employment with dry mouth

[KareninOhio]

I am so depressed this evening.  I have had the pleasure of staying home with our children for the past 19 years.  As the kids are growing and money is tighter my husband could use a little help.  So I have applied several places and 'nothing.'  (I have tried to be selective because I have such an anxiety about my chronic cough due to dry mouth.)  Well, because I wasn't getting any where I took a job in a deli thinking it is air conditioned maybe this will help me...wrong.  Today was my 2nd day and I coughed so many times because of the dry mouth.  I took an Evoxac before I went and ended up taking another 4 hrs later, I had a huge water (which I kept sipping), 4 pieces of gum, a throat losenge and my mouth still felt like cotten.  I had a terrible coughing spell and tried to recover while waiting on a customer.  I am so depressed over this.  I really am trying.  I don't want to wait until a customer complains about the 'cougher'.  It is just too embarrassing.  I just want to sit and cry.  Tomorrow I am scheduled to work another 8 hours.  I don't know how I am going to do it.  How does everyone else manage the dry mouth thing and employment?

To be honest, NO ONE understands, not my friends, not my husband, no one.  Unless you have sjogrens and constant cotten mouth.  They just don't get it.  I'm at my wits end!

[KareninOhio]

Also, I am curious whether people that have been on Evoxac for awhile take more than the recommended 3 x day?  And I have asked my doctor about long term effects of Evoxac but have not been given a straight answer.  Does anyone know?

[Cheryl]

Karen,
My rheumy told me to absolutely not take Evoxac more than 3 times per day.  I often find myself miserably watching the clock for my next dosage time. 
Some things you might try:
mouth sprays like Biotene or Oasis
Oramoist lozenges that stick to the roof of your mouth
candy or gum
A little blob of coconut oil to coat inside your mouth and throat

Some of us use Flonase or another steroid nasal spray to stop the nasal drip.   That could be the cause of some of your coughing.

I hope your job works out for you.   Best wishes!
Cheryl

[KellyG999]

Dearest Karen in Ohio,

For what it's worth, I know EXACTLY how you feel. I have a corporate job which requires lots of conference calls, meetings and air travel. You can imagine the anxiety getting on a plane and leaving the "comforts of home" and all my stuff. I carry water, gum, NuMoisyn lozenges, salagen, tissues, anxiety meds and then hope I don't cough, choke and panic. Meetings are embarrassing for all the reasons you mentioned. People probably assume I am contagious.

I wish I could hide at home, but my family requires my income.

As for family understanding - I have explained, given pamphlets, printed articles. They still ask "what's wrong?" when I am struggling and so depressed. I also take pain meds as I am in near constant body pain.

God bless you - you are not alone. I'll say a prayer for you and wish you improved status so you can work.

I HAVE found that many who seem fine are hiding an ailment, a burden, a heavy heart, etc.

Hugs,

KellyG 

[Piebird]

I dont have experience with Evoxac but I totally understand the feelings you are talking about.

Please feel free to come her and vent any time. We know what you mean, how you feel and what you are dealing with.

[KareninOhio]

Cheryl, Kelly, Piebird,
Thank you all for your suggestions!  I didn't even think about taking my biotene mouth spray.  I'll try that today to see if it helps.  I don't wish this (sjogrens) on anyone but it sure is nice to know there a people out there that understand what I am going through.  Thank you for your encouragement.  Today is another day and I'll go out once again and try my best, that's all I can do.  Bless you all.
Karen

[sass]

Karen in Ohio,   Biotene also makes a gel like substance that comes in a tube like a mini toothpaste.  With my job I also had to talk for a living.  My mouth was so dry that my teeth were like sandpaper cutting my tounge.  Then that made it even harder. 
I use Oasis mouthwash, and spray and Biotene toothpaste and the gel.  The combination of those has made it so much easier.  When I would start the coughing I would squirt a little of the gel in my mouth and let it run into the throat area.  It would coat it and give me relief.

And, I never hesitated to tell my clients,  Hey, I get this dry cough sometimes because my body does not make enough moisture,  I am not contagious and I apologize in advance if I start up. So, let's get started..  Get it out there and move forward...it really works and puts you at ease.  And that actually helps relax those muscles and the stress.

Good Luck and I will be saying prayer that you get some relief.  You too KellyG!

                                     ~sass~

[Aquarius]

When sjogrens came on suddenly, I had a cough that would not stop.  In fact, when I was on disability, a concern was returning to work with it.  I am frequently on the phone with internal clients and outside vendors.  I started sipping a bit of coffee throughout the day.  It could be coincidental, but the coughing greatly abated. 

I attributed the coughing to no protective mucus.   Mucus has incredily healing components.  I have virtually no post nasal drip from the sinuses and am very dry. Hiccups also occur several times a day.  I suspect the vagus nerve gets overstimulated because there is no protective mucus covering.  This all started immediately after Sjogrens hit and I went dry.

[quietdynamics]

The only gum I have found that helps me is Wrigleys' Extra Polar Ice (Blue Box) I can even tear the gum strips in half. My mouth is very dry and this is soothing and refreshing. 

