Integrative Ayurvedic Insights into Sjogren’s Syndrome and Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: A Single Case Report

Abstract

Sjögren’s Syndrome (SS) and Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) are chronic autoimmune disorders in which the immune system attacks the body’s tissues. SS primarily affects moisture-producing glands, causing dryness of eyes and mouth, fatigue, and joint pain, while SLE involves multiple organs, including skin, joints, and kidneys. Conventional treatments with corticosteroids and immunosuppressants offer symptomatic relief but no definitive cure. A 46-year-old female patient with SS and SLE, presenting with dryness, swelling, joint pain, brittle nails, and liver dysfunction, was unresponsive to five years of conventional therapy. She underwent Ayurvedic management including Shamana Chikitsa, Koshta Shodhana with Eranda Taila, Matra Basti with Bala Taila, and internal medications such as Avipattikar, Satavari, Yashtimadhu Churna and Arogyavardhini Rasa, Liv-52 DS, Chandraprabha Vati, and Tab. Nirocil. The patient demonstrated marked improvement in joint pain, weakness, swelling, dryness, and nail discoloration, along with normalization of liver function tests and disappearance of the ANA speckled pattern. Panchakarma therapies facilitated toxin elimination, balanced Vata-Pitta doshas, and nourished tissues, while herbal medications provided hepatoprotective, immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory, and rejuvenative effects. This case highlights the potential of Ayurvedic interventions, combining Panchakarma procedures and herbal formulations, as an effective management strategy for autoimmune disorders like SS and SLE, particularly when conventional therapy is inadequate, offering clinical improvement without adverse effects.