I think I brought this this up a while back, but I want to ask again because I'm so interested to know if any of you have similar experiences... or how your body reacts when you're sick.
When I'm ill with a acute viral infection, I notice a huge decrease in my dryness related symptoms. It's been a few months since I've been sick but I was thinking about it... I feel so much better when I'm sick that it's like night & day. I'd walk around with a perpetual cold if I could. :D
Last time I got sick, I got about 12 hours of almost complete relief. My nose started running, which is an amazing feeling and it actually felt great... as weird as that sounds. It made me realize that my nose dried up along with everything else. My eyes watered, my mouth was moist, I was definitely was sick... but the dryness let up almost completely and I actually felt "better" - less inflammed I guess. The brain fog lifted. I felt like a million dollars compared to how I usually feel...
I'm guessing that what happens is the immune system gets temporarilly tied up trying to kill off bugs that it leaves me alone... that's a complete guess. I've never really heard anyone else describe the same experience so it's the only theory I have. Just kind of wondering if I'm just weird or not :D. Oddly enough that it usually happens with colds, maybe it's just stimulating the autonomic nervous system somehow - that's why normal people get sweats/runny nose? Last time I got REALLY sick with a flu, about four years ago, I didn't notice any change and I felt absolutely horrible! But everytime I've had a cold, I've felt better.
Have any of you noticed any changes with illnesses?
I dream to have a snotty cold :'(
Totally understand where you are coming from but cant explain the mechanics of it.
Thinking about it logically, most people get runny nose from increased secretions during a virus or bug. It must be the bodies way of helping to move the infection out of the system...by 'flushing' the bug with extra secretions.
That said, why would we (with SjS) be any different. If we get a bug, our body would send a signal to increase secretions to help flush it out. Unfortunately, many of us have severe damage to our salivary glands (and other moisture producing glands), so we don't produce much extra.
Maybe your damage is not as severe as this stage and you're still able to produce (even small) additional amounts of mucus/saliva during an infection. If I remember correctly your lip biopsy showed 2 foci, which is certainly positive but there is still probably lots of unaffected tissue that's still able to produce minimal amounts of saliva.
I know during a bug (which I have now), I get only minimal mucus, but it's so thick, that it's difficult to get rid of. I think that's why it lasts longer too...because it doesn't flush like someone with more secretions.
I don't know if this made as much sense as I hoped.
I could have written your posting. The last time I had a cold was in 2009 and it felt great to feel more moist for a few days.
My doctor said I was the first person he has every heard state that they wish to catch a cold.
I dream to have a head cold and now I get a sort of pelvic pain - aching which I am assuming is down to dryness in the reproductive/genital area, I actually quite like having period pain as well (mind you I dont get it bad), its the only time of the month my body feels relatively 'normal', although they only last 2 days.
A nice stuffy head cold would do very nicely thank you. Sometimes I produce a bit of saliva if I watch cooking programs - which amuses my husband.