I've only been recently dx with sjogren's, but I realize in hindsight that I've had dry eye and dry mouth, in particular, problems for a number of years. It's just that prior to the past year or so, the eye problems in particular were very transient. The dry eyes might last a day or two, a week maximum, and then it would even out. I stopped wearing contact lenses last year--eyes were too irritated to continue with the contacts. I chalked up the dry mouth to allergies and/or anxiety issues? Both problem got significantly worse in the past 6 months. My eyes are routinely sore, itchy, and I wake up every morning with mucous in them. Often I have a filmy lense over them, which I think is probably my eyes making excessive mucous. My mouth feels like it has cotton in it most of the time, but especially in the morning. I have to have something to drink all of the time. I cannot talk without having liquid; I cannot eat without having liquid. I often choke, and I also have trouble swallowing at times (food sticks in my throat). When i research this, sjogren's comes up every single time. Oh, I also have arthritis, non-erosive, and a positive rf, both of which are also consistent with a sjogren's dx. I guess my point is that the symptoms of this disease are so insidious that it took several years for me, and my rheumy, to actually put it together. I still need diagnostic testing done, probably from my opthamologist, but I'm pretty sure I have sjogren's. I never mentioned the sx to my rheumy before because it seemed like they were such mild sx compared to my arthritis sx. Unfortunately, it was probably a piece of the puzzle that my rheumy needed a long time ago. Definitely mention your sx to your doctor; let him or her put the puzzle together. That's what you're paying them for anyway.
Elcamino