Update

[Wal]

Well, saw the eye doc. Schirmers score was above normal to which doc said it has to be wrong due to my symptoms. I also have mild MGD, but she said it wasn't  too bad and that she wasn't impressed with it. So, she put in plugs that dissolve in 90 days to see how that works and gave me Retain drops as they treat both regular dry eye and the MGD. If the plugs help well I'll get permanent ones in at end of 90 days. I'm also going to start the warm compresses for my glands. So we'll see. Anyone had positive results with plugs? Does anyone have MGD? Can Sjogrens cause that? She dismissed Sjogrens even though I told her about my dry mouth bc my blood work was negative....

[jazzlover]

I don't know what MGD stands for, but the plugs have worked very well for me. I now have one permanent plug and will get the other soon.

The temporary one fell out and then I got a stye...so I'm waiting for it to heal.

[Wal]

MGD stands for meibomian gland disease. The gland that produces oil to keep the tears from evaporating too quickly...

[hopeforall]

Hi Wal , For the last 4 months, I have had dry eyes, mild dry mouth, mild occasional joint pain, difficulty swallowing, burning mouth, gastric issues and general irritation in and around the mouth. I didn't have any of these before April.

My blood tests are normal and all the specialists I met are convinced that I don't have any issue.

MGD/Blepharitis is the only diagnosis that has been made and I have been doing warm compresses, gland expression, eyelid cleaning for the last 2 months.

At this point, I have no clue regarding a diagnosis.

[Wal]

Hi Hopeforall, sounds similar. Does the warm compress and gland expression help your dry eye? How do you express a gland. They didn't pass on that info to me, just warm compress part...

[Jasper]

Yes, Sjogren's Disease can affect the Meimobian glands and their function.

From PubMed

Meibomian gland dysfunction in patients with Sj?gren syndrome.

CONCLUSIONS:
The results of this study indicate that destruction of meibomian glands and an increase in tear evaporation often are associated with changes in the ocular surface in patients with SS. Severe ocular surface changes in patients with SS may be attributed, in part, to the meibomian gland dysfunction.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9709762


And, a more detailed article, from ResearchGate:

Meibomian gland dysfunction in patients with Sj?gren syndrome

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/13575076_Meibomian_gland_dysfunction_in_patients_with_Sjogren_syndrome


About 40% of people with Sjogren's have negative blood work, so having negative blood work does not rule out Sjogren's.

Have you had a lip biopsy? If you have not had a lip biopsy, having one may give you a diagnosis.

[hopeforall]

@Wal : The warm compress ( Medibeads) and gland expression helps a lot. My problem is that the meibum I secrete has suddenly turned paste-like. Once I do the warm compress and gland expression in the morning, it melts the paste and I don't have any issue till late in the evening when I do the same thing again. To express the gland, I exert pressure on the glands immediately after the warm compress.

@ Jasper: Somehow, Ophthalmologists don't seem to think this way. They rule Sjogrens out if there is no acqueous tear deficiency.

[Wal]

Hopeforall: Did the doctor tell you that you have gland drop out for the MGD?