Case Study on Sarcoidosis, March 2, 1992

Case Study on Sarcoidosis, March 2, 1992

In the winter of the Year of the Monkey, I treated the wife of Ma Peifang, director of the Provincial Education Commission, who was diagnosed with sarcoidosis. Her condition presented with nodular changes in the lungs, accompanied by fever, cough, generalized joint pain, and significantly elevated ESR—four major characteristics. In addition, she also exhibited symptoms of yin deficiency and internal heat, such as bone-steaming hotness, five-heart vexation, and night sweats. I adjusted the treatment based on Ma Xing Shi Gan Tang combined with Dang Gui Liu Huang Tang, Tao Hong Si Wu, and Xue Fu Zhu Yu Tang, achieving remarkably good clinical results. With only a small dose of hormones (totaling 15 mg per day), she was cured within two months. Recent studies by Japanese researchers have highly praised the efficacy of Huang Lian Jie Du Tang in treating this disease. This formula is effective for gastric ulcers, chronic gastritis, hypertension, arteriosclerosis, insomnia, depression, and now also sarcoidosis. A common feature among these conditions is autonomic nervous system dysfunction, typically characterized by sympathetic dominance. According to traditional Chinese medicine, this formula works by clearing heat and drying dampness; heat refers to the heat within the body, so it pairs well with dampness. All these conditions rely on sympathetic overactivity, which is why the “Three Yellow” ingredients are particularly effective.