Really painful, dry nose and bleeding...?'s

Hi, everyone. I have successfully tapered to 8mg everyday and have been taking that for 23 days today. My blood sugar also still seems to be trying to improve. I have gotten several more normal readings that are even lower than they have been in the past. I just continue eating the way I have learned and hope that it will eventually get all better if I can taper low enough. My question now has to do with my nose. This is something I feared would happen earlier in the fall when the temps wildly dropped a couple of times. The inside walls of my nose feel raw. I do not feel any ulcers though. It's just generally sore, so I do not think it is from this taper I think it's just because it's gotten cooler. I do have the Sjogren's antibodies and my previous rheumy thought my nose problems were to do with that. This year though, it is already worse than ever before. Now, not only do I wake each morning unable to breath because it is filled with dried mucus (sorry), but when I clean it out the walls are bleeding. I have avoided spraying anything into my nose as every time I have in the past even with something as simple as generic saline to provide moisture, I get sick. I just picked up something called Ayr yesterday to try. It is a saline solution, but in a gel form. It also has soothing aloe in it. I do feel relief upon applying it, but it still dries out very quickly. I am using this three times a day and again at bedtime. Does anyone else deal with this? If so, what do you find helpful? My current rheumy when I ran this by him last month thought it was allergy/pollen related. With the pollen counts here being very low now, and my nose getting worse not better; I think it must be something else. Any help would be appreciated. Oh, and on the outside bottom/center of my nose it is bright red too. I have an appt. coming up this Thurday with my rheumy. Thanks so much,

Hi Sharen,

 

Yeah, your sjogren's might be flaring up right now.  Lynnwood's suggestion for a humidifier is excellent.  I live in a very dry climate, and a humidifier works wonders.  You can get a small one and put it beside your bed at night.  I'd talk to your rheumy about more if it continues to bother you.  But the weather and your sjogrens is likely the culprits.

 

Ginny

I too am deaing with this. I have a ulcer on the left side right now that hasn't healed since the beginning of September, but the good thing is that using a little neosporin 4-5 times a day helps alot. It does not dry out as fast as other things I have tried. I think maybe with the humidifier and Neosporin you might get some relief, not necessarily healing but relief.
My question to you is you mention " the Sjogren's antibodies and my previous rheumy thought my nose problems were to do with that." Can you explain this to me a little, I was unaware taht the nose sores could be realted to Sjogren's...My feet are always freezing and sometimes my hands too, do you think I should discuss this with rheumy? She has never mentioned any of this to me before.

Thanks, Lynnwood, Ginny, Knickers, Carol, and Susie. I just got back from my rheumy appt. He listened as I explained what was going on now and carefully looked at my nose. He thinks it definitely has to do with the temperature change as well as my having to use the heat. He talked about how the heat is drying and does lessen the amount of humidity in the air. A+ for you guys! I think you are all probably really close to getting your doctor's degrees, right? This disease sure works overtime to gear you up for one! He named the Ayr product just as I was getting ready to pull it out to discuss it with him. He suggested my using that to moisturize the inside of my nose, but to use simple vaseline on the outside sore part. He said that the Ayr saline solution is made out of the type things your body makes naturally for moisture so it would be safe to use often like I'm having to do. (I started using it 3 times a day and right before bed the day I got it.) He said they also add things to it to prevent infection and bacteria growth. My nose has already much improved, but he could see what it had been doing (especially with the large red splotch on the end of it like a witch or something! I hate this disease!). It is not bleeding or really sore to the touch already! He did attribute some of it to the Sjogren's as well. We discussed my latest taper too. I am going to try tapering to 7mg every other day beginning tomorrow. Keep your fingers crossed everyone! Susie, I'm not absolutely sure the ulcer you're fighting can be attributed to Sjogren's (I'm no doc though). Sjögren's syndrome is where your immune system mistakenly attacks its own moisture producing glands. The mucous membranes (nose) and moisture-secreting glands of your eyes and mouth are usually affected first. My nose does not have an ulcer on the inside this time although I have fought those painful things before as well. I would suggest you trying some simple vaseline on that ulcer for relief and it helps it to heal faster too. That's a tip I read in Daniel J. Wallace's book and it did work for mine before. I definitely think it worth mentioning the problems you're experiencing with the cold hands and feet to your doc. Raynaud's phenomenon (extreme sensitivity to cold in the hands and feet) comes to mind although it is seen in lupus too. While your doc may not mention these things to you, you need to mention any problems you develop to her. For example, my nose did this last year, but it is already doing far worse than it did before. Your disease can change, problems may worsen or new symptoms even appear. Thanks for all of your support. Let us know how you do Susie. Thanks,

Hi Marji, you must have posted as I was finishing up my last one. Thanks for the info. I think those meds you mentioned must be some of what he was referring to going over with me if trying what I mentioned in my last post did not relieve the problem. Thanks a lot. Take care,