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Considerations for lupus patients who are planning...

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

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 be aware of special...

What to do about a "dry mouth"

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

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 by R Swamy Venuturupalli, MD, FACR

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1 Reply | ReplyReport This| Share this:What to do about a "dry mouth" Dry mouth is a common symptom that afflicts numerous older adults. Additionally,...

Help Our Community

Welcome to the WebMD Lupus Community! Please don't respond to this discussion. Instead, please...

Posted by Elizabeth_WebMD_Staff

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Tip for helping with sores in your nose.

I get open sores in my nose sometimes like I do in my mouth. The problem is that there isn't a...

Posted by Lupussufferersince15

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9 Replies | ReplyReport This| Share this:Tip for helping with sores in your nose. I get open sores in my nose sometimes like I do in my mouth. The problem is that there isn't a...

Gluten Intolerance is 5 times more common than cel...

Although until very recently, it was thought that gluten-intolerance without a positive test for celiac...

Posted by kitINstLOUIS

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1 Reply | ReplyReport This| Share this:Gluten Intolerance is 5 times more common than celiac disease. Although until very recently, it was thought that gluten-intolerance without a positive test for celiac...

I am a man with Lupus of the skin and body. Heres ...

I had chronic hives caused by lupus for 8 months. The sun and anything making contact with my skin that day...

Posted by An_206317

I had chronic hives caused by lupus for 8 months. The sun and anything making contact with my skin that day would cause me to flare up. Hives all over my body, swollen feet, hands and throat. I felt suicidal during this time but i love life too much plus thats only for the weak definitely not my character.I went to many doctors before i was diagnosis to help me find out what was wrong. They all told me i had chronic hives but they couldn't figure out the cause. They gave me prednisone and other types of medications that helped a little but i couldn't live on this medication well i refused too. The last doctor gave me stress medication it didn't nothing but gave me pain. The funny thing was he diagnose me without test. I started thinking of how stress i really was i wasn't financially stress i was doing okay. Then i started thinking could it be my relationship her expectations of marriage and our life together driving me to be emotionally stress maybe.
Then i started thinking i am not fat but i am gaining a little weight in the core area of my body. I started remembering when i use to train in the boxing gym the release of endorphins would make me feel so relaxed.So i started walking on the tread mill for 40 minutes at 3.0-4.5 speed to get my heart and stamina up. Then i started running for 20 minutes 5.0-5.5 =speed. Then i started hitting the weights and a training routine that kept me fit . Oh don't think that this was easy i had flare ups during my work out my throat was swollen feet and hands swollen hives all over my body and face but i wanted to beat this thing. Sometimes with tears in my eyes i am working out thinking what i did wrong in life to deserve such pain. My relationship ended i was in better shape and the hives slowly went away maybe 6-8 weeks after my work out and relationship ended .
I am no expert but i think the emotional stress and your physical condition could play a big part in controlling your lupus flare ups.
I 9yrs later still get some joint pain swollen feet and hands but its temporary couple hours and its gone.
I took that medication hydroxychloroquine i had a flare the second week when my 2 and 5 yr old came home sick with coxsackie virus the medication surpressed your immune system allowing me to get effected with blisters on my face couldn't walk feet were like balloons, could leave my bed first day hands swollen. All lasted for 5 days leaving me with facial scars. I stop taking it havent had a episode like that since. But thats me everyone is different!
Hope this is Helpful.View Thread

Posted byAn_206317

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2 Replies | ReplyReport This| Share this:I am a man with Lupus of the skin and body. Heres how i help beat my chronic hives! I had chronic hives caused by lupus for 8 months. The sun and anything making contact with my skin that day...

Lupus and Arthritis

My business class group created a Facebook page to link and support people with Arthritis and Autoimmune...

Posted by MRKMOM

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0 Replies | ReplyReport This| Share this:Lupus and Arthritis My business class group created a Facebook page to link and support people with Arthritis and Autoimmune...

Hives & Rashes

I was just reading your post about hives. Egyptian Magic is amazing! It will almost always take them. It...

Posted by PotomacTrish

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0 Replies | ReplyReport This| Share this:Hives & Rashes I was just reading your post about hives. Egyptian Magic is amazing! It will almost always take them. It...

Includes Expert Content

Helping Family Understand Your Pain

One of the hardest things for Lupus patients have to do is to help their families understand the...

