Sjogren's? Eyes Don't Produce Tears Anymore
Jul 21, 2014
my eyes don't produce tears anymore (haven't cried in years, don't cry when i cut an onion). my mouth is dry. i seem 2 get oral thrush when i go down on this one girl who has problems with yeast infections but as far as i know i am not HIV+. my penis is usually dry too and i need lots of lubrication or lubricated condoms for sex to be good. my knees and ankles and sometimes hips are often sore, especially in the winter, even tho i am only 25 yrs old. could i have sjogren's or some other autoimmune disorder? how could i find out or get tested or treat it?
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There's a condition where tears do not flow even when you feel like crying, isn't there? What is it called? Is there a cure for this? Aside for drops used for 'dry eyes' what else can help this situation? Tnx.
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I have had dry eyes for about 2 year now (I also had lasik in 2005). Within the last 4 months my have have gotten really dry. I have all 4 tear ducts plugged and I am on Restasis. I also use sclera lenses (more for vision but also helps the dry eye). My eye dr said he thinks I may have Sjogren's even though I have never has a Schirmer's test (I am not sure how accurate that would be since i have had lasik anyway). tested positive for ANA 1:80 titer with homogeneous pattern but negative for RF and SSa and SSb. Should I pursue this further? Dry eyes are the only symptom I have.
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I suddenly was diagnosed with Sjogren's Syndrome 4 months ago. I had dry mouth for a year and my breath started to smelled so I thought it was a bad tooth. I started getting my teeth cleaned every 3 months.
Four months ago my eyes were constantly bloodshot. I am on resistais and I had plugs put in my bottom eyelids. I have tried numerous things. My eyes look horrible and my work keeps commenting on them. I want my eyes to look good so my boss will stop asking me if I got enough rest. I am the sole provider for my family and I don't know what to do to get my eyes to look normal again. Has anyone tried anything that works? This is my first posting about Sjogrens because I don't want to believe I have it but my eyes keep reminding me. My mouth has gotten better since my eyes and stomach have been attacked over the last four months. I am on nexium so my stomach is better but I was on nothing for years. I am only 43 years old so I am confused why this is attacking me now. My mom has MS and Rheumatoid Arthritis so I might have received it from her. She wasn't diagnosed until 55 and she had all of her systems in her 20's.
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I was tested for Sjogren's due to my eyes being so dry. I was negative for SSA and SSB but my ANA was 1:80 w/ the hemo pattern. I have read that anything less that 1:100 on an ANA test you can rule out CTD. The only symptom I have is dry eyes. Every now and then my feet tingle a little but that has been going on for as long as I can remember. I do have antithyroid antibodies and have been diagnosed with Hashimoto Thyroiditis. So with only the ANA being 1:80 and only really symptom dry eyes (mainly the right one). Do you think I should see a Rheumy Dr?
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Has anyone heard that HRT increases SS symptoms? I'm on a HRT in the form of a low dose patch. I've been experiencing dry/irritated eyes and read that HRT can make your eyes dryer in addition to the other risks associated w/SS.
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Having been officially diagnosed with Sjogren's syndrome about a year ago, I think back on ALL the diagnoses I have had related to it: "nutcracker esophagus and severe GERD", "esophageal spasms", polyarthritis, fibrotic lymph nodes, fibromyalgia, Prinzmetal angina, benign parotid tumor excision (trabecular adenoma), dry skin, dry mucous membranes, etc. and now know they are all part of the same syndrome, which has been steadily worsening and becoming more malignant (and I am only sixty). There are many other more serious difficulties, but now I'm wondering if I, too, will get non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, since that is what some people progress into. It is NOT that this frightens me at all--but now there is something of which to be aware (and I'm not certain my M.D. knows of this). I also have glaucoma and cataracts--so I really have to protect my eyes (and I have had a vitreous bleed into one of them).
My ophthalmologist (a retinologist) placed upper and lower tear duct plugs in my eyes--which has helped, but I still have to use lubrication. Since I am a writer and use the computer extensively, I find it quite hard on the dry eyes. I am extremely careful to drink lots of water and often mix pure fruit juice with my water to avoid calories (sugar) and to make the water more interesting. This does, however, exacerbate my stress incontinence gained after fracturing my back--for which I stay close to a toilet (but my writing is done at home.)
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A month ago I had severe reflux burning my throat and sinuses . I ended up at the emergency room.Dr said my throat was red and raw. They prescribed 40 mg of protonix in the am before food,and follow up with GP. Went to GP 3 days later still feeling miserable. She added Zantac 150 at bedtime. By the end of the first week called GI dr and he said stop taking Zantac and prescribed another 40 mg of protonix at bedtime, 80 mg total. Things started getting a little better not great. Still have pressure in chest and burning throat. It's driving me insane my anxiety is through the roof. I have lost 15 lbs in the past month. For years I would get a sore throat on my right side and my glands in my jaw would get sore like I ate a lemon the pain and sensations would come and go they went away when I started the protonix I would take tums going to bed because of slight heartburn and that would handle it. I see the GI Dr June 14th. I don't know if I can make it until then. I'm miserable
Here is what I've been eating the past month:
2 hard boiled eggs for breakfast
Lunch-- cup of broth and half of turkey breast sandwich on rye bread
Dinner very small portion of what we are having
The most relief I get is drinking chamomile tea with teaspoon of honey
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Anyone know how long tears on clitorus take to heal ?
