I had a PA at the ENT office tell me that if you just the dry eye, dry mouth type symptoms it's called SS and if it's more systemic it's called SD. Has anyone else ever heard this or read this?
Sjogren's Subtypes
Primary Sjogren's Disease V.S. Sjogren's Syndrome
http://autoimmunedisease.suite101.com/article.cfm/sjogrenssubtypes
Not sure I quite understood the artcile but thought it might help you out.
I don't know the answer to your question, but my rheumatologist has noted Sjogren's syndrome, Sjogren's disease and Sicca at various visits. I do have positive antibodies/blood tests and biopsy and systemic features (not just mouth and eye dryness). I am diagnosed with Primary Sjogrens at this time.
Nancy
Hmmmmm. I find this article a bit confusing. I know it's written for people with more medical training than me, but it is still not clear about several things.
I have Primary Sjogrens, with no other DIAGNOSED autoimmune, and have lots of joint and muscle involvement. I also have the sicca symptoms. Go figure. I'll not argue about which I have, although I've seen some doctors who are not clear on this themselves. One ophthalmologist at the U of M insisted that I could not have Sjogrens without another diagnosis. I explained that I was diagnosed right at their clinic and let it go at that.
Lucy
My understanding of the three terms is that :
Sicca is the dryness of the mouth, eyes and other usually moist tissues, without positive lab results
Sjogren's Syndrome is the dryness symptoms, with positive lab results, but without systemic symptoms
Sjogren's disease is the whole package...dryness, fatigue, aches and pains, organ involvement, etc; but without an other autoimmune disease, in other words, Primary SjS with systemic involvement.
I think the reasoning for this breakdown is that if the SjS is secondary, many of the systemic symptoms are blamed on the other AI.
thanks for the article, it seems to be addressing Primary and Secondary SS and uses syndrome and disease interchangably. I'll have to remember to ask my rheumatologist. My rheumie did say that since my blood tests including ANA were negative he thought my chances of having organ involvement were slimmer. He said the people who seem to have the increased involvment seem to have highly positive tests, a lot of dental caries (I just went to the dentist and have 5 cavities to be worked on) and huge parotid glands. I'm not sure I agree with that because I have had fatigue, fog, aches and pain so far. I was diagnosed with a lip biopsy and I think I'm just more in tune and educated about SS because I work in the medical field so I went to the doctor earlier than a lot of people do who don't even wonder why they have dry eyes- probably just think it's age or something. OH well, I'll just see what happens cause who can predict this SS stuff anyway, we all suffer in individual ways. thanks to all who replied, I'll share anything new that I learn as I go.
No one ever told me the exact name of what I have. They just said Sjogren's.
Now I know I have Primary Sjogren's Disease.
Wow, I've been calling it Primary Sjogren's Syndrome, you'd think in all my reading I would have figured this out sooner!
Thank you for clarifying!
Janna