I have Sjogren's Syndrome

[Shelger]

This can be a very unpleasant disease. I have had three eye surgeries due to dry-eye. I had tubes inserted inside my eyelids on the top and bottom, and one of my corneas was in very bad condition. I was on a year's worth of therapy using Erythromyacin cream at night. I have also had four root canals due to the dry mouth, and that's no fun :D I have found that Oral Balance gel saliva works pretty good as well as dry-mouth gum. I used to use a product called Salix tablets, but I can't find it on the market any more. That worked the best. And eye drops four or five times a day are essential. I buy those little plastic ones that you can snap off the top and put them in your pocket.

[icnmgrjill]

I also have SS... which manifests mostly as dry eyes and, on occasion, dry mouth. Amazingly, it happens most often at night. I wake up usually three times a night with my eyes so dry that I have to put drops in them. My favorite drops are Tears Naturale II or BionTears.

When I was taking meds that made the dry mouth a problem, I really loved the Biotene products... the toothpaste, the mouth gel, gum, etc. etc.

It's weird... I know.... and I wish that I understood the connections, but I don't. I feel very fortunate not to struggle with dry mouth.

This is a good point to mention that anyone with dry mouth, whether they have SS or just a side effect from medication, should take extra care with their teeth. The lack of that protective mucous layer in the mouth can definitely make that person much more at risk to cavities. Thus, the worst thing that a patient with dry mouth can do is suck on a sugar candy.

Jill