I have just been diagnosed with Sjogren's Disease or Syndrome. The reason I'm posting it here is many of my peri symptoms mimic this disease IE: Dry VAGINA!, dry eyes, dry mouth, dry skin, fatigue, joint pain etc. I found out by getting my regular eye exam, with a brand new Dr.

There is no cure and it is quite uncommon but of the 4 million people that have this, 90% are women around the age of 40 and over. They think that hormones are related. Sjogrens (pronounced show grins) is an autoimmune problem. The immune system attacks the glands that secrete our moisture.

Do any of you know of this and care to share some info on managing it? I feel that it goes hand in hand with peri, what do you think?

Thanks in advance

Shakti

You did get the bloodwork done to test for this, right?

I also have sjrogens but it comes with my lupus which is also auto immune. There is really nothing they cna do for my dry eyes the optamologist seared my tear ducts shut and that for the most part really helps with that. Dry mouth I just drink alot, dry vagina use a lubricant. I have had this for years and am going on 39. I hope this helps a little.

I have to visit the Rhematologist first. I do know from what little the doctors have told me is that I do have elevated white cell count, terrible dry eyes, mouth and vagina as well as cracked and bleeding dry skin along with deblitating fatigue. My salivary glands are swollen but not to painful. I just have to manage my symptoms.

Oncourse, are you familiar with reading bloodpanel results? Do you have any suggestions on Sjogren's? This is kind of scary to me. The doctors don't tell me much and I should bring in a list of questions and get a copy of my bloodwork.

Lisa, thanks for your post and everything helps. I had never heard of this before. I'm glad to see that it's managable. I'm sorry that you have this and Lupus too. How do you feel? Is it okay for me to exercise? I love to walk and usually go for two miles a day. My joints don't bother me. I get so tired easily but not when I'm walking.

Any tips for the skin and fatigue, I have to work full time, would be much appreciated.

You can excercise if it doesn't bother you. I have Fibromyalgia along with the Lupus, sjrogens and much more, so I can't excercise I am in too much pain, the more I do the more I hurt.


You know I have really dry skin all of a sudden and cracked and peeling bottoms of my feet I never even thought of it being from sjrogens but I bet it is.

How timely - I just got home from the ER - tentative diagnosis Sjogren's. I have been having sympoms for past weeks - not knowing what it was - hormone deficit - or what - going crazy with all the dryness, etc. My bloodwork two weeks ago was normal for Sjogren's but I think that test is not 100 pct. I will have to see a rheumatologist (sp). I also have Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (since 1996) and last year pain doctor thought also Fibro.
Now Sjogren's? Today at ER got three "ringers" (?) of fluids.
Bloodwork/urine in normal range - saying I was hydrated really but externally did not feel it. I did feel better after the fluids.
But I think cried it all out after talking to the doctor.
I have been seeing a hormone doctor - will also discuss with him - as well Optho etc. I am using artificial tears. Will do something for the dry mouth and about dry/irritated vagina/vulva - dunno.
I had posted last week somewhere this site "labia weirdness"
and doctor thought was yeast - vaginally and orally. (Mid August had done ten days of Zithromax due to continued evelated white count). I had thought perhaps burning mouth syndrome as well.
Geez. Two if not three urine specimens don't show yeast - and swab/lab of vagina no yeast. My tongue has white coating - which looked like yeast - but must be due to dryness.
Lovely. My female parts still quite "off" - appear irritated and swollen - my labia minora - also weird - not usual form.
I am so tired of this - but so glad for this board - and knowing I am not alone. Oh - I will ask my hormone doctor for Estrogen replacement vaginally. Ideas on that? Those of us suffering - we must stay in touch and help each other. Deal?!

Hi Susu,

Before I knew about my Sjogren's I used Vagifem tablets for my vaginal dryness and they worked very well. I went off them because of the cancer warnings. I may reconsider as I sure am dry down there.

They say that even if your bloodwork is negative for Sjogren"s you still may have it. My eye doctor was the one who noticed and first sent me to my internist. She didn't send me to the rhemologist as I am not presenting joint problems and she can manage my problems.

My skin is very badly dry to the point of hardening and cracking and I just found a very thick cream from the drugstore, I used their brand name as it had the same ingredients as the twice as expensive one. I'll let you know if it works.

My eyes are so dry that I use a gel drop. I also wear clear lens or sunglasses all the time now to keep the air and wind off them.

Dry mouth- is a hard one as I don't like sugar free candy or gum, but they help supposedly. I just sip a lot of water.

Take good care of yourself and let us know how you're doing. I'm new at this too and could use all the help I can get.