Sjogren's Syndrome: In a Panic

[helpmeout]

Please someone respond,
I am desperate...I have extermely dry mouth and eyes, I am scared that I have Sjgern's or something...please help. I am in a panic...I have been on meds that are said to cause dryness, but even when I don't take them for a day, I still get extremly dryed out. It was horrible last night. I am so scared...someone please help, I cannot think straight. I am sorry to sound like a freak , but I don't know what else to do. I thought that if I stopped taking the meds, the dryness would go away but it is not. I feel like I have no other coincedences.

Please help, I am desperate...
Amanda

 

[LisaQ.]

Hi Amanda,
I wouldn't worry, particularly since the dryness is a side effect of your meds.

Have you had labwork done?

Sjogren's has many other symptoms besides the dry mouth and dry eyes, and fascics aren't one of them. In addition, dry mouth and eyes are common symptoms to all the auto-immune disorders (bfs possibly being auto-immune..)

Besides, I have a girlfriend who has Sjogren's, and she's groovy.

Take a deep breath...you are fine, my friend.
Blessings,
Sue

 

[bluestarman]

Some of the meds that cause dryness may take much longer to get out of your system than you are allowing them. Dry eyes and mouth are caused by a lot of other things.

Sjogrens isn't a death sentence either or a harbinger of serious disability, by any means--more of an inconvenience if properly managed, so even your worst fears are by no means bad. I know when you're dealing with the wierdness of twitching (and the anxiety that comes along with it), every little thing out of whack seems like the end of the world. Most of us are there or have been there--really!! I had a week of dry eyes and mouth (even had a doc comment on how dry my mouth was), leaving me worrying about needing to get tested for this and that. My doc did ESR, RF, and ANA tests, and when all were negative, stopped the fear cascade right there. ANA also will help kill off the usual lupus and many auto-immune fears at the same time.

Sure enough, my eyes and dry mouth disappeared within a couple of weeks--I chalk them up to allergy. Interestingly, one of the differential diagnoses for Sjogrens-like symptoms is good ol' anxiety. Anxiety is that powerful...!