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Typically, I am up at gone three in the morning, unable to sleep because of the discomfort I am in. OK, who am I kidding with "discomfort" here? I am in agony as usual and I feel completely alone and unsupported.
I am lying on the sofa, on my left side because I cannot bear for anything to touch my right side. My long-suffering partner is asleep in our bed – the bed I have not been able to rest in for almost six months. Every night I lie here, biting on one of my many pillows to try and stifle the screams (yes – screams; I do not exaggerate here) so that I don’t disturb him. There’s nothing he can do and he has to go to work, especially since I cannot and someone has to pay the bills.
I have lost my job, I have not been outside for four months, other than to go to see my doctor and then it’s a cab each way. I’m alone, almost every day, all day. I feel like nobody understands and I am trapped in this situation with no hope for escape and a lifetime of torment in front of me – I cannot see any light at the end of this tunnel of misery.
This pain has been going on for two years now and has built up from a nagging ache in my lower back to this indescribably intense suffering that has become unbearable.
I don’t think anyone is ‘getting’ how bad this is for me. It took months to get a diagnosis and any kind of treatment despite repeated trips to the surgery (I have only been receiving prescribed medication for two months).
I am seeing a physiotherapist and I am trying to do the gentle exercises she has given me but honestly, it’s hard. I am waiting for a MRI scan and two months in, I’m beginning to lose hope I will get one any time soon. I am on 100mg of Tramadol four times a day, 400mg of Ibuprofen four times a day between the Tramadol and 600mg of Gabapentin three times a day.
I am still in utter torture with pain running from my right buttock all the way down my leg to my big toe. I cannot sit down and, as mentioned previously, I have to lie on one side to even get a small shot at comfort. At least the excruciating calf and thigh cramps have stopped (I think the Gabapentin helped there).
But even with medication, the pain has me in tears, screaming and blinded by sweat for hours at a time. Brief moments of respite come maybe for an hour here and there but I am still acutely aware of the pain running down my lower right side all the while.
I have an appointment with my GP tomorrow. I want to tell him that my pain is so bad I would rather be dead and to please, please, please hurry up and find out why this is happening to me but, I’m not sure how to approach this without seeming hysterical.
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I have a bit of a problem with my foreskin as it gets tight when it have an erection and during sex sometimes splits. I never used to have this problem as it has only happened within the last year or so. I have been sexually active for about 10 years and the problem has only arisen over the last year or a bit longer. I think it was when I split it the first time during sex and then it sort of lost its ability to stretch as much as it used to. Sometimes it's fine once it heals but then after a long sex session it just starts getting weak and tearing again. I can see it might just be the ring that needs a bit of stretching but I'm not sure.
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Small but geometric -ish shape. This changes in 1/2 hour or more, the shape gets larger forming a getting larger approximate 'C' shape to the left of center. It is almost like me seeing a crude kaleidoscope . Eventually the thing disappears to the left. The shape seems to be of small triangles squares, anything 'sort of' geometric. I can see past it but still have to see the shape. Whichever eye I close I can still see it; close both I can see it! It has now cleared completely as I have not being looking at the sun or any strong light. Is it 'just one of those things' to be tolerated every now and then. I am 75 and in general good health
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I'm late 5s,have had floaters since my 20s,back then they were small black or clear dots,fast forward,late fifties,now i've had pvds in both eyes,vitreous gel shrinks and pulls away from the back of the eye,now i have these clear to gauzy larger floaters,plus one large clumpy black one and I can't ignore them anymore. PVD is age related. I am just lucky enough to have these awful larger ones that can blur and obstruct vision. How does a person deal with it. Oh yes I also am starting to have dry eyes. Both also can cause hazy vision. Unless you've experienced it,no one else can relate
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The squint(left eye) had been developed at an age of 3 or 4 years I think... A cataract was also developed in it.. It had been ignored by me as I was not able to focus on it while seeing things... Cataract was recently removed(At an age of 18) by a laser treatment... But after the treatment also I had not get my vision back for my left eye (lazy eye).. I'm not able to see with that I now... Can I improve my left eye's vision...? If I can't.. Then how can I correct my eyes appearance... My left eye is little outwards from it's actual direction.
