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Posted 9/3/2008 2:04 AM (GMT 0)
Sorry if this was recently discussed - I tried to search it but couldn't come up with anything.

Does anyone suffer from dry eyes and mouth? I've noticed lately that my eyes are dry and I blink quite often. My mouth also gets very dry and I constantly drink water - almost constantly! I hurt right now very badly - shakehead   today was a bad day and I can't take pain meds at night.

Thanks

Posted 9/3/2008 2:28 AM (GMT 0)
I have that. It's called Sjogren's syndrome or disease. It's an auto-immune disease where your immune system attacks your saliva and tear glands. Some take meds for it, I just drink lots of water (my mouth is much worse than my eyes). Also I use a CPAP machine for sleep apnea and it has a humidifier built in that really helps my dry mouth at night. Diane
Posted 9/3/2008 12:39 PM (GMT 0)
I fault the meds. I also suffer from dry eyes and always carry artificial tears with me whereever I go. I also always have a drink closeby especially out in public where I have to be able to interact, which requires talking and my mouth feels like it's full of marbles. If I'm talking to a doctor or pharmacist, i simply state "my mouth is dry, please give me a minute, it's the meds."If I'm talking to someone else, I claim I'm short of breath, please give me a moment (this is not a little white lie), I'm frequently short of breath.

Posted 9/3/2008 1:36 PM (GMT 0)
I tested negative for Sjogren's, but have serious problems with both dry eyes and mouth, both of which can be symptoms of Fibromyalgia. 

 

There are several over the counter items that can help.  For dry eyes, you can use moisturizing drops during the day, and there is this stuff made by Bausch & Lomb called "Night Time Lubricant Eye Ointment - Pessistent Dry Eye" (long name, little box).  It is like an ointment in a tube that you put into your eyes before you go to sleep.  I have to use it every night or I can hardly open my eyes in the morning.  You can find it by the contact lens products.

 

For dry mouth, there are several products under the name "Biotene."  They offer a mouthwash, toothpaste, and even a gel that you can squirt into your mouth when it gets really sore from dryness.  Wal-Mart and many drugstores carry Biotene.

 

I've dealt with both of these problems for years, and I have to use this stuff religiously or I will be miserable.

 

Posted 9/3/2008 1:47 PM (GMT 0)

You are not alone.  My dry eyes and mouth are from my meds.  I take antidepressants for the FM and that is one of the side effects.  My eyes and teeth are suffering for it, I have had a prescription change in my eyes in less than one year.  I do use eye drops, optive is what the doctor gave me and then for my mouth I use a spray and mouth rinse a few times a day.  Biotine, I think that is the name.  They do help but I find that I still need to carry water with me where ever I go.  My dentist also told me to chew sugar free gum with xylitol in it.  The xylitol kills the bad bacteria.  I hope you find a solution to the problem because I know how bad it can get.

Meggie

Posted 9/3/2008 1:49 PM (GMT 0)
Fibro can cause dry eyes and mouth, meds and sjogrens so I'm a walking desert. It is a real pain cause I can't go anywhere without having to carry a drink with me. My mouth and throat get so dry it gags me, I can't talk without a drink and many mornings I wake up with my tongue cracked open from the dryness. My whole body is dry inside and out and it doesn't matter how much I drink. My gums have suffered from the lack of saliva to wash the bacteria away.

 

My saliva glands swell do your's Diane??

 

luv and hugs

Marlee

Posted 9/3/2008 1:51 PM (GMT 0)
where are the saliva glands?  getting so much info - thanks all

I will definitely try some of the products.

Posted 9/3/2008 2:46 PM (GMT 0)
You have saliva glands under your tongue on both sides of your mouth and in the front of your mouth under your tongue.

 

The biotene and other products for dry mouth only work a very short time for me. I have rinses, toothpaste, sprays, gum and mints.

 

luv and hugs

Marlee

Posted 9/3/2008 4:21 PM (GMT 0)
I'm not sure if my saliva glands swell. Sometimes I think every gland in my body is swollen LOL But the drs. never seem to think they are. I used to wake up with a leathery tongue and mouth--totally dry! But I am kind of lucky with the CPAP machine, it really takes care of that. Diane
Posted 9/3/2008 4:44 PM (GMT 0)

I'm supposed to go for a sleep study - but I'm thinking that if I can't sleep in my own bed most of the time - how the heck am I going to fall asleep somewhere else - especially without my klonopin?? smilewinkgrin

I'm pretty sure I do have sleep apnea - my brother and father have it.