[AAACGRL]

I agree with Sass.  I worked in a call center.  Before I knew I had Sjogrens, I just thought everyone needed bottles of water to talk to people on the phone.  It got to where I guess someone at the office complained because they saw me drinking and putting my phone on silent to sip some water while the patient was talking (I could hear them just not the other way around) so there was a memo that we were not to have any drinks at our desk.  Well, I told them there was no way I could do that. I told them I was happy to bring in a note from my doctor. Sometimes the patients even noticed I sounded funny but I just politely explained I had a health condition that causes dry mouth.  They seemed cool with it.   But I use the Biotene stuff, Salagen and lots of water on hand to sip on.  I know my Ent said to keep lemon drops on hand but to be honest, that made things worse.  I hope you get some relief.  I feel for you getting back into the work force.  I'm headed back to the grind soon myself. Hugs.

[Seeker]

G'day KareninOhio, sorry you are having such a time of it.  I do have one suggestion to add to the others you have received.

First off part of the problem could be attributed to the ventilation in the deli.  Also you have to use your voice more often, so what little moisture is in your mouth quickly evaporates. 

Try using a paper dust mask over your mouth and nose.  This will help keep your mouth moist and should help lessen your cough.  Also you will not need to cover your mouth every time you cough.  I am sure your customers will appreciate that.

Oops, I just had another thought.  You may also be having a problem with dry sinuses.  Try using a saline nasal spray.  I use one several times a day with good results. 

Anyway I hope you find what will work for you.

Seeker. 

[KareninOhio]

You guys are just wonderful.  I am writing this with tears in my eyes and a thankful heart that there are people out there that care enough to give me all of their hints and suggestions. 

KellyG, I was just telling my husband today that there is someone out there that has the same fears and insecurities (for lack of a better word) that I do.  When you described your plane trips it sounded so much like the way I feel about sitting through a church service (and praying I won't get dry and cough and disturb people, always with water in hand) or many other situations I find myself in (like going to calling hours at a funeral home and having the scent from the flowers set me off.)

I will be praying for all of you.  I pray that we find answers to our problems and they find a cure for this!

One day I googled "heal sjogrens" and a youtube from andrea Moritz came up and talked about a liver flush.  Have any of you ever tried this or heard/thought about it?  I have thought about it but it is a big commitment and he says that to truly cleanse the live, it would take more than one cleanse.  (the neat thing is it does not take alot of expensive ingredients so it makes me think he is not trying to'sell' us anything.  Anyway, I was just wondering?
Blessings to you all, Karen

[Meld256]

Karen,

I can really relate to the dry mouth and cough.  I hope the suggestions help, and just wanted to let you know many of us deal with this, so you are not alone.  The Biotene spray has helped me, and others have given some great recommendations.  I still am a bit nervous if I need to be somewhere quiet afraid I'll have a coughing fit.

AAACGRL,
My last job was also in a call center, when my symptoms started.  I couldn't figure out what was happening to my voice and throat; I coughed and choked on my words.  Thank goodness we were allowed drinks at our desk. It got to the point I had a bottle of water and cup of coffee constantly and that still didn't do the trick.

I certainly hope you find some help with the suggestions, Karen.  By the way, I hate to be a downer about the youtube "heal Sjogren's" you found, but it seems that most of those things are in that class of "if it seems to be too good to be true, it probably is" kind of thing.  I would just caution that anything we might want to try should be talked about with our doctors to get their take on it.

Hoping your day goes a bit better for you. 
Melinda

[Gayle]

Ahhh.. so this is why I have the hiccups all the time? Makes sense I guess...

All great ideas! Thank God someone understands us. I used to have to give talks, do award ceremonies and was on the phone nearly all day, every day. I always attributed my dryness to nerves, talking to 2000 people and being the sole speaker, etc... now I understand. Wish I did then. Also not sure if is really true but my doc says coffee actually dries your mount more than wets it... didn't change my coffee drinking habits, gotta have my coffee but maybe should try to find something different for work.

[slccom]

I always just kept water handy when I gave speeches. Take a sip, continue. No biggie. No apology. Just drink.

Good for asking for a reasonable accommodation, AAACGRL! You didn't use those words, but what a petty, childish dictate for no liquids at the call station. You can be sure that they went back through your recordings with a fine tooth comb looking for an excuse to fire you, and couldn't find any way it was negatively affecting your work.

I would be very, very concerned about doing a "liver flush." The liver is an extremely complex organ, which, as Dr. House said, "It is called a liver, because you can't live without it." (I'm gonna miss that man! Lousy practice of medicine, but great quotes!) Screw it up, and you are.... I notice that they also say, it takes more than one "Flush". Sure. And as long as you still have Sjogren's, the fault is yours. You didn't do it perfectly. You just need one more, and sure, we'll charge your credit card. Not cured yet? Here, try another. The Xth time is the charm...

The liver is the organ that deals with toxins, among many other jobs. It turns them into other things that the body can then excrete via the usual methods. It also processes the medicines we take.

I would just say no, but if you are still interested, get a complete list of the ingredients and the process and run it by your doctor.

Sharon