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Hi - I have been seeing my internist, ophthalmologist, dentist, and ENT - all for symptoms I now understand are part of Sjogren's. My ophthalmologist actually diagnosed it a couple of years ago and put me on Restasis. My internist ran blood work - testing for ANA. That came back negative and I assumed it was a bad diagnosis. I saw my ophthalmologist again a few weeks ago and he was adamant it was autoimmune. My left eye was ulcerated. He said my eyes are as dry as he sees in his practice and not from just being a post-menopausal woman. My dentist has had me on a prescription toothpaste and Biotene. He diagnosed burning mouth/tongue syndrome as well as dry mouth with a propensity for cavities. My ENT saw me as having a "swallow" and nasal membrane problem. The swallow test did show an abnormality in my throat but not such that it would cause the occasional choking I experience. It did show GERD and he put me on Nexium He also put me on a nasal corticosteroid.
After doing research on my own, it became clear that SS doesn't necessarily test ANA positive. The doctors saw me as "parts" - fortunately my ophthalmologist put those parts together. He has prescribed a couple of topical corticosteroids (FML and Lotemax), Salagen (actually the generic, pilocarpine) and placed a punctal plug in my left eye. He couldn't get one in the right eye because the duct is too small for the dilator.
I have used eye drops and ointments, vaporizers and humidifiers, and taken fish oil and flax seed oil for several years. I was probably receiving the right treatment for my symptoms but it still somehow feels better knowing what is wrong rather than thinking I had a lot of unrelated problems.
It was good to find this site. I hope I can learn from the experiences of others and will willingly share mine.
Thanks for listening.
LMM
After doing research on my own, it became clear that SS doesn't necessarily test ANA positive. The doctors saw me as "parts" - fortunately my ophthalmologist put those parts together. He has prescribed a couple of topical corticosteroids (FML and Lotemax), Salagen (actually the generic, pilocarpine) and placed a punctal plug in my left eye. He couldn't get one in the right eye because the duct is too small for the dilator.
I have used eye drops and ointments, vaporizers and humidifiers, and taken fish oil and flax seed oil for several years. I was probably receiving the right treatment for my symptoms but it still somehow feels better knowing what is wrong rather than thinking I had a lot of unrelated problems.
It was good to find this site. I hope I can learn from the experiences of others and will willingly share mine.
Thanks for listening.
LMM
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