Sjogrens

Hi, !

I don't want to contradict your rheumatologist, as he knows your situation better than I do. That said, up to 20% of people diagnosed with Lupus are also diagnosed Sjogren's, so it wouldn't be all that unusual for you to be dealing with Sjorgren's. Here's a bit of information about eye issues that can occur along with Lupus -- https://lupus.net/eyes. And, dry mouth is another common issue people with Lupus often experience. It's important to treat both dry mouth and dry eye to prevent further issues, so please do what you need to do to have both conditions properly addressed. I thought you might find this article on dry mouth (and the many member comments at the end of the article) interesting -- https://lupus.net/living/dental-health. You are definitely not alone in what you are experiencing and if you need to be the "squeaky wheel" to get your rheumatologist to take your concerns seriously, do it! Your health is important and you deserve the best care available!

Best, Erin, Team Member.

I used to wear contacts but stopped because of dry eyes. At that time, there was no mention of a Sjögren's diagnosis. Years later, I was diagnosed with Sjögren's after discussing my persistent dry mouth with my new rheumatologist. She concluded that I likely had Sjögren's while dealing with dry eyes but had never been diagnosed before. Currently, I take pilocarpine, use Xylimelt and Act Gum to support Sjögren's, and use eye drops as needed. It's difficult to determine how much Sjögren's affects my joints, so I continue to take immunosuppressants and prednisone to manage my lupus symptoms.