New member

[Slainte]

I have been borderline positive for SS for years and also positive  for Lupus. My only symptoms were fatigue and fairly severe Arthritis. But I had a knee replacement last April and still have moderately severe pain in the knee and developed dry mouth and dry eyes and the blood tests turned unequivocally positive for SS. Unfortunately I can't take Evoax or Salagen because it makes my roseacea with facial flushing much worse. I am still sleeping 12 hours a day although I think part of it is that I awake much of the time with the dry mouth. Has anyone else experienced facial flushing with SS?  I wondered if it could also be part of an autoimmune disorder?

[Jozee]

Hi! And welcome...

I too have the facial flushing and the butterfly rash, which is common with MS, however I do not have MS. Eating hot foods makes it much worse and the sun as well.

I tried Evoax (I'm sure I spelled that wrong) for the dry mouth but it made me sweat like a crazy person and I never sweat! The other med you mentioned I haven't tried. I don't have insurance anymore so I can't afford it.

[susanep]

Welcome to the board. You will find much help, and support here. Many to answer some of your questions.

susanep

[eyeamdry]

Hi Slainte-  Another person with an artificial knee.  I have one and a half to be exact.  I had a partial knee replacement 11 years ago and a full one on the other knee about a year ago.  My partial is loose, but is not causing me any undue pain at the moment and I have bigger things on my plate so that will stay as is as long as it's not hurting a bunch.

I'll always wonder how SS figiured in my knee replacements.  I'm thinking I started having knee pain around 45-50.  Then began the long string of cortisone, Synvisc, orthopedists etc.  I also have osteo is most of my other joints.  Lucy

[MaryBee7]

Hi Slainte-  Another person with an artificial knee.  I have one and a half to be exact.  I had a partial knee replacement 11 years ago and a full one on the other knee about a year ago.  My partial is loose, but is not causing me any undue pain at the moment and I have bigger things on my plate so that will stay as is as long as it's not hurting a bunch.

I'll always wonder how SS figiured in my knee replacements.  I'm thinking I started having knee pain around 45-50.  Then began the long string of cortisone, Synvisc, orthopedists etc.  I also have osteo is most of my other joints.  Lucy

Lucy, I find more people all the time with knee issues/surgeries/replacements that "happen" to have Sjogren's.  I still think as a "sicca" disease it wreaks havoc via drying out our joints as well as the rest of our insides.  Oooh, that sounds gross....!  In my Foggy Brain thinking and learning slowly how Sjogren's is affecting my total body, that is how I visualize the effect.  It is a "drying" process, which cannot be a good thing if our bodies are mostly water.  Rearrange this thought in a logical way and it may be better understood      I have problems "connecting the dots" these days in the cognitive sense.