Hey all. I've been diagnosed with sero-positive RA for a year this month. I'm currently taking Plaquenil, MTX and Relafen to control and manage the disease.
Within the last month I've began getting some very dry, scaley patches on the sides of my fingers on one hand. These areas are painful when they get rubbed acrossed bed sheets, clothing, etc., and seem to be more irritated first thing in the morning. These areas have been getting small lesions (deep cracks) within them that have been bleeding and very sore. I've been using moisturizing lotion and while it has helped a little it has not remedied the issue and it seems to be getting worse. Could this be Sjogrens? I do have dry eyes that have caused me to not be able to wear contact lenses for the past 9 months. I mentioned this eye dryness to my Opthamologist when I was there last for my vision field test (due to Plaquenil) and he merely said that it was common for many with RA to not be able to wear contacts due to dryness and swelling of the eyes. My mouth also gets very dry, although I don't notice it as much during the day because I'm constantly consuming water. I do wake up at night with a very dry mouth though.
Any thoughts?
I go back for my (3) month Rheumy check up on Jan. 3, 2008. I'm going to discuss these issues with him but I thought I'd see if any of you had any ideas on whether this could be Sjogrens.
Hi there, it could be Sjogrens. I have been diagnosed with it recently and had all the same symptoms that you have. I have been given an eye ointment, oilatum for my bath and a salava spray,
I hope you get some answers soon
take care
Lisa
[QUOTE=pin cushion]Hi there, it could be Sjogrens. I have been diagnosed with it recently and had all the same symptoms that you have. I have been given an eye ointment, oilatum for my bath and a salava spray,
I hope you get some answers soon
take care
Lisa
[/QUOTE]
Lisa,
Thanks for the reply. Can I ask who gave you the diagnosis? Was it your Rheumy, Opthamologist, PCP, etc.,.?
Ryan
My general practioner passed it over to my rheumy who then did a litmus paper test and a salavary gland biopsy. My rheumy also sent me to my optician.
I hope that helps. The dryness is awful, especially during the night. I have a sports bottle of water by my bed during the night.
I do not know if this is a fluke or not i started taking vitamin c. 500 mg a day and it really seemed to help more than anything for the dry thick cracked bleeding skin. Dad said maybe i had scurvy. I had gotten rid of the bloody knuckels. I have been flaring and they have turned back a bit red but not bleeding. I do have sjorgrens, I never thought that caused the skin thing i know it AI related ro RA related but do not see the RD till january 15th. Anyway the doctor prescribed my vitamin E and a high cholersterol medication made of fishoil fat but that did help as much as the vitamin c. I was putting lotion and cortisone cream and even triple antibiotic ointment on my hands did nothing, vitamin c once a day did work for me. Seemed to take three to four weeks to get full benifit about 90 percent better for the skin.It could be contact demititis which I also have and am convinced is connected to RA. My CD gets worse when my RA is less under control.[QUOTE=milly]I do not know if this is a fluke or not i started taking vitamin c. 500 mg a day and it really seemed to help more than anything for the dry thick cracked bleeding skin. Dad said maybe i had scurvy. I had gotten rid of the bloody knuckels. I have been flaring and they have turned back a bit red but not bleeding. I do have sjorgrens, I never thought that caused the skin thing i know it AI related ro RA related but do not see the RD till january 15th. Anyway the doctor prescribed my vitamin E and a high cholersterol medication made of fishoil fat but that did help as much as the vitamin c. I was putting lotion and cortisone cream and even triple antibiotic ointment on my hands did nothing, vitamin c once a day did work for me. Seemed to take three to four weeks to get full benifit about 90 percent better for the skin.[/QUOTE]
Milly,
Thanks for the thoughts on the Vitamins. However, I already take 2000 mg (2g) Vitamin C per day. I also take 1000 mg Vitamin E. I take all of this on top of a multi-vitamin. Hopefully when I see my Rheumy next Thurs. he'll have some ideas. This cracking and bleeding sucks. When it's really dry and cracked it even hurts to get it wet in the shower, sink, etc., and it's murder when it gets rubbed acrossed jeans or other clothing.
Ryan
Ryan