Flare

[ohiolady]

Hello,
I know many of us go through times of flares and it usually means increased pain and a general sense of not feeling well and fatigue. I am having all of that along with extreme dryness. In the beginning of Sjogrens I had severe dryness of eyes and mouth. Schirmers of 0 and 2 and inability to swallow food due to severe dry mouth. This also led to mouth ulcers. With treatment and time my symptoms improved. I have flares from time to time but this one is causing extreme dryness. I haven?t had dryness this bad for at least 8 years.

Anyone else have this happen?

Thanks!
Anna

[Joe S.]

Flares are tough to deal with. We minimize the with daily management. I am sure you know this by now. Sometimes I will take an antihistamine to slow or stop a flare.

[anita]

Hi Anna,

Glad to hear from you, but sorry you are going through a flare.  It's odd how we can go for months or years without bad flares, then suddenly all heck breaks lose.  I have thought that my dryness wasn't going to get worse because it stayed the same for a long time, then bang, big change!

Not much I can offer in the way of suggestions, other than just taking care of the rest of you, and sometimes the flare settles down...as it may be something else that triggered it (anything from cold, infection, injury, or even depression/anxiety).

Keep us posted and take care.

Anita

[ohiolady]

Thank you Joe and Anita for responding. My thyroid has been jumping around the last six months and I wonder if that is triggering a flare. I have learned that resting is the best thing I can do when I go into a flare. I am feeling some better this morning. The dryness has subsided to some degree.

Anita, so good to hear from you. I do not get on much due to the arthritis in my hands.

Hope you are doing as well as possible and managing.

Take care.

Anna

[Carolina]

Hi Anna,

It's good to hear from you again, but sorry you are having so much dryness, in addition to everything else.

I too have extreme arthritis in my hands, but so far I can still use the keyboard.

I think we talk about 'flares' as if they are only part of our condition, which they are.  But flares are actually (in my opinion) the result of an attack by our immune system on our organs/systems.  A flare happens when damage is happening to our body.  The process of damage produces inflammation which produces the flare.

So added dryness makes 'sense' if your immune system is doing more damage to your moisture producing system. 

I am always hoping that my immune system is 'through' doing damage, and that my 'conditions' have stabilized.

But they haven't.  I've recently progressed to neuropathy in my gastro-intestinal system (the past year much worse).  In addition, my basic peripheral neuropathy (my legs primarily) continues to weaken me and cause more disability. 

I do know that in many cases a flare can be 'interrupted' with a prednisone taper.  Well, actually what I mean is that the symptoms can be interrupted.   Prednisone will counter the inflammation, but won't actually stop the damage that a rampaging immune system may be doing.

Of course, when I'm in a flare, I'm happy if just the symptoms are alleviated!

Best wishes to you, Ohiolady.

Regards, Elaine

[ohiolady]

Elaine,

Thanks Elaine!  I know you have had a tough year and I am sorry that things continue to deteriorate.
I guess it is always something. We do the best we can. Today is better and I hope it last.

Thanks again,

Anna