IBS?

[Jojo]

Hello.  I am VERY grateful to find this resource!
I am a 57 year old female, diagnosed with Sjogrens in September 2014. The diagnosis came not from blood work, but from a lip biopsy.  I initially sought help because of dry mouth.  Strangely, the dry mouth dissipated on it's own, without meds, and now I have chronic salty mouth. I do not have dry eyes.   But here is my question:  over the past few months, I have experienced IBS symptoms that have increased in occurrence and duration.  Specifically, now I am dealing with diarrhea almost daily.  Not a pleasant topic, right?  :-)  It never occurred to me that this could be related to Sjogrens.  Is anyone else dealing with this?  And what have you found to be helpful?

[SjoGirl]

Thank you for sharing your story. Sorry to hear about your current issues.

Sjogrens (Sjs) can impact the gastrointestinal system. After checking for other potential causes of your symptoms, e.g., infection somewhere in your GI tract and eliminating those possibilities a doctor might determine that Sjs is the cause of your issues.

Many of us on the list have GI issues and have engaged in extensive testing to ID the issues. I for example did have an H Pylori infection when I first started having issues, but those issues continued even after the infection and other issues it caused subsided.

What did persist was GERD which became unmanageable without daily medication (Nexium) and issues such as those you are experiencing. Taking Evoxac for my dry mouth has also helped with my GI system (some say 70% of digestion happens in your mouth).

Hope this is helpful.

[Navigator]

This developed with me as well.  I was afraid to go out in the morning.  You might be able to take care of this without meds.  I eliminated gluten and dairy and ate clean foods....not a lot of sauces etc.  I was able to recover but it did take 6 months or so... and be able to live a normal life with the gluten free approach.  You may need to experiment. I do not have diary too often and I watch what I eat...but it is doable and manageable .  The occasional treat is very much appreciated.

[warmwaters]

They can definitely be related.  IBS is a diagnosis of elimination. You need to see a gastroenterologist and rule out other possible problems, from celiac disease, to infection, and so on.  IBS is sort of the runner up prize - "We weren't able to find anything wrong, but we acknowledge you really are having problems".

There can be many things that may help. Diet changes are one, you may be triggered by certain foods. These could be things like dairy, wheat, high fat.  I'm triggered by insoluble fiber (which often recommended!), but ok with soluble. Some people have problems with naturally occurring sugars. Google FODMAP to get an overview of this.

There are also various medicines available.  Immodium can be used to help stop the diarrhea, and there are meds to help with the spasmodic elements.  If your doctor thinks you are having problems with your autonomic system, things like gabapentin, which is used in situations with nerve pain, can sometimes be helpful, as can certain classes of antidepressants.

So there are things that may help.  It's a slow process to try one or two things at a time, and see what helps.   You need to find a good doctor to work with you on this.