[Sheltiemom18]

After spinning around in circles for weeks trying to decide what to do next - first settling on one thing and then another - the path became clear this morning.

After finding by dumb luck the abstract in all its glory about small fiber neuropathy and its manifestations written by the neuromuscular doc who did my skin punch biopsy and diagnosed SFN back in January, have called her for an appointment. I had not known of her and was set up way back then for the initial appointment with two other neuros about which I knew nothing.

Because it's the Cleveland Clinic, they have a protocol in place that says if you are doing a "change of provider," polite language for dumping your doc, you must go to the back of the line. First COP appointment with her is January 3, 2011.

The secretary said she'd do everything possible to see if the doc would fit me into the schedule anyway well before that as she'd done the biopsy. Plus the secretary put my name on the cancellation list.

Fingers crossed that the appointment is going to be sooner rather than later.

[cyclelops]

I know that some seronegative Sjogren's people would disagree with me, but, here goes. Without the serum markers of autoimmune disease, all that one has to link one to the diangosis of Sjogren's is sicca. Sicca is a symptom of many diseases, including neuropathy.

I suspect that many people that suffer from other 'Sjogren's' really have neurological Sicca. (Myself included, or, perhaps the UCTD causes the sicca, but, either way, PN is my main issue)

[Sheltiemom18]

cyclelops,

That's what I've been thinking and why I decided to go back to my first impression and reason I sought a neurology consult in the first place.

After all testing came back negative, except for skin punch biopsy and thyroid, along came the clinical Dx of Sjogren's by PCP, cardio, rheumy.

But after reading the abstract by the CC neuro who did my SPB and the one that Navy posted, find myself leaning toward SFSN causing sicca but can't be sure until after I hear what this new neuro has to say.

SFN can even cause the face flushing, dry face, dry lips, dry nose, dry mouth, dry eyes, red or white or both areas of skin. What I've got is all there.
What I don't got is so many things that Sjogren's folks have.