I have Sjögren’s Syndrome. Sjögren’s is a chronic inflammatory autoimmune disease that creates an extreme condition of dryness throughout the body. The primary form of Sjögren’s affects the eyes and mouth.
Secondary Sjögren’s affects the eye, mouth, and a variety of other bodily functions. Although there is no cure, there is hope in the form of palliative treatment.
If your symptoms are limited to your mouth and eyes, consider yourself lucky. Sjögren’s can cause havoc to almost all body systems from head-to-toe.
Many diseases and medications can cause dry mouth problems. The interventions mentioned here may help anyone who suffers from extremely dry eyes or mouth.
Since the onset of my Sjögren’s symptoms in 2005, I have sought many ways to treat my symptoms of eye and mouth dryness. I’ve used over ten different brands of eye drops and had lacrimal plugs inserted (that subsequently fell out). I have tried mouthwashes, sprays, oil swishes and lozenges.
Life with Sjögren’s requires lifestyle changes to help combat some of the dryness. These may include limiting caffeine or using a humidifier.
Recommendations for dryness
Here are some of the products I have used that I would recommend for extreme dryness:
EYE
Refresh Celluvisc Lubricant Eye Gel – single use. This preparation contains no preservatives to irritate the eyes, and the individual containers are easy to pop into a purse on the road.
Systane – My daytime drops. I use the Systane Ultra Lubricant Eye Drops. I shy away from the Systane Gel in the purple and blue box; those make me feel as if I have sand in my eye.
Approximately two-thirds of patients with Sjögren’s develop blepharitis, an inflammation of the eyelids associated with gland dysfunction. I follow the Mayo Clinic treatment of warm compress application to the eyelids, for blepharitis. The compress helps reduce irritation and prevent the buildup of drying mucous or crusts. Afterward, I apply a few drops of baby shampoo with warm water to get rid of the crusts followed by rinsing. There are treatments for blepharitis in pharmacies, but they are expensive, so I opt for the baby shampoo treatment.
EYELID
Cliradex or Eyelid Wipes by GoOpticians are convenient if you many crusts forming in your eyes throughout the day and need an on-the-road solution.
I rarely wear eye makeup because makeup makes it difficult to keep my eyes clean. When I do choose to wear eye makeup, I use mascaras that have little flaking. I apply the mascara only to the ends of my lashes. I have had to settle for cream eyeshadow, but I limit my use to special occasions.
MOUTH
One of my first Sjögren’s symptoms was dry mouth. I remember driving to work in 2009 after a period of taking Levaquin for a urinary infection and thinking I must have developed thrush because my tongue felt coated. Soon afterward, the doctor said I did not have thrush. Consequently, I began my long journey into finding lozenges and mouthwashes for my parched mouth.
Luden’s Moisture Drops and Halls are an inexpensive way to re-moisten my dry mouth. These initially worked well. Unfortunately, my pharmacy stopped carrying them.
GSK’s Biotène spray. It was okay, but the bottle opened in my purse and ruined quite a bit of the contents of the purse. Lozenges or gums work best outside the home. Their mouthwash helped with moistening but did not last at all. Even with regular use, I saw no difference in dryness.
TheraBreath Dry Mouth Lozenges work wonderfully in a short-term manner. Be forewarned, you must hide them or your family may steal these mints. They’re tasty!
SmartMouth Dry Mouth Relief Mints are good-tasting but a bit overly minty. They will, therefore, do in a pinch.
Quantum Health’s OraMoist Dry Mouth Patch works to lubricate your mouth; some people love this product. For me, the awful jelly-like consistency was intolerable. I awoke gagging in the mornings with this jelly-wad inside my mouth. The patches didn’t melt well, so I would have to peel them off the roof of my mouth in the morning. Yuk!
recommendations
In the daytime
MighTeaFlow Lozenges by Camellix are what I use most often throughout the day. They are greyish-brown and not pretty, and they have a very mild orange flavor. The lozenges can be placed near the gum and allowed to melt; they can also be sucked on and swallowed gradually. I find the taste pleasant enough, and they seem to increase saliva over a longer time. Camellix, the manufacturer, also makes a gum with the same name for those who prefer that type of product.
During the night
XyliMelts are excellent for relief of dryness during the
night. I formerly used the MighTeaFlow Lozenges at the bedside for nighttime, mixed in water. Recent setbacks have ruined my sleep patterns and ingesting anything during the night keeps me awake longer. I put one or two XyliMelts Mint-Free in my mouth in front of the teeth and let them work throughout the night. Mint-flavored XyliMelt products are available. However, mint can irritate your mouth and cause more dryness, so I tend to shy away from those.
Conclusion
If you’ve received a diagnosis of Sjögren’s, you may have to search around to find what works for you; we’re all different. These products have been beneficial for me, and I hope you find something as useful for your symptom relief.
Kindly leave comments below. Let me know if I’ve been any help.
INFORMATION
I am an Amazon affiliate, and I earn small commissions if you purchase these products upon my recommendation.