Sjorgrens question | Arthritis Information

 

Seriously do you get more relieve from higher dose pred or RA meds. Does anything work for this. Because this is causing all of these infections is the dryness. I know people said they had tear ducts put in there eyes. Doesn't any medication help? I feel that higher pred dose helps some maybe not enough but some. Is that my imagination or not.Duct's didn't really help too much. We are trying hard to lower the dose
of pred due to increased pressures in the eyes. I do use tobradex eye
drops once a day if the eyes aren't flaring.

Basically, the opthmologist is hoping that the Orencia gets things under
control. I use over the counter drops as well but the eyes are
deteriorating. It seems I have either scleritis or keratits all the time. This
is a direct result of the Sjorgens. If you come up with an answers-please
let me know!

BeckyHi Milly, I went to see my eye specialist yesterday and he said to use SYSTANE eye drops for dry eye, he reckons it is the rolls royce of eye drops, also he told me that the pred was causing it, and if I hadn't gone to see an eye specialist 2 years ago, I would be blind after 5 years due to eye pressure from Pred.  He also said that cataracts are now forming from the pred.  So my advice to you is lower the pred whenever possible, it is definitely not a safe drug in terms of long term side effects.

He gave me a bottle of Systane to try, I can let you know if you like how good/bad it is.  Up until now I have been using Refresh Liquigel eye drops.  Best of luck from Janie.
Restasis is also an option. Didn't make a difference for me but it does for
some. My dr. says about 30% of their patients see an improvement. He
did say that some insurance companies don't cover it and it is expensive
if not covered.

All right i worded this wrong i guess. The dryness that mostly bothers me is the throat. Well i guess it all bothers me. My eyes had dryness and pressure before the pred. I guess that my problems are just getting started. Like the night i started the pred i was chooking from a dry throat, that was a couple of months ago. Then i had been faring pretty well on the pred at 5 mg. Then i got a cold and i had to increase the pred to 7.5. I mean will darmd's help? Some? I can't drink when i am asleep so what would i do if i cut out my pred? I guess i can turn my room into a rain forest. That would be kind of cool actually. I do know to stay away from antihystimines and things like that learned the hard way. Wow guys...I have been having eye problems for the past several months now. My eyes get dry easily and get red, tender, and crusty (sorry) in the corners by tear ducts. Does this sound like it has to do with RA, pred, other meds, or just plain old eye allergies? My eye doc gave me Patanol... Blessed39430.9749305556Hi Blessed, I would definitely see an eye specialist.  My GP says anyone with RA should be ubnder an eye specialist also especially if you're eyes are not behaving.  I only had black specks and shadows occasionally in my eyes and when I saw the specialist he said, I had open angle glaucoma, pressure was 42/40 in eyes and this can cause blindness if not picked up, and the optic nerve can be damaged, I am having a test for that in June next year.  Then I developed episcleritis which is irritable and itchy and sometimes a discharge, they prescribed steroid eye drops, unbelievable I know but thats what it took. 

So please make an appointment, your GP will have to refer you.  Hugs Janie.  I know that there is a mouthwash that is available for sjorgens. Not quite
sure what that is though.

DMARD's should help but you may need to move to the bigger guns.
When your disease is under control-the sjorgens should improve.

My eyes, nose and the corners of my mouth are very dry due to Sjogren's, and my rheum told me there is virtually nothing to be done except to treat with topical ointments and drops.  My right eye especially gets inflamed and VERY sore frequently, and the edges/corners of my mouth crack open.  I use drops and a glycerin type ointment all the time, but the symptoms just come and go from day to day.

No doubt about it, Sjogren's sucks.

I have had plugs but in my eye ducts to keep the moisture that I do have in. I use restasis drops and I use "biotene" mouth wash and they have other products.  Here is a link.

http://www.laclede.com/
[QUOTE=janiefx]Hi Blessed, I would definitely see an eye specialist.  My GP says anyone with RA should be ubnder an eye specialist also especially if you're eyes are not behaving.  I only had black specks and shadows occasionally in my eyes and when I saw the specialist he said, I had open angle glaucoma, pressure was 42/40 in eyes and this can cause blindness if not picked up, and the optic nerve can be damaged, I am having a test for that in June next year.  Then I developed episcleritis which is irritable and itchy and sometimes a discharge, they prescribed steroid eye drops, unbelievable I know but thats what it took. 

So please make an appointment, your GP will have to refer you.  Hugs Janie.  [/QUOTE]

Well I went back to my new Eye Doc today. Told him I was still having problems with my eyes swelling in the corners (by nose), drying out a lot and itching. I explained that I was concerned that it may be from my meds or RA... He examined me and told me he thought I had dry eye and allergies. Said I had several dry spots on my eyes and that I needed to use artificial tears 4 times a day. He also said that my oil glands (along the bottom lashes) were somewhat clogged and that I needed to do a 10 minute daily warm compress on my eyes and then roll my finger upward on the bottom of my eyes.

I asked if he thought it was from the pred, mtx, plaq, or Ra? He said, "nah, not really...just think you eyes are dry and some allergies." Well he is a young doc and I'm wondering if he's wrong. Am I just being overly worried???
I can not take any allergie meds any more. I am way to dry. Mine seems a bit to vary from day to day. I was wondering that myself how dry an eye doc would want you. My regular doc has seen me dry. My first advise if you think you have sjorgrens go to the dentist, lack of saliva is hard on the teeth. Some days i have a few tears and some days i do not. But i just think allergies is itchy watery eyes. I know i have allergies but i do not have watery eyes. So WOW i quit taking the allergie meds personally. I had thought i had this for years. But the deal is it is really bad now.

Just a question about Sjorgrens....I've been having a REALLY dry mouth lately, sore cracked corners and just general cotton dry mouth, but I dont' know if it is caused by a stuffy nose so I mouth breath, or because of some of the meds I'm taking, or I'm not drinking enough, or something else. 

How do you know if you have Sjorgrens?

Yes i breath with my mouth open lately i do not know why? I do not seem to get enough air threw my nose. I have to much swelling on my chest and it feels as if i have to put so much effort to get a good breath. Well your eyes and mouth get dry. I am dry everywhere it seems throat and beyond. My throat was so dry it was like shriveled up and i was sick on blood work bad with infection and the doc was like wow, because i was so dry i was to dry to turn red. It was wierd. I had a cold last week it did make the sjorgrens flare up pretty bad. I know if it gets this bad you will notice. Sometimes i choke from the dryness at night. My saliva glands swell. My eyes dry up. But i guess you tell your doctor. They do test at eye doc. I guess they have a few test. I don't guess i wouldn't need much testing at this point it is to apparent. General practitioner already told me he was certain i had it. Well i did my share of complaining first but he saw it. When you have no moisture what do you need to test for? But there is probably a stage you can have before it is this bad. Ask your RD.They do a test where they put little strips under you eyelids and test how
far the moisture travels along it. Plus-they can do a lip biopsy.

SJorgen's can be serious if left unchecked. However, many other things
can cause dry eyes as well. I would do what the eye dr. says, and if no
improvement, bring it up again.

I have struggled with this for the past 2 years with my eyes. The constant
infections and the corenal bruising have already altered my prescription
and we are trying to prevent it getting worse. As I have said before-good
thing my eye dr. is attractive since I see him more then my own family
members.
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