Symptoms of rheumatic diseases include common joint swelling and pain (i.e. “rheumatism”), as well as other symptoms such as myalgia, muscle weakness, dryness of the mouth and eyes, erythema of the skin, Raynaud’s phenomenon (discoloration of the hands and feet), hair loss, fatigue, weight loss, fear of the wind, fear of the cold, recurrent ulceration of the oral cavity and the genitals and other symptoms that people may find strange (i.e. symptoms of “immune diseases”). “If people have these symptoms, they may have rheumatism and should go to the rheumatology and immunology department. Patients with these symptoms, if the immunological indicators are abnormal, meet the corresponding diagnostic criteria for rheumatic diseases, rheumatologists will diagnose “autoimmune diseases” (referred to as “immune diseases”), common such diseases include systemic lupus erythematosus, Rheumatoid arthritis, dry syndrome, scleroderma, vasculitis, and others. Once diagnosed with an immune disease, most patients will have to stay with hormones or immunosuppressants for a long time, because modern medicine considers hormones and immunosuppressants to be the cornerstone of the treatment of immune diseases. Although it is the cornerstone, but the majority of patients must not think of themselves as simple, so that they buy their own drugs, medication, self-adjustment, long-term non-return to the clinic, avoid rheumatologists, hospitals far away. I do not know the rheumatologist using hormones, immunosuppressants is an art, today more than a piece of hormone, tomorrow less than a piece of hormone are the embodiment of technology. Dozens of years of study, read dozens of boxes of medical books, every day to learn the business, every day with the patients, rheumatologists for several years to develop a skillful use of hormones, immunosuppressants, by no means no medical knowledge of the patient can be grasped in a short period of time, even if the disease into a medical doctor, that is not a specialist in the “medical”, and the level of specialist is also far away from the level of specialist. The level of the specialist is also far from the level of the specialist. Is it true that hormones and immunosuppressants are rumored to have a lot of side effects? Is it true? Patients who use hormones and immunosuppressants need not worry about them. First of all, patients must clearly realize that hormones and immunosuppressants are a double-edged sword. While overcoming the disease, they are also suppressing the patient’s immune system, making the patient’s immunity low, so the long-term use of hormones or immunosuppressants can lead to frequent infections, osteoporosis, aseptic osteonecrosis, peptic ulcers, high blood pressure, insomnia, acne, cataracts, diabetes mellitus, hypokalemia and other side effects. Secondly, patients do not have to be too nervous, any drug has side effects on the human body to a greater or lesser extent. It depends on the application of the drug is more good than harm, or harm than good (the old ancestors said: is medicine three times poison. Can not take drugs certainly try not to take drugs, but the disease itself is more harmful, even life-threatening). Since the doctor chose to use hormones or immunosuppressants to treat your disease, it is certainly well thought out, and the benefits certainly outweigh the disadvantages, and the above side effects will not all appear in the same patient, as long as the regular follow-up, monitoring biochemistry, liver and kidney function, etc., there is no need for too much panic, do not drink hemlock to quench their thirst, and not because of the small loss of the big, choking on the food. People may wonder, since the application of hormones or immunosuppressants will produce so many side effects, is there any way to alleviate and reduce these toxic side effects and improve the quality of life? The answer is yes. A large amount of literature shows that the toxic side effects of hormones and immunosuppressants can be effectively reduced by combining them with Chinese herbal medicine during the whole period of hormone or immunosuppressant treatment. During the period of hormone or immunosuppressant treatment, patients may have symptoms such as soreness of waist and knees, tiredness, fatigue, dry mouth and pharynx, heartburn and heat, swelling of limbs, fear of cold and liking warmth, plumpness in the epigastric region, abdominal distension, and bitterness in the mouth, etc. Sometimes, patients may tell their Western medical doctors about these symptoms, but most Western medical doctors lack the relevant knowledge of traditional Chinese medicine and are therefore unable to deal with them, but these symptoms do affect the quality of life of patients. However, these symptoms do affect the quality of life of patients and are in urgent need of improvement. As a