I completely understand. I was dx in 2010. I take one day at a time. (Instead of looking at the big picture.) it's scary but you can get through it...don't beat yourself up. We are hardest on ourselves. I live in Florida & it's hard with the high heat temps. Hope you are in a bit cooler place. I'm here for you. You can ask me all about my story.

I think we all have a tendency to get that hysterical thinking. Yes, You will have it forever. NO...you it is very UNLIKELY it will remain in a flare-up forever. Depending on where you live, see if you can find a Sjogrens center. There is one in Philly and another in Calid...but maybe a new one has popped up elsewhere as well.

There are many symptomatic reliefs you can avail yourself of. Please let us know what are your symptoms. Is your dry mouth the worst or dry eye. I am sure you've been told about eye drops. Dry mouth is a little trickier. I have ZDERO relief from all the Biotin product - or very very temporary relief. My favorite for sry mouth is ACT dry mouth lozenges. I also like Thayers dry mouth spray. If your dry mouth is really bad, as your doc for Evoxac RX. Some people experience feeling to hot and sweaty as a side effect. I don't and REALYY helps!

Saved the bets news for last: If you are in real bad flare - ask for short term Prednisone. It may be off label use, but if you doc will prescribe it it will halt the flare!

AND, my doc says that biologics that are used for RA will soon be getting FDA approval for Sjogrens.

Thank you both! I am in Birmingham, AL. It's hot so that doesn't help but I love it here. Nearest support group is in Decatur about 2 1/2 hours away but I will try to go to the next meeting. The worst symptoms are the fatgue and dry mouth and dry eye. I only have vision in one eye and this is making it worse. I'm taking Salagen for it and about to start Restatsis along with drops.
I appreciate the support and just knowing others understand (although I such you didn't have to!) Just this life line means a lot and has cheered me!

The Restasis was a miracle for me. It took me a year of my eyes watering excessively and rubbing them raw before I finally got an eye Dr to prescribe it to me. This was all prior to getting my diagnosis a few months later for both RA and Sjogren's. I have been on the eye drops for 4 months now and my eye only waters on a rare occasion. When it does, I just supplement with the daily use eye drops and it is better. Give it time, it takes a while to start working.

Hi Sharon. I'm about 2 months into this, and just saw a Rheumy for the first time, so I know what you're going through. My symptoms were so brutal in my first two weeks - extremely dry mouth/throat, little to no sleep every day, not eating, too much water - I was on the precipice for sure. Luckily on a final ER visit, I was injected with corticosteroids (decadron) and then provided with a prednisone prescription when the injection wore off, and my symptoms began to subside to bearable, and now (with a change in diet, weight loss from those two weeks, and experimentation with various dry mouth aids, gums, etc it's much better). I've been taking salagen for about 8 weeks, and Ubiquinol for the past 3 weeks. I'm not sure either work, but I'm doing well (even drooling on the pillow once in a while).

I've found the Biotene products to be awful, but most doctors and dentists seem to push them. I've had great luck with Therabreath toothpaste, IceBreakers grape flavored Ice Cubes gum, Salivart/Oasis mouth rinses, GC Dry Mouth Gel, and the MightTeaFlow lozenges and mouth rinse.

Hope you're doing better now!