Saliva Glands question, Please help me understand this!

[GgcJap]

Hi all,

I have a question regarding my Paratid glands. They havent worked for around 1.5mths and then all of a sudden yesterday, (my 2nd day of Prednisone 10mg, not sure if thats relevant) they start to make saliva again, prob around 10%. I feel a little hot and then check my temperature for the rest of the night and its hovering between 36.8 and 37.0 which is a little high for me.(Im usually 36.5) Then today around lunch time as suddenly as they started working again, they stopped. But now I think Im drier than before, which is almost completely now. Temperature back to normal 36.5.
     This also happened 1.5mths ago when this whole thing started. I had a cough, my paratids stopped, then came back a few days later(only for a few days) again my temperature was 36.7~37.1.

Can anyone explain this?
Has anyone experienced this or something similar?

Its gets my hopes up and then crushes them worse than they were before.

Help me please!

[cccourt1942]

Hi Ggc,
    Not sure I can explain this..but can relate to where you are.  The question phase of this irritation!!  I didn't realize my parotids weren't working when I initially began to suffer chronic sialadenitis.  The ENT with whom I consulted treated the condition normal within the general population.  This was about 5 years before my SjS dx.  He was the first to tell me the condition/matter which had "plugged" the duct of the parotid gland was actually what he called "sludge."  I was about 65 when this happened.  I am almost positive I never felt that pain before.  I say that as since I've been on this site, I am amazed at the number of people who suffer the problem who are in their 30s, 40s, 50s.  That ENT intimated it happened (I think I added "when you're older.")
    Anyway, I don't think I ever felt like they "started to work again."  However, remember I thought I was fighting bacterial infections.  What the doc told me.  I don't think I checked the anatomy until I'd suffered with it (bilaterally) for 2 or 3 years.  The fact you state your temp (which tells me you aren't in the USA..since you are using Celsius) reminds me I did take my temp in the early years.  I would think the temp would tell me if I needed an antibiotic.  As time went on, I learned when it hurt (and boy did it hurt) I needed an antibiotic. 
    After about the first 3 or 4 months, the "pangs" could occur just about every day.  The difference was it was a one time OUCH, then I would start the massage followed by warm compresses.  I believed the massages could break the sludge up, and I actually could measure my success.  I didn't have as many infections.  REMEMBER: I was not dxed w' SjS at the time.  But as we all know, I either had SjS or was rapidly moving to the "positive" range.  My diagnosing rheumy acknowledged as I had reached the chronic sialadenitis stage, it was safe to say I was positive for SjS.  (five years before my dx)
    Back to your real question:  the fluctuations in your temp and time when "parotids started working again"...don' t know about the temp but to suggest you have a low grade temp..and when you perceive they are "working again" the sludge (more often thought of as "stones") has made its way thru the duct.  That is the only thing which can stop the pain.  Until you gave this description I never thought of the possibility of really having small parotid stones (they have to be very small) being pushed thru with regular, normal saliva.  And that means you could really have normal saliva and only have sialadenitis.
    You don't say if you have SjS, suspect SjS, etc.  You don't give your age either. 
    I hope this helps you in some way or other.  Sorry I don't have more.  There is a lot of info on this site.  Go to search and search for parotids or salivaries, etc. 
  Good luck..and hope you find some answers.  OH..and for info on massage, google massage for parotid glands.  It will pop up.  I call it the upside down-backwards J massage. 
Sjoldier c3

[GgcJap]

Thx cccourt1942,

I am 38 yo, Australian but living in Japan. My problems started around the beginning of Sept when my mouth all of a sudden went bone dry. I was given salagen and got some relief at the start but that was short lived. In the space of 2 mths I'm now back to bone dry salagens not working anymore.
     I've had blood tests and a lip biopsy, both negative, but my rapidly progressing(just woke up bone dry) eyes, mouth throat, my slow digestion, constipation and rashes lead me to believe it's Sj?gren's. With those symptoms can it be anything other than?

The saliva that came out was like water, can having a temperature thin your saliva?

     I thought I might have had stones at the start but then the saliva came and it felt like there  was nothing stopping it although it was very slow. No pain in the glands. I could massage the glands and more saliva(water) would come out. I really don't know but i feel it's related to nerves? If that makes any sense?

     Yesterday before I went to sleep after taking my salagen my saliva was really thick and today waking up my salagen is now not working bone dry. There has been a lot of people getting sick with common cold over here lately, could I have caught a cold and not know it?

     Could this dryness be caused by the prednisone?(it's only 10mg a day) Although the rapid decline has been pretty constant even before I started taking it which was only 3 days ago. I actually thought the prednisone might help slow it down some.

How long does it take for prednisone to have an effect?

Sorry about all the questions, I'm not looking for doctors just well educated answers.

And they are all appreciated.

GgcJap

[cccourt1942]

gee..idk.....only thing I can say: if the salagen isn't working, you aren't taking enough or perhaps a different brand.
ccc

[SjoDry]

GgcJap,

I don't know if you have come across this sheet in your cyber-travels. There are a lot of helpful sheets on the Sjogren's Syndrome Foundation site.

This one will help you massage your salivary glands: https://www.sjogrens.org/files/brochures/Salivary_Glands_Massage.pdf

Hope you get some answers & relief soon.

Take Care.
SjoDry

[GgcJap]

Cccourt1942
    I'm taking salagen 5-7timea a day. I really don't want to take more than that as I'm scared my body will build a tolerance and it won't work at all. Yesterday was a little better but still not much.
Might ask about different brands on my next Dr visit but it was working well for about a month and then it just got worse.

Sjodry
     I have come across that in my travels and have found it very useful at times. I will have a look at the Sj?gren's syndrome foundation site. I feel like I need all the help I can get at the moment.

Thx for the help everyone it's much appreciated.

GgcJap