special note, there are a few Western medical doctors who reject Chinese medicine treatment. At this time, patients can go to a regular Chinese medicine clinic for consultation to see if they can be treated with Chinese medicine. According to the identification of Chinese medicine, patients taking hormones or immunosuppressants can be categorized into liver and kidney yin deficiency, spleen and kidney yang deficiency, and yin and yang deficiency, with the main symptoms of heat and toxicity, water-dampness, blood stasis, and Qi stagnation. In different stages of treatment, combining with the performance of different patients, the dose of traditional Chinese medicines and formulas can be increased or decreased in a timely manner, which can greatly reduce the side effects brought by hormones and immunosuppressants. For example, in the initial stage of treatment, the patients were mainly characterized by yang-heat syndrome, as well as blood stasis and qi stagnation, while in the maintenance stage there was a significant decrease in the number of patients, so the number of fire-reducing and excretory medicines was increased and decreased, such as bai Mao Gen, Da Huang, Ze Xie Di, and so on. In addition, it is not difficult to realize that hormone is pure Yang, and its use will cause Yang hyperactivity, leading to Yang winning and robbing Yin, resulting in Yin essence not being able to be internalized and making it difficult to play the role of nourishing Yin. Therefore, in the initial period, the method of lowering fire and nourishing yin is needed to cooperate with the use of large doses of hormones. In the hormone maintenance period, it should be rationally applied to nourish yin and replenish yang, and keep yin and yang in a peaceful period. In addition, hormone yang-heat evil and water-dampness mutual stagnation, dampness-heat inter-vaporization, easy to turn into heat and poison, so need to add the formula of clearing heat and detoxification, clearing heat and diuresis. And the patient will be stagnant for a long time, there are mostly signs of blood stasis, so it should be used in conjunction with the use of medicines that activate blood and move qi. In general, Chinese medicine can work synergistically with hormones and immunosuppressants in the treatment of rheumatoid immune diseases, enhance the efficacy of hormones or immunosuppressants, and reduce the use of hormones or immunosuppressants. 2.Improve patients’ discomfort such as fatigue, loss of appetite, insomnia, etc., and reduce the side effects of hormones and immunosuppressants. 3.It can alleviate the withdrawal reaction of hormones and help patients to reduce and stop hormones smoothly. 4.Improve the patient’s body resistance, reduce the number of relapses, delay the progress of the disease. Warm tips 1, must go to the regular hospital Chinese medicine outpatient clinic prescription, do not take unprocessed herbs, as well as prescription, prescription; 2, to trust the doctor, do not change the doctor, adhere to the medication, without haste and impatience; 3, can not be taken for a long time with the same prescription, need to be regularly re-examined, the doctor to make the appropriate adjustments; 4, try to boil the medicine, try not to take the pan-fried, do not take the whole ingredient granules; 5, the need to cooperate with the hormone and immunosuppressant treatment at the same time, the hormone and immunosuppressant treatment. Hormone and immunosuppressant treatment at the same time, do not arbitrarily stop taking, increase or decrease hormone or immunosuppressant; 6, when taking Chinese medicine and western medicine need to be spaced out for one hour; 7, keep a relaxed mood, eat a light diet, and exercise appropriately. In order to adapt to the fast-paced life, the following decoction methods are advocated: 1. Decoctions should be made in ceramic pots or casseroles; 2. Decoctions should be made in the evening every day, and one dose should be decocted twice in a row. Before decocting, soak the medicine in cold water for half an hour (do not use boiling water), the amount of water is submerged in the medicine and then 2-3 centimeters higher. 3.Don’t pour it out after soaking and start decocting directly. First boil with high heat, then switch to low heat and cook for another 20 minutes (10 minutes for cold medicine), except for special drugs, no need to decoct for a long time. Then pour out the first decoction, and then decoct again, the same method as above, no need to soak again in advance. 4, decocted after the second decoction and the first decoction of the juice mixed together, evenly divided into three parts. One part to drink at night, the other two parts to put in the refrigerator, one morning before going to work to heat up and take, the other put in a thermos cup to bring to the place of work to be taken after lunch.