Sjogren's

I've been on this site since about September, mostly just getting a feel and trying to understand my own health. (I've never been formally diagnosed)  I've always thought of the possibility of Lupus, being that my father, aunt, and grandmother all have it. But now I see that I have symptoms of Sjogren's...I had never really heard of it before.  

I was reading a post from earlier on about eyes getting swollen-- that has been something that doctors cant diagnose.  It's not allergies (or they can pin it down) and it happens at any random time. It's always one eye, and its not always the same one. So I did a little research and found that people with Sjogren's have problems with mouth sores and swallowing.

Is there anyone that can tell me a little bit about their own experience with Sjogren's? 

Oh and I am interested to know...is there anyone who has problems with their thyroid because of this or Lupus?

(sorry for the length)

-Dana

Hi Dana, sorry to hear you are having health problems, hope you get some answers soon.

I have Hashimoto's (autoimmune thyroid disease), Lupus and Sjogrens. It goes hand in hand with lupus a lot of the time. I was dx with thyroid first, then some other stuff then lupus and here came the sjogrens. I get a dry mouth more than anything and one of my blood test was positive (anti-SSA), which can also be positive in lupus. I also have mouth sores, I guess that could be from lupus or sjogrens... who knows. I know they appear when I am going into a flare. Like Babs, folic acid seems to help my mouth sores more than anything.

Take care and let us know how you are doing.

Hi Dana,

I've been on this site for a while, but this is my first post in a long time. I too have Sjogren's, lupus (SLE), Hashimoto's thyroid, rheumatoid arthritis, Reynaud's, and now they're investigating something with my liver. The Sjogren's is the worst, though, right now. My mouth is constantly dry; I drink about 200 oz water or more daily. My eyes get dry, sore, puffy eyelids and dark circles under my eyes that drive me crazy. I use Restasis when I remember it, and it helps somewhat. I notice that when I get tired, that "lupus tired", it hits my eyes first. It's hard to describe the feeling, but very different from regular tired like other people feel. (I was diagnosed with all this in November 2006, by the way).

I've also had all my teeth pulled and got dentures over the summer because the Sjogren's attacked my teeth so badly. I'm only 39, so it's been quite an adjustment, but now I'm glad I did it. (If anyone has questions about that process, I'd be glad to answer them). The constant cavities, breaking teeth, gum infections, and outrageous dental bills were just too much for me. Fortunately, I don't get the mouth sores much anymore. I don't know if it's because of the dentures or not, but I'm grateful for that!!!

I take Armour thyroid medication, and although the doctor is still adjusting the dose, I feel great most of the time. I take Plaquenil too, and a number of vitamins/supplements. (Fish oil, prescription strength, Evening primrose oil, vitamin D, vitamin B12). I also take two medications to manage asthma/lung issues. But I went from being so ill I couldn't work for a while last year, being stuck using a nebulizer because the lupus was attacking my lungs, to working full time again, going out on the occasional night, living a nearly full life again. I've lost almost 70 pounds since April, and feel healthy both physically and emotionally most of the time. It's been a huge process, one that changed my life in every way, but I have learned so much.