinese medicine

Traditional Chinese medicine plays its advantages in the following aspects in the treatment of lupus nephritis:

1. Promote the remission of lupus nephritis . During the active stage of lupus, patients have clinical manifestations such as fever, rash, joint pain, edema, or pleural effusion and ascites, massive proteinuria and hematuria, decreased white blood cell count, and significantly increased erythrocyte sedimentation rate. At this time, sufficient hormones and immunosuppressants are generally required to control the activity of lupus. At the same time, Chinese medicine's syndrome differentiation and treatment can be carried out. Chinese medicine believes that the pathogenesis at this time is mainly due to intense heat and toxicity, and blood stasis blocking the collaterals. The treatment should be to clear away heat and toxicity, and to promote blood circulation and dredge the collaterals. The combination of Chinese and Western medicine for treatment can more effectively control the patient's symptoms and make it easier for active lupus nephritis to achieve relief.

2. Reduce the side effects of hormones and immunosuppressants and improve patients' quality of life. Lupus nephritis may cause a variety of toxic side effects during the use of hormones and immunosuppressants, including iatrogenic Cushing's syndrome facial and body shape, poor wound healing, menstrual disorders, osteoporosis, mental symptoms, bone marrow suppression, secondary infections, etc. The combined use of traditional Chinese medicine in this process can significantly reduce these toxic side effects, improve the patient's symptoms and enhance the patient's quality of life.

According to clinical observations, glucocorticoids are equivalent to masculine products in traditional Chinese medicine, which can easily lead to deficiency of Yin fluid in patients. Patients will show symptoms of Yin deficiency and hyperactivity of fire, with symptoms including hot palms and soles, dry mouth and throat, sore waist and back pain, dizziness, tinnitus, red tongue with little coating, etc. Therefore, when using large amounts of hormones, the use of Chinese medicines that nourish yin and clear heat can inhibit the masculine nature of hormones and reduce the side effects of hormones. As the dosage of hormones is reduced, patients may show symptoms of Yang Qi deficiency in Traditional Chinese Medicine, with symptoms such as fatigue, loss of appetite, diarrhea, loose stools, aversion to cold and cold limbs, sore waist and knees, and susceptibility to colds. The use of traditional Chinese medicine that strengthens the spleen and replenishes qi, or warms the yang and nourishes the kidneys can improve the patient's symptoms, reduce the recurrence of the disease during the withdrawal of hormones, and consolidate the treatment effect.

3. Reduce the recurrence of lupus nephritis . Lupus nephritis is prone to relapse. Many patients suffer relapses and lupus becomes active again due to factors such as overwork and infection due to decreased resistance. Therefore, preventing the recurrence of lupus is the key to improving the prognosis of patients with lupus nephritis. During the process of hormone reduction or maintenance treatment, Chinese medicine conditioning is carried out according to TCM syndrome differentiation. If the patient has symptoms of liver and kidney yin deficiency such as sore waist and weak legs, dizziness, dry mouth and throat, red tongue with little coating, and deep and thin pulse, use Erzhi Pills combined with Liuwei Dihuang Decoction with modifications to nourish the liver and kidneys. If the patient shows symptoms of fatigue, sweating when moving, loss of appetite, and repeated colds, it is a sign of lung and spleen deficiency, and can be treated with Sijunzi Decoction combined with Yupingfeng Powder as the main treatment. By regulating the patient's immune function and enhancing the patient's resistance through traditional Chinese medicine, the recurrence of lupus nephritis can be reduced, thereby improving the patient's prognosis.