Naturopathic Care for Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune condition where the cells and organs in your body are subjected to damage due to the presence of antibodies that destroy rather than protect you from harm. The disease can happen in all ages, but predominantly affect women who are of childbearing age. Generally, SLE affects women 9x more than men.₁ With the increasing burden of the disease, it is vital to address the root cause of the inflammation, rather than solely minimizing your symptoms. 
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Understanding SLE

The exact reason as to why SLE develops is still unknown. However, persistent exposure to personal triggers, especially when you are genetically predisposed to SLE, can stimulate your immune response and affect your chances of developing the condition.1 When cells are damaged from ongoing irritation or infections, they reveal certain markers called self-antigens. These markers help the immune system identify the cells as part of the body and protect them.₁ This mechanism contributes to your body’s wonderful abilities of keeping itself safe and maintaining balance despite changes in the environment. However, this process can completely take a different turn in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus as their immune system activates B and T cells, forming antibodies to fight against self-antigens. Destroying your self-antigens means destroying the shield that protects your cells from getting harmed by your immune system! When not managed, persistent destruction may lead to irreversible damage to your kidneys, blood vessels, skin, and lungs.₁


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​Signs and Symptoms

​The signs and symptoms of systemic lupus erythematosus are tricky in that they vary from person to person and typically mimic manifestations of other health problems, affecting the ability to promptly diagnose and manage the condition altogether. Hence, avoiding such delay is crucial to detect the condition before severe damage occurs, preventing further destruction to cells, nurturing well-being, and maintaining the patient’s quality of life. Since the manifestations of SLE are diverse, several criteria and diagnostic tests are used by your healthcare providers to rule out other autoimmune conditions. Generally, the signs and symptoms of SLE include:

• Soft tissue swelling and joint pains, commonly in wrists, hands, and knees
• Increased fatigue
• Butterfly rash
• Sensitivity to the sun
• Fever
• Abdominal pain
• Headache
• Mouth ulcers

Allopathic Options

SLE is conventionally managed through immunosuppressive therapy, where drugs that depress the immune system are used to prevent it from responding and causing unregulated inflammation and destruction. These may include corticosteroids, anti-malarial, or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS).₃ Corticosteroids, which decrease the concentration of arachidonic acid (primary molecule converted into chemicals that maintain the immune response), are commonly used to suppress inflammation in SLE. Although helpful in suppressing symptoms, the use of corticosteroids may put you at risk of becoming dependent on the drug in the long run and increase your chances of developing brittle bones, acne, eye problems, diabetes mellitus, thinning of the skin, infection, and muscle weakness.₃ NSAIDs, on the other hand, may cause stomach irritation and bleeding, ultimately affecting your gut health, ability to absorb nutrients, and your ability to maintain homeostasis (internal balance).₃​

Support Healthy Immune Function

Helps Lower Inflammation & Pain

Helps Prevent Tissue Damage & Supports ADHD-like Symptoms

The Naturopathic Approach

Since SLE affects various tissues and organs in the body, the naturopathic approach focuses on not only addressing each health concern, but most importantly on targeting the root cause of inflammation and dysregulation of the immune system. These include avoiding your personal triggers, alleviating pain, improving digestive function, reducing stress and inflammation, and improving your abilities to cope up with stressors. Naturopathic medicine focuses on the whole person, including mental, emotional, and spiritual health. 
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Botanical medicine that may be beneficial for when you have SLE include:
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• Bunge root (Astragalus membranaceus). Commonly used in Chinese medicine to manage chronic fatigue, fever, anemia, and weakness, bunge root is packed with beneficial ingredients, such as saponins, amino acids, polysaccharides, and flavonoids that promote antibacterial, antioxidative, antiviral, and hormone-like abilities, helping to improve your immune function without causing you to experience unwanted adverse effects of medication use.₂ With its ability to regulate the immune response, this herb can be effective in supplementing conventional treatment options for SLE. 
• Sickle-leaved Hare's Ear (Bupleurum falcatum). Traditionally used to relieve fever, this plant contains saikosaponins, which helps reduce inflammation, regulate the immune response, and kill bacteria.₃
• Turmeric (Curcuma longa). Rich in curcumin, which has the ability to inactivate receptors which assist in producing autoantibodies that attack healthy cells in your body, turmeric has anti-inflammatory properties that can be of great help in people with abnormal inflammatory responses, such as in SLE.₃

 
It is important to remember that exploring and using botanical medicine options to manage SLE should be under the expert guidance of your naturopathic doctor and in communication with your primary care provider and specialists. Communication with your entire health and wellness team helps to avoid dangerous drug interactions. Although there are great potential benefits for your health, the use of herbs should be monitored and regulated to avoid toxicity and ensure therapeutic levels of the medicine are present in your body. 

Improving Your Immune Health

The immune system works wonders in keeping your body safe and healthy, but it can also be the reason why your body is constantly subjected to damage and harm. Knowing your health risks, personal triggers, and genetic susceptibility, are helpful in preventing the development of autoimmune conditions that will inevitably affect your well-being. Not to worry! Your naturopathic doctors are committed to guiding you as you make conscious and holistic decisions for your health. Talk to your naturopathic medicine advisors today!
 
 
 
REFERENCES:

1. Justiz Vaillant AA, Goyal A, Varacallo M. Systemic Lupus Erythematosus. In: StatPearls. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; August 4, 2023.
2. Peng Y, Deng X, Yang SS, Nie W, Tang YD. Progress in Mechanism of Astragalus membranaceus and Its Chemical Constituents on Multiple Sclerosis. Chin J Integr Med. 2023;29(1):89-95. doi:10.1007/s11655-022-3535-6
​3. Balkrishna A, Thakur P, Singh S, Chandra Dev SN, Varshney A. Mechanistic Paradigms of Natural Plant Metabolites as Remedial Candidates for Systemic Lupus Erythromatosus. Cells. 2020;9(4):1049. Published 2020 Apr 22. doi:10.3390/cells9041049
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