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R Swamy Venuturupalli, MD, FACR

Joined: 09/02/2011

Expert Profile:

Dr. R. Swamy Venuturupalli is a board-certified rheumatologist practicing in Los Angeles. He is Clinical Chief of the Division of Rheumatology at Cedars Sinai Medical Center and Associate Clinical Professor of Medicine at UCLA as well as being Editor-in-Chief of Current Rheumatology Reports.

Dr. Venuturupalli grew up in Bombay, India, the son of two physicians. In 1995, he received his medical degree from the prestigious Topiwala National Medical College in Bombay. Dr. Venuturupalli completed his residency in Internal Medicine, with distinction, at the Upstate Medical University in Syracuse, NY. Following his residency, he was appointed Chief Resident in the department of medicine at Syracuse University, where he was in charge of managing and training 65 residents.

In 1999, Dr. Venuturupalli moved to Los Angeles for a combined fellowship in health services research with UCLA's School of Medicine, the RAND Corporation, and the Greater Los Angeles Veteran's Administration Medical Center. Along with his cohort, he conducted research on complementary and alternative medicine, publishing studies on Ayurvedic medicine, dietary supplements, and mind-body medicine. Dr. Venuturupalli then completed a rheumatology fellowship at the UCLA-Olive View medical program in 2002.

Dr. Venuturupalli's role as research investigator includes over a hundred clinical trials involving conditions such as lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory muscle diseases, ankylosing spondylitis, etc. He participates in ongoing rheumatology research with Dr. Daniel Wallace, a leading physician in the field, at the Cedars Sinai Division of Rheumatology. Dr. Venuturupalli lectures frequently to the general public and to the staff and faculty at Cedars Sinai Hospital on various topics in rheumatology, including alternative and complementary medicine. He was also recently invited to give grand rounds at Cedars on topics such as antiphospholipid syndrome and myositis. Dr. Venuturupalli has authored numerous text-book chapters, is published in peer-reviewed journals, and is currently the Editor-in-Chief of the journal Current Rheumatology Reviews.

For the past eight years, Dr. Venuturupalli has held a private practice in association with a group of 4 rheumatologists. Dr. Venuturupalli is highly regarded by his colleagues and is a sought-after teacher in his field of expertise. He has served as the past president of the Southern California Rheumatology Society, a non-profit professional organization of rheumatologists focusing on professional education.

Areas of expertise: Inflammatory Muscle disease, Systemic Lupus Erythematosus, Anti- Phospholipid syndrome, Sjogren's syndrome, Osteoporosis, Vasculitis.

For more information visit Dr. Swamy's website and Facebook page.

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Reply: Neck and Back Tension

Sorry, the above link should be: ...

Posted by R Swamy Venuturupalli, MD, FACR

2 Replies | ReplyReport This| Share this:Neck and Back Tension Sorry, the above link should be: ...

Reply: Neck and Back Tension

A good example of a neck exercise regimen can be found <a...

Posted by R Swamy Venuturupalli, MD, FACR

2 Replies | ReplyReport This| Share this:Neck and Back Tension A good example of a neck exercise regimen can be found <a...

Fertility and Lupus

Fertility is usually normal in Lupus patients, however, several...

Posted by R Swamy Venuturupalli, MD, FACR

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0 Replies | ReplyReport This| Share this:Fertility and Lupus Fertility is usually normal in Lupus patients, however, several...

Neck and Back Tension

In my experience, most people who have desk jobs carry significant...

Posted by R Swamy Venuturupalli, MD, FACR

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2 Replies | ReplyReport This| Share this:Neck and Back Tension In my experience, most people who have desk jobs carry significant...

Reply: Considerations for lupus patients who are planning...

I'm sorry that your disease is out of control and you are in pain....

Posted by R Swamy Venuturupalli, MD, FACR

4 Replies | ReplyReport This| Share this:Considerations for lupus patients who are planning to undergo surgery I'm sorry that your disease is out of control and you are in pain....

Considerations for lupus patients who are planning...

Surgery can be a daunting process and patients with lupus need to...

Posted by R Swamy Venuturupalli, MD, FACR

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4 Replies | ReplyReport This| Share this:Considerations for lupus patients who are planning to undergo surgery Surgery can be a daunting process and patients with lupus need to...

What to do about a "dry mouth"

Dry mouth is a common symptom that afflicts numerous older adults....

Posted by R Swamy Venuturupalli, MD, FACR

Dry mouth is a common symptom that afflicts numerous older adults. Additionally, patients with connective tissue diseases such as lupus and rheumatoid arthritis often suffer from severe dryness of the eyes and mouth. Sjogren's syndrome is the prototypical autoimmune disorder that is associated with severe dryness of the eyes and the mouth. Primary Sjogren's syndrome is a progressive systemic autoimmune disease in which there is early and gradually worsening of salivary and lacrimal (tear producing) glandular function. This condition afflicts women more than men in a ratio of approximately 8:1, and it seems to affect women in the perimenopausal age group.
Saliva is produced by the salivary glands. It is an important digestive fluid that initiates digestion of food even before food reaches the stomach. The major salivary glands are the parotid glands and the submandibular glands. However, numerous additional salivary glands are present in the tongue and the soft tissues of the oral cavities. When saliva production is decreased, it leads to several uncomfortable symptoms including, thickened saliva, bad breath, cavities and oral infections, as well as poor digestion due to the absence of adequate saliva.
When someone experiences symptoms of dry mouth, the first step is to investigate and establish the cause for the dry mouth. The most common cause of dry mouth are medications such as antidepressants, antihistamines, anti-seizure medications are associated with dryness of the mouth. Exposure to radiation therapy for head and neck cancer treatment, diabetes, HIV or hepatitis C infection are all associated with dryness of the mouth. Autoimmune diseases such as Sjogren's syndrome, lupus, scleroderma and rheumatoid arthritis are also associated with significant dryness of the mouth.
Usually a dry mouth doesn't result in oral pain. Usually, when there is pain associated with a dry mouth, thrush or candidiasis need to be ruled out. This is a fungal infection by the organism called candida albicans (the same fungus that causes diaper rash). Risk factors for the development of a painful mouth include antibiotic treatment of treatment with glucocorticoids. Treatment of oral candidiasis usually requires prolonged treatment with oral anti-fungal medications.
A related but distinct condition is "burning mouth" syndrome. The causes for this condition include nutritional deficiencies such as B-complex vitamins, diabetes, hormonal changes seen with menopause, some medications, though usually it is difficult to find an exact cause and it is attributed to a localized nerve damage (neuropathy).
I recommend the following measures for management of dry mouth:
1. 1. Identify offending medications and try to change them. In general, more medication = more chance of dry mouth.
2. 2. Drink plenty of water throughout the day and keep water at the bedside at nighttime.
3. 3. Suck on sugar free gum or hard candy- the sucking motion stimulates saliva
4. 4. A drop of lemon juice just prior to a meal on the tongue can stimulate saliva flow.
5. 5. Avoid mouth rinses that contain peroxide or alcohol as these can cause worsening of symptoms
6. 6. Avoid foods that are salty and dry and use foods that are moist, soft and not very hot.
7. 7. Avoid alcohol, sugary beverages and acidic beverages.
8. 8. It is extremely important to prevent tooth decay. This requires compulsive attention to oral hygiene including brushing after every meal, flossing every night, using toothpaste with fluoride and visiting your dentist every 6 months.
9. 9. Use a humidifier at night to improve humidity at home.
10. Use omega-3 supplements to decrease inflammation that may be associated with autoimmune diseases.View Thread

Posted byR Swamy Venuturupalli, MD, FACR

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