Is dry mouth always the case? and are these symptoms indicative of Sjogrens?

[turnbacknow]

hello all, Im posting for my wife, trying to do a little research while shes at work.
she is 40 and has been diagnosed with a host of autoimmune problems in the past including systemic lupus.

Recently on a visit to the doc she was told she has Sjogren's and that in fact she may not have "some" of the problems they thought she had, that indeed Sjogrens may be causing many of these.

She however doubts to some degree the diagnoses simply because she has no loss of moisture in her mouth or eyes, and was told (not sure if it was the doc or her own web searches) that they almost always go hand in hand.

is this true? and is it possible to have Sjogrens and still maintain normal moisture levels in the mouth and eyes?

Her current symptoms are pain in her jaw, by the right hand joint on the right side. if she eats bitter or sweet food (food which usualy stimulates the salive gland) she gets a pain which feels like its in her teeth on that side. also feeling pain radiating down her neck for 4-6 inches and accross her jaw.

does this sound like a common symptom?

[JannaLee]

My eyes and mouth are not very dry but I get that stabbing pain in my right salivary gland when I eat something tart.

I'm pretty sure you can have Sjogren's Syndrome without dry eyes and mouth...however... I strongly believe when the patient has a "gut feeling" it should be honored and not discounted!

If your wife feels the doc is off the mark on this I would listen to her.

Hope you get to the bottom of this very soon!
Janna

[Scottietottie]

Hello Turnbacknow 

Welcome to Sjogren's world.

I assume your wife was dxd as a result of blood tests.  Sjogren's has to start somewhere. There are several people in this forum who had unexplained symptoms, neuropathies and arthitis before any dryness set in. When Sjogren identified the Syndrome - it was purely by symptoms because bloodtests weren't as sophisticated then. No one know whwt symptoms his patients had prior to the dryness.

I believe that the treatment for lupus and Sjogren's is pretty similar and it's also possible to have a Lupus/SjS overlap.

Take care - Scottie