Just wondering what you all thought about these drugs? Do they basically do the same thing? Anyone try them both and prefer one to the other?
I'm interested to hear about personal experiences. Side effects, benefits, etc. I've read about the clinical trials, but would love to hear some stories from this group.
In particular, did anyone experience vision problems?
I'm so sensitive to meds and I just hate that. The whole risk/benefit thing takes on a whole new meaning for me.
I was only offered Salagen and I had a severely dry mouth. It took a good three or four months for me to have a lot of benefits from it. that said, it rarely causes me any problems, and no vision problems at all and I can't function without it. It and restasis and plaquinel are life savers.
Hi Debbie,
I'm taking Evoxac and it does work, but boy oh boy do I sometimes get the "sweats" (like going through menopause again), ack! My mouth is wetter and I do get more frequent headaches, but I can live with the symptoms - that is until it really starts getting cold (hate to be a frozen popsicle, imagine that would not be a pretty sight! ;) :D).
Take care of yourself -
Patze
My rheumie offered me Salagen because my mouth was dry at my last appt. but I declined.
I don't know if this is true but I was afraid it would make me more tired and it would increase the moisture in my mouth by pulling it from other places that need it. ???
I'll explain, I tried taking Mucinex (600mg) for colds/post nasal/bronchial issues and ended up being extremely tired and dry because I had to drink a ton of water each day to keep up with the moisture the Mucinex was pulling from my system.
Now I take 2 tsps of plain cough medicine (guafenesin 100 mg-alcohol free & sometimes sugarless) which is the exact same medicine but a much smaller dose, my lungs are clear and I'm not exhausted anymore. I have not been able to locate a small guafenesin pill in 100 or 200mg.
It would be great to hear what other people have experienced taking these medicines.
I was only offered Evoxac, never tried Salagen. I've been taking Evoxac since April. It began working for me within a couple of days & has been a lifesaver. It works great for me!
I can take up to 3 a day as needed. In the summer when it was more humid, I usually took 1 or 2 a day. Now that it's colder & the air is drier, I need all 3 most days but it still works really well.
I sometimes have a brief & mild "hot flash" that starts up about an hour after I take it & lasts maybe about 30 min. The only other side effect is that I have to go to the bathroom a little more often than usual, especially the first 3 hours or so after taking it.
I'm pretty sensitive to meds too, usually have the "weird" side effects, so I'm VERY thankful that Evoxac works for me with so little side effects.
I wish you the best in finding what works for you!
Blessings,
Joy
In Canada Salagen is the only choice, but I am sure I would function very poorly without it. My throat gets so dry I couch a lot without.
Maybe I have built up a tolerance because it seldom makes me sweat
Annette
Salagen, not so good. Exoxac I like much better. Neither are great, but Evoxac will likely give you better relief. Don't be afraid to try the other though because sometimes it switches for people. Lucy
I, too, have taken Evoxac for two years. It definitely can make you sweat a lot in the beginning (even behind my knees!), but my body seemed to adjust to it and now I don't have that problem. I think your body acclimates to it. I have also noticed that once in a while, it will make me feel very sleepy, but not enough that I can't function. It also seems to work better for me on an empty stomach, but I have noticed others say it works better with food, so guess it's trial and error. I was never offered Salagen, probably because my rheumie was involved in the drug trials to get Evoxac on the market a few years ago!
Salagen gave me TERRIBLE nausea for about 30 minutes after I took the first dose. I continued taking it, and as long as I took it right on time I was OK. But if I ever forgot a dose, I'd start again with the nausea.
I haven't tried Evoxac -- I'm kind of afraid to.
I've used both. 20-some years ago my rheumy at the time started me on Pilocarpine (Salagen) that I had to get at a compounding pharmacy because back then it was apparently only being used as a topical eye drop and he wanted me to take it orally in a different dose. It was a lifesaver for my extremely dry eyes.
Since 2005 I've been on Evoxac, 2 a day, and it has also helped a great deal. I'm small and 3 a day gave me the hot flashes while 2 is still effective. I was put on Restasis at the same time. Of the two drugs, Evoxac has been most effective for me.
I haven't noticed headaches or other reactions with either drug, probably because I was focused on my eyes feeling better, and I already have a lupus headache anyway.
Genko