I was wondering does anyone take the natural -homeopathic route for sjogrens?
Hi lisa
My rhuemy does both. She tells me the things I can take and keeps a check on supplements to make sure they do not intefere with one another as some supplements can be toxic the same as meds.
She also is a strong advocate of massage, chriproctor, and aqua therapy, as well as meditation.
Sounds like you have a good dr. I’m only seeing a natural path presently. And a chiropractic, all in all I have really good days then BAM - it lets me know it’s still around. There are days I look in the mirror and think I really don’t have this. Huge adjustment with this.
My docs use both also. I think it’s the best route. Supplements can help keep the body as healthy as possible and maybe slow the time before needing chemicals. Still, when you need meds, ya need em. I’m grateful for prescriptions too at this point in my journey.
Supplements can be as powerful as regular prescriptions so the doc really should be overseeing them. As a reminder, You have to be careful… One of my supplements can interact with one of my heart meds if taken within 2 hours of each other. I would never have thought twice about it. Natural May be fine for some but please treat it seriously.
Morning enjoylife, before I was diagnosed I was in the ER with my eyes, didn’t even look like me. Two internal med dr’s, neurologist, allergist, rhumatoligist, I felt like a pincushion. The meds they tried to prescribe made symptoms worse, so in my brain why would I take something that will suck what little moisture I have out of me. No ER visits since I went this route. What puzzles me is how I can be fine for a while then the fatigue and all the other great things along with it hit. Guess that’s just the way it going to be, at least I know what’s up now.
Anybody have any suggestions for dry mouth? Or sleep meds to help you relax and sleep?
Morning Marc, I take magnesium in the evening, it helps you sleep and does relax tight muscles. I have a cool mist humidifier in my bedroom, which helps with the eyes. And I use coconut oil two times a day for my mouth, just a little on my toothbrush helps with moisture. I also chew ALOT of gum, helps stimulate the paratoid glands.
Thanks. I’m very new to this and don’t understand what is happening to me. I’m just trying to get some answers. I’m seeing a ophthalmologist today but want to see others as well. I’m sad for my family as I feel they are struggling with this as well.
I am also new to this journey, first clue for dr’s was my ANA, knowledge is power, ask a lot of questions and do a lot of reading. You will have good days ahead, and yes our loved ones don’t want to see us struggle. When you get the answers that will be a huge help and you will be ready for the next steps- Good luck at dr’s today. 
Hi Lisa… I hear ya about the ups and downs. Have you started keeping a journal? Sometimes it helps find a pattern to what is triggering the fatigue or bad days. Stress, a certain type of food, etc. I do know that sometimes it just plain happens regardless of what I do. It seems the more I stick to a program the shorter the flair up when it does happen. I also know what you mean about being a pin cushion. I see 4 different specialists (not including my allergy/asthma doc). Some months I don't see them at all while others I may as well move my office to the waiting room. LOL. It is what it is and SS is unpredictable. Its the one time I allow myself to play games on my phone, though. I'm glad your route is working for you.
Marc, when the diagnosis is new it can be scary and bewildering. As you get more information and a treatment path down it will be easier to deal with. Families are tough when we don't know ourselves what's going on and I think we all have that struggle. Right now, you need to take care of you. (and no that's not a selfish thought). A good part of the journey for all of you may be finding a new norm. Give yourself time.
Very true about families, but I think with my daughters they don’t like to see mom not her hyper self. Yes I write Everything down. It does help to see what triggers a flare up–
Your comment about not being your hyper self made a thought pop into my head. By the time I was diagnosed I was dealing with major fatigue that had me afraid to drive home from work some days. I'd get home and just make it to the couch where I'd pass out for a couple hours. That was weird for me as I tend to be moving all the time….After my diagnosis I'd pass out and wake up to find the dishwasher cleared and refilled, the kitchen clean, the garbage taken out. I guess it was my college age son's way of saying he was worried. (he is awesome, btw :) )
Awe Enjoylife that is so sweet that he was aware of something wrong going on. I would mountain bike 3times a week and did 1-3miles on my treadmill daily. Plus work, so when I didn’t have the energy to work out I knew something was up, that’s my stress reliever. Im slowly getting back to it but not at the lengths I did before. Sjogrens is very tricky—lol but for now, I woke up and and so far so good.
The fatigue you feel from SS is not the same kind or from the same source as "energy" and as strange as it may sound the most effective way to combat it is by exercise especially aerobic exercise. Folks who make themselves exercise no matter how tough they are feeling do better, the suffer far less depression and have fewer overall symptoms. There is a complicated explanation of how the inflammations and autoimmune system attack the adrenal system to cause this problem, but it really is better to drive the adrenal system naturally
I'm not saying there aren't other reasons for the fatigue including depression (also brought on by auto-immune dysfunction) but the evidence of adding aerobic exercise to autoimmune treatment is overwhelming. The sad thing is if you miss a week of activity it takes months to get back to where you were for most folks.
TJ, that is so true. I miss the martial arts terribly but I still get on the elliptical and do a 5k when it isn't freezing out. BUT... if I'm down sick and miss a week, I feel like I'm starting from scratch again. For someone who has always worked out, it feels foreign to be in that place.
Very true, what’s tough for me is I have a very energy draining job, mentally and physically, so working out the way I did was a great stress release, one dr told me I can start back SLOWLY. I get in my own way sometimes lol