Tear, Saliva levels

[GgcJap]

Hi all,

My tear, saliva levels are better in the morning and tend to get worse towards the end of the day.
Does anyone else on here have the same thing?
From what ive read its related to cortisol levels, Is this the only thing that effects our levels though? Obviously apart from damage to the glands.
What stops someone with no gland damage having no saliva?

More questions with answers I cant seem to find using my friend google. Or maybe I just need to look harder? Or get a degree in human biology.

GgcJap

[irish]

I did a search and a few sited showed up that were about the cortisol level within the saliva itself. I have done a lot of research over the years on for answers to questions on this site plus a whole lot for myself and I have not seen anything relating to cortisol besides what I just listed.

There is always the chance that it might be something that is peculiar to your body. The truth is there are not going to be answers to every ailment that a Sjogrens patient or any of autoimmune patient has. WE are all individual and unique and it can be hard to aqscertain what causes every glitch that we have. I have more saliva as the day progresses and more nasal mucus by the amount of flid that I drink dueing the dayevening also. I attribute this to the amount of fluid I drink. I run low amouonts of salivay in the testing the docs do but when I have the thick stuff that takes a lot of time to clear out of my airway it seems like a quart. Irish

[GgcJap]

Hi Irish,

I think you're right. It might be the levels within the saliva its self that I was reading and misunderstood. I was also thinking and could be wrong(Am probably wrong ) that if cortisol(prednisone) is used to control inflammation and our glands are swollen, then maybe they would be less swollen in the morning and more at night, following our natural cortisol levels? Hense the decrease in saliva towards the end of the day?

Its probably more likely than not that it is just me though. As with most symptoms of this disease. I understand its hard to explain everything thats happening with this sickness, but it doesn't stop me trying. I find it interesting that you have more saliva as the day goes on, Im already drinking a lot of fluid but might try to drink a little more and see what happens if anything.
     My saliva started thick but has since thinned lately, I find it only gets thicker after drinking milk. Thick saliva is the worst, do you have it often?

GgcJap

[irish]

Generally the adrenal glands dump cortisol in the early hours closer to dawn. This gets the body ready to meet the day. The cortisol levels of then and  more is dumped into our system when we have stress situations.

When I first started with the really thick mucus was year 2000 and it was terrible. I was honking and hacking all the time and had to be so careful at work. I went through about 10 boxes of Kleenex a week and would have chapping above my lips from the Kleenex. I had big grocery sacks or waste baskets in many areas of the house with Kleenex near by cause it was so bad.

Thankfully it is less but it still makes my life miserable. I have gotten so over the years the only ways I can control it some is to use Astelin nasal spray which drys me out. I hate to dry my nose out but it helps stop and control the thick drainage that keeps me up half the night. Irish

[GgcJap]

Hi Irish,
     I don't think mine ever got as bad as yours sounds. You must have spent a lot on Kleenex that's for sure. I've finally found a spray that clears my nose in a couple of minutes, but like yourself I don't like the thought of having to use it too often. I don't want to get used to it and one day have it stop working. I'm also worried about the chemicals in it but it's all I have for now.

GgcJap

[Sharon]

Inflammation can cause less saliva output throughout the day
and it does seem to have a timetable.
All my inflammation gets worse as the day goes on.

[GgcJap]

Hi Sharon,
     Thanks for that. At least I'm not the only one. I don't feel so crazy now.

GgcJap

[SunshineDaydream]

My eyes become more uncomfortable as the day progresses.

[araminta]

My eyes get much worse in the evening.   Often earlier in the day they don't look too bad, and as my medical appointments have of course been in the day, I am constantly hearing that my eyes are OK.   

Saliva  level is often but not always worse in the evening.

[SjoGirl]

Keep in mind that even though cortisol levels are supposed to work on a cycle, they might not function on the called for cycle for you.

I once saw a holistic practitioner who told me that my cortisol levels didn't follow the typical pattern, which was a reason why I was having sleep/wake timing issues. I'm not quite sure that I bought what she said, but do believe as someone else mentioned that each of us is different.

As well, an allergist once told me that it's not necessarily easy to attribute a cause to an effect. In other words, you might think you have an intolerance to a specific food, but unless testing shows an actual allergy you have to try the food multiple times under multiple conditions (after having not eaten it for sometime in between trying it) to see if it is really the food or something else that is transpiring on a given day.

This is one reason why I have stopped trying to find links to some symptoms. There are too many factors at play and my spouse said sometimes it's just the disease.

[Wal]

As I mentioned before, my saliva is much better in last several months; however I do have a thick sludge in the back around my tonsils frequently which started when dry mouth started. I will say if I go without breakfast or drink in the morning then I do dry out. Eating frequent small snacks plus water helps me to stimulate saliva.

[GgcJap]

Thx for the replies guysl,

@SunshineDaydream: Do you find that is just your eyes or dryness in general? I find that its mostly my mouth. Although at the moment theres only my eyes, mouth and nose.

@Araminta: The same with me, my dryness progresses from bad to worse as the day progresses. It really confuses me as to why.

@SjoGirl: From what Ive read(and remember ) Cortisol levels peak around 8am and are least around 12/1am. I believe like everything else, that is different for many people though. Apparently the levels can switch to almost opposites for people that work night shift. So its definitely not one for all.
Sounds like a wise allergist to be honest and makes perfect sense to me. There are so many varying factors that can influence so many things within us and sometimes 2 or 3 of them have to combine at the right time to get the symptoms that we get. In fact I tend to believe that thats probably how this whole journey started for most of us.

@Wal: Good to hear your saliva is improving and its not all bad. My thick sludge has decreased a little lately and I also find that if I go without breakfast that I dry out faster. I try to drink as much as I can but slow up the closer it gets to bed time. I hate having to get out of bed to go to the toilet, especially now its winter.

I would like to eat more small snacks but I wouldn't be able to find the time to brush my teeth. I do chew a lot of gum though.