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I have this squint since childhood. My eyes move outward. It happens a lot when I'm tired or try to look quickly at something, It was diagnosed early and I was asked to do a regular exercise with pencil. I had to Keep pencil in front of my nose and look at it and then slowly move the pencil forward and repeat it several times. The later I was given glasses and it improved it a little but then again it got as it was earlier. My vision is 6 by 6. But its just I don't have proper control over the muscles. They seem to be aligned but when I'm tired or move eyes they go outward. I wanted to know how it can be permanently corrected. It just disturbs me and I always feel a stress on my eyes. I have this irritation over eyes too and itching which makes it even worse. How it can be treated or it can be operated? I guess it would be easier with operation and I would go for it but I was asked to do exercise and told that it will stay but will get better, It was 30 degrees.
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I have the SLE-Raynaud's-Sjogren's package of auto-immune illness (listed in the order of diagnosis). The Sjogren's is the latest and most burdensome flavor of the decade for me. I was diagnosed with it about 3 years ago but was probably suffering from it for several years prior before the symptoms persisted enough to result in a diagnosis. I guess that's typical. It was with the SLE and the Raynaud's.
I can't imagine it could get any worse, but I get the impression that I might be "early" in the cycle and that scares me. No tears, corneal erosions, no spit, heroic (expensive and painful) dental treatments to save teeth that may already be doomed, pain, fatigue. Little annoyances that by themselves are "nothing" all together its a spirit crusher. Can it possibly get worse?
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I've noticed a few times that after standing relatively still for long periods of time (i.e. at a concert), the lower half of my legs is covered with a strange rash by the end of the evening. It's not itchy, not painful, but very visible. Of course, standing for long periods of time is painful on my joints, etc., but the rash itself isn't painful. With that though, my feet often feel strangely swollen and hot after lots of standing; that part is a little painful. I finally looked it up last night after it happening again and came upon something called "Vasculitis." I've made an appointment with a Rheumatologist to discuss further, but I'm curious to know if others have have experienced this. I generally ignore my symptoms and power through because I'm no fan of fussing, but this strikes me as a little stranger than dry eyes and creaky joints.
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Around the same time I was diagnosed with Sjogrens; I was also diagnosed with ADD. And I have been taking adderall for it. But, I have been wondering could the symptoms I have for ADD (restlessness, unable to focus, forgetfulness, and confusion) be from Sjogrens? My rheumatologist is thinking about changing things around. But, I wanted to see if anyone else has had similar experiences; before I start messing with different medications.
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My dentist told me today that I need upper dentures due to Sjogren's Syndrome. Has anyone else had to get dentures and how did you deal with it?
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Anybody tried it? I've just started. I'd been reading up on it on-line for some time. It's supposed to be the bee's knees for the whole sicca syndrome, and dry eyes in particular. As I was due to spend a few days in London last week, I debated getting some, but decided it was too expensive.
Then fate took a hand. As I haven't had dry eyes for months now, I didn't take my eye drops with me. That's the trouble with remissions - you forget you've got the wretched condition and get cocky! First night in the place where I stay it was a bit stuffy, so I turned on the air-conditioning for half an hour. One of those individual ones that blows air out fiercely however low you set it. I sat up in bed, facing it, watching the TV for just half an hour before going to sleep, but that was enough. I managed to get replacement eye drops the next morning, but now I'm in big trouble. Decided to invest in the sea buckthorn oil anyway, and have now been taking it for a week.
They say you're supposed to take four capsules a day for the first two weeks then cut down to two, but I'm being careful. Took one a day the first week, will start on two tomorrow and build up to four by the end of the month. I once had a terrifying experience on a low starter dose of Siberian ginseng. Just because something is "natural" doesn't mean it won't harm you!
Sea buckthorn is also said to be good for RA. The main ingredient is Omega 7, btw, but it also has Omega 3, 6 and 9 - though a different type of Omega 3 than fish oil. I'll be interested to see how that works out. I'm actually having an RA flare-up at the moment, but it seems to have peaked since I started my usual homeopathic treatment a few weeks ago. As I'm taking the oil alongside the homeopathic remedies, that will muddy the waters, of course. But I'll stay on the homeopathy for six months because it always works.
I hear you have to wait three months for Omega 7 to kick in, so I may be in for the long haul with the dry eyes. My right eye is already starting to bleed from a crack at the outer corner. We're having high winds here at the moment, which isn't helping things, particularly as my hips and knees have now improved enough to stand a 45-minute walk most days. I finally caved in today, and put on my wrap-around industrial goggles (provided by an optician in the UK). But I feel a right berk wearing them when walking around city streets - especially as it's not considered rude to stare in this country!
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Is anyone aware of a linkage between isotretinoin (Accutane), used for treating cystic acne, and Sjogren's, which is linked to the epithelial cells? At 21, when Accutane first appeared, doses were higher than current (I remember my skin bleeding when scratching lightly with a fingernail). I am now 51, and have had Raynaud's for a number of years, and was just diagnosed with Sjogren's. Just curious if anyone has seen this?
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