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Old 10-01-2016, 02:12 PM
MAT52 MAT52 is offline
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Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: Scotland, UK
Posts: 529
8 yr Member
MAT52 MAT52 is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: Scotland, UK
Posts: 529
8 yr Member
Default Dryness/ Sicca and itch caused by neuropathy rather than topical dryness?

As some here know, I have Sjogren's Disease. I've been wondering if itchy fingertips, itchy scalp and Sicca syndrome in eyes and mouth, pain and pressure in gums, teeth and lips could all be neurological? I'm starting to think that SS might be a neurological disease - at least for me.

I have dry eyes but they aren't gritty or sticky or pink in the way many describe - just tight. I have a horrible soreness in my gums and lips but no sign of thrush or cavities or gum disease. I have a horrible taste but no sign of acid reflux or sinus problems. And now I have this awful pain and stiffness in knuckles overnight everynight and then pins and needles and horribly itchy finger tips during days - but little clue as to skin condition causing the itch and stinging on the very tips of my fingers. I do have longstanding crawling and tingling in my feet and legs and face and a very itchy scalp but I don't get the shooting pains anymore as I used to. I'm sure all this is Sjogren's related but I don't understand how it comes about through the systemic dryness. The trigger for flares in SFN for me is heat i.e. Hot shower and cold. Mainly this affects my toes and feet but increasingly it is my hands that are most bothersome.

I suppose I'm asking this question here to prepare myself mentally for the neurologist who disparaged me six months ago. I have no CNS involvement and a recent MRI of brain showed that my small vessel disease hasn't progressed at all in 18 months - thankfully! What should I emphasise to her if I feel that all my symptoms are neuropathic rather than glandular?
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Sjögren’s, Hashimoto’s and Systemic Sclerosis with Raynaud’s, Erythromelagia and small fibre polyneuropathy, GI problems top to tail, degenerative disc disease and possible additional autoimmune diseases
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