An Oldie dropping by to say hello

[pudmott]

Hello everyone,
I haven't been in for a long long time and thought i'd drop by and say hi. I'm still doing very well. I am working as a nurse full time. My symptoms have pretty much disappeared. It seems my symptoms started really big time when i began taking some herbal medicines to help with my tiredness and thats when things began to go downhill. I was referred to the immunologist and he identified my dryness straight up. Blood tests showed that yesi had an autoimmune process going and my doctor used those and the other symptoms and dryness of eyes and mouth to diagnose sjogren's. I have since stopped taking any herbal stuff cause each time i do it flares up. If I don't i have virtually no symptoms at all.

Does anyone else have a situation like this? I'd be interested to know. It makes me wonder if i do have sjogren's at all.
Anyway i am always keeping you guys in my thoughts and prayers and hoping you are doing well. i will update my info here and am always happy to hear from people.

Take care
Pud

[Joe S.]

pudmott, welcome back. What herbs were you taking? Herbs can have side effects too.

[Linda196]

Welcome back Pudmott, glad to see you are still well and living evidence of "life after Sjogren's"!

I'm curious about the herbal that you took, too...was it by any chance one of the ones that "boost" the immune system? I ask because I find that I have a very low tolerance for Vitamin C, and can't take echenacea at all! Guaranteed flare! As a result I avoid any product (herbal, alternative or supplemental) that claims to work by boosting or enhancing the immune system...a claim of "regulating" the system doesn't scare me off as fast, but even so I check anything that looks promising with my doctor.

[Pooh]

Hi Pud,
My goodness, it's good to hear from you.  Glad to hear you are feeling so well and working. 

No, I can't tolerate the herbal's either.  Don't know why, but they send me into a flare everytime I try something. 

Take care and drop in more, we missed you.

Hugs, Pooh

[irish]

Hi Pud, It was so nice of you to stop in and let us know what you are up to. Also, the info about the herbal meds is interesting. So many of them claim to boost the immune system and those are the ones that can really get us in trouble. Glad to hear that you are able to work. Take care and come and visit again soon. Irish

[jjj3]

Hi Pud,

Thanks for the encouraging post.  It's great that you are doing well.  My symptoms started after 3 years of taking Maitake mushroom capsules and other supplements to boost my immune system (after having melanoma I wanted to strengthen my immune system).  I've read not to take maitake if you have an autoimmune problem because of the immune system boosting effects (I didn't know I had an AI disease at the time).  I'm no longer taking it although I do continue to take my multivitamin.  My symptoms have not gotten better, but I figure at least I'm not giving the Sjogren's a boost now.

Hope you continue to do well.

Cathy

[lynnmarie219]

Hi Pud,

Welcome back! It's great to hear from you and even better to hear that you are doing so well and working! I'm wishing you many more days,weeks, months, even years of continued good health! 

[pudmott]

Hi guys
thanks so much for your lovely welcomes. I was taking Olive leaf extract at the time. And yes i stay very clear these days of anything that says boost your immune system. The only thing i take is lyseine for old sores. I stay well away from the herbal shops now. As much as I'd like to do things more natural i just find that my body doesn't tolerate it. It won't even do well on the newer pharmaceutical drugs. It likes all the old ones.

I will make a concerted effort to drop in more and see how everyone is. I send my prayers up each dy that you all are doing ok.

take care