DX with Sojourns disease. Horrible dry mouth Suggestions? Extreme fa

Posted by bonnies1999 @bonnies1999, 2 days ago

My 54 yr old son was just diagnosed with Sojourns disease
Extremely fatigued, very dry mouth, joints ache
Nothing help. Any suggestions?

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I use Biotene toothpaste and mouthwash. It helps. I also sometimes need a sugar free lozenge. Biotene has that too. I drink lots of water. Avoiding sugar helps as well. I hear some meds look promising for Sjogrens and they are close to approving them. Time will tell!

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Profile picture for bswpb @bswpb

I use Biotene toothpaste and mouthwash. It helps. I also sometimes need a sugar free lozenge. Biotene has that too. I drink lots of water. Avoiding sugar helps as well. I hear some meds look promising for Sjogrens and they are close to approving them. Time will tell!

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@bswpb thank you for this info. He has tried all of that and nothing has helped so far

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Profile picture for bonnies1999 @bonnies1999

@bswpb thank you for this info. He has tried all of that and nothing has helped so far

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@bonnies1999 I’m sorry. Hopefully they will have the new meds soon…well meds that are used for other things that are promising for Sjogrens!

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Profile picture for bswpb @bswpb

@bonnies1999 I’m sorry. Hopefully they will have the new meds soon…well meds that are used for other things that are promising for Sjogrens!

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Are available soon!

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Hi. I was diagnosed with Sjogren’s disease 5 years ago and have your symptoms. I still get fatigued easily and have to take my rests or naps. I have to always keep a measure of how much activities I have in a day and make sure i break them down to get my rest in between each task. Having a good night’s sleep greatly helps. I suggest talking to your doctor if you’re having trouble sleeping. There are medications which can help.
There are also medications which might help with dry mouth. The ones I know are Cevimeline and Pilocarpine. They do have side effects. Pilocarpine has more side effects than Cevimelene but my insurance only covers Pilocarpine. It does help but not much during winter nights. I use Xylimelts at night or when I know that I have to be talking most of the day or exercising and breathing through my mouth. Xylimelts are sugarless and contain Xylitol which helps protect the teeth. It does have GI side effects. I also use a humidifier close to me at bedtime and during winter, I have it on most of the day. I also use Biotene and similar products. I make sure that I have water to drink which also helps with swallowing food. I avoid sugar and caffeinated drinks. It’s important to stay hydrated.
As time went on, I was having more inflammation and pain so my rheumatologist started me on Methotrexate. It was increased for my relief of pain and inflammation. There are certain foods to stay away from because they do cause inflammation such as fried foods, refined carbohydrates, processed foods, trans fats and sugary drinks. Fruits, vegetables, nuts, fiber and omega-3 foods help fight inflammation. It’s such a great help maintaining a healthy diet and learning with a dietitian. Now, I had less flares, inflammation and pain.
I hope this helps. I understand what you’re going through. This disease is not well understood even by healthcare providers. There are support groups online where you will get information and support. There are research studies being done and there are fast track investigational treatments for Sjogren’s disease which I’m hoping will be approved. Take care.

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I was recently diagnosed with polyarthritis and possibly early Sjogren's. My rheumatologist started me on Hydroxychloroquine and I began to notice a difference with dry mouth almost right away. My eyes aren't as dry, in fact they seem to water and burn a bit, which might be a side effect of the meds, not sure. A systemic med for inflammation seems to be helpful, since Sjogren's impacts are systemic.

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Profile picture for fairn @fairn

I was recently diagnosed with polyarthritis and possibly early Sjogren's. My rheumatologist started me on Hydroxychloroquine and I began to notice a difference with dry mouth almost right away. My eyes aren't as dry, in fact they seem to water and burn a bit, which might be a side effect of the meds, not sure. A systemic med for inflammation seems to be helpful, since Sjogren's impacts are systemic.

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@fairn
He is currently waiting for a prescription for a drug named cevimeline and Pilocarine.
Also a mouth spray that mimics saliva called saliva…an enzymatic spray which may be OTC

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