Posted 9/3/2008 5:14 PM (GMT 0)
I tested negative to, so i fault the meds as well, always have some thing to drinkwith me or i get choked up real easly.The gum with the xyitol helps too..
Posted 9/4/2008 5:47 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Diane,

I have thyroid probs also and I know that cAN Affect your eyes , are you hypo or hyper thyroid with hashimotos? i cantt rmember. If it is hyper then that can also caus esome dry mouth but like others i think alot of it can be caused from meds, (the dry mouth)   I also have to carry water with me everywhere I go or my tongue swells and i cannot make a sentence that can be understood. It is embaressing and also painful. I keep tic tacs  in case of an emergency or a small piece of hard candy like lemon drops or anything that makes you drool. Hope you find the answers and get some relief soon! good luck

Breath

P S ...Once i finally got my Bipap machine, I got so excited because I started  noticing a little bit of drool on my face when I would wake up! I was soooo excited! I remember before I got sick that when I took a really good nap i would drool like crazy! matter of fact i even had this little couch pillow that i used to nap with because it had drool marks all over it! You could tell if I had taken a short nap or a really great loooong nap by how large the srool spot was. My husband (ex hubby now) would twease ne about my drool marks!    good memories  lol. ahhh, those were the days.

Posted 9/4/2008 6:14 PM (GMT 0)
i have dry mouth. i thought it was cuz of these meds i took a while back.. (one of the symptoms was dry mouth).. but it just stayed even after i was off the meds.

i also drink lots of water.

my eyes aren't too bad. in terms of dryness. they are a bit.. but i have allergies and sensitivity to light.. that bothers me much more (the sensitivity to light)

i can't go anywhere without my sunglasses.

I've always had that problem though.

I sleep with a sleep mask to cover my eyes anywhere other than my room (my room is DARK .. like a cocoon.. haha.. i cannot stand the light. it hurts me so bad!)
: (
Posted 9/4/2008 9:36 PM (GMT 0)
I guess that is one good thing I don't have to worry about, drooling in my sleep.

 

I must say it makes me feel better, but sorry for all of you that have to take a bottle of water everywhere you go. I have taken water to funerals, I have to or I would start gaging which would be very embarrassing.

 

Booboo, I was thinking about having a sleep study done but I never did and I thought they said to go ahead and take your normal meds before you had it done. I don't know how I would do without xanax, it is my best friend at bedtime. smhair

 

luv and hugs

Marlee

Posted 9/4/2008 10:28 PM (GMT 0)
When I had my sleep study done they gave me a choice of ambien or lunesta! I take lunesta anyway so I took that!
Breath
Posted 9/5/2008 3:13 AM (GMT 0)
When I had my sleep study, they told me to take my regular meds and I also took Ambien to make sure I could sleep. Diane
Posted 9/5/2008 3:57 PM (GMT 0)
Marlee, I know it's not a laughing matter, but your taking a water bottle to a funeral reminded me so much of myself that I had to smile. 

I always carry a small water bottle in my purse when I won't have access to something to drink.  If I am at the theater, a play, a concert, etc. (all of the places you aren't supposed to have food or drink), you can find me crouched down behind the seat in front of me taking illegal sips of water.  nono   I've even been known to go hide in the the bathroom just so I can take a drink (I hate public water fountains).  Church and funerals are no exception; I always have the ever present water bottle.

 

In my defense, my mouth sometimes gets so dry that my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth.  So, in order to function, gotta have the water bottle.

Posted 9/5/2008 4:56 PM (GMT 0)
I hear you, I do try to take a sip as discreetly as possible as needed, but there are many things that I couldn't attend if I didn't take my water. Maybe we can find some type of bottle with a clear straw in it that won't spill to sip from. tongue Although I am at a point in my life where I really don't care what people think anymore, I do what I have to do to live the best I can. If others don't understand this too bad.

 

I went to doc late yesterday afternoon for the sore throats I've been having and he thinks it has more to do with the dryness. The swollen saliva glands are because my body secretions are so thick they stop everything up. He has recommended sugarless lemon drops in the past to get things flowing.

 

luv and hugs

Marlee

Posted 9/5/2008 6:15 PM (GMT 0)

Marlee, I was caught by something you said, re: salivary glands. A dentist I USED to go to laughed once when I was spitting out in the bowl. I asked what was so funny, he said I had very ropey saliva. I never thought my saliva was any different than anyone else's but I guess I was wrong. I have never been told by any dentist or dr. that there is any swelling in the glands. A few yrs. ago my nephew who was 15 at the time did have a prob, the dr told him he had stones in his salivary glands. He had to have them removed and they are watching in case it happens again. There was also a case of cancer in the salivary gland in the family once. It seems such an odd thing that you never think about it, until there is a prob. I did a lot of reading on FMS and a couple of the symptoms of it are swollen glands and thick secretions.

I also take my large water bottle w/ me everywhere. My mouth gets so dry. I also have a pack of gum on me at all times, yeah the sugar free. Whenever I exercise or walk I make sure I have a pc of gum, otherwise I dry out.

My throat has been so sore and burning this past wk, but it is due to acid reflux. I rarely get it, so I hate to take daily meds for it, it must be 6 months since last bout. This time it has lasted for a wk, usually much shorter. Still don't know what caused it.

I hope your lemon drops help to get things flowing, it does sound painful w/ the sore throats all the time. Hope you're feeling better.

God bless.  Alice.   

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