Posted by Andie_WebMD_Staff

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7 Replies | ReplyReport This| Share this:Helping Family Understand Your Pain One of the hardest things for Lupus patients have to do is to help their families understand the...

10 Daily Habits to Reduce Chronic Pain

It's a Catch-22: You're hurting, so you don't exercise; but without exercise, you may lose muscle...

Posted by Andie_WebMD_Staff

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16 Replies | ReplyReport This| Share this:10 Daily Habits to Reduce Chronic Pain It's a Catch-22: You're hurting, so you don't exercise; but without exercise, you may lose muscle...

Not Everyone's Lupus is Created Equal

Nor are any of us the same. I think it's really important to find health care providers who are willing to...

Posted by NancyEllenB

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Blood Test Results

I found a useful website that lists various blood tests and gives the definitions and normal ranges for them!...

Posted by TXDIYGal

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lupus headaches

Have you tried migraine treatment medications for lupus headaches? I use maxalt 10 mg tablets. The...

Posted by grandwillowgal

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0 Replies | ReplyReport This| Share this:lupus headaches Have you tried migraine treatment medications for lupus headaches? I use maxalt 10 mg tablets. The...

Reminder: Please divide your posts into paragraph...

Some of the posts are long, They are very hard to read if they have no breaks in them. All you have to do...

With love, with patience and with faith, we'll make our way.

Posted by Lupylisa44

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2 Replies | ReplyReport This| Share this:Reminder: Please divide your posts into paragraphs Some of the posts are long, They are very hard to read if they have no breaks in them. All you have to do...

Email Digests Are Back!

Don't get to your favorite boards every day? We're all busy, so sometimes it is nice to have your...

Posted by Andie_WebMD_Staff

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3 Replies | ReplyReport This| Share this:Email Digests Are Back! Don't get to your favorite boards every day? We're all busy, so sometimes it is nice to have your...

Slideshow: Fibro-friendly Exercises

Fibromyalgia is commonly diagnosed with Lupus, and its muscle pain, relentless fatigue, disturbed...

Posted by Andie_WebMD_Staff

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0 Replies | ReplyReport This| Share this:Slideshow: Fibro-friendly Exercises Fibromyalgia is commonly diagnosed with Lupus, and its muscle pain, relentless fatigue, disturbed...

Chronic Diarrhea

I suffered with chronic, painful, uncontrollable diarrhea for more than 20 yrs. A high fiber diet does help...

Posted by An_206315

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0 Replies | ReplyReport This| Share this:Chronic Diarrhea I suffered with chronic, painful, uncontrollable diarrhea for more than 20 yrs. A high fiber diet does help...

Questions??

Thank you for your advise. I have another question. My Dr. took me off my meds. I have felt more more...

Posted by micbrewski

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0 Replies | ReplyReport This| Share this:Questions?? Thank you for your advise. I have another question. My Dr. took me off my meds. I have felt more more...

IE Fix for Picture Cropping

We've found that some of our Members using Internet Explorer have issues with cropping images. If...

Posted by Andie_WebMD_Staff

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HOW TO: Get the Best Response to Your Question

If you're new to the Lupus Community, we welcome you! Sometimes coming to a new forum type of...

Posted by Andie_WebMD_Staff

If you're new to the Lupus Community, we welcome you! Sometimes coming to a new forum type of community where you ask and answer questions can be confusing. Where and how should you ask your question to invite the most engagement?

Here are few tips to get the best response to your question on the Lupus Community:

If you have a question, please post it as a new discussion...being specific in your title as to your subject matter.
The post will be read by the Community Members, by the Moderator (me), and by our Health Expert, Dr. Zelman. You will receive a response from one or all of us.
If you still have questions or would like the Health Expert's direct advice, simply state that in a polite reply.
If the Expert does not respond then it is probably due to the position it puts him in by offering a "second opinion".
Your best bet THEN would be to repost your question omitting any reference to what your regular doctor may have advised. This way Dr. Zelman is not put in the position of contradicting another professional's opinion.

Dr. Zelman is somewhat particular about which questions/posts he responds to. His purpose for this is to provide a "teaching experience".

Dr. Z does check the board several times a week, however he will not respond to any questions that might put him in the position of providing a second opinion to someone's regular physician. This is to protect everyone involved.

Without examining a patient himself, there is no way Dr. Z could give an accurate opinion, but he can provide tips on what may help, or what questions you should ask your doctor.

There may be situations where a new visitor may have had a bad experience somewhere else with receiving advice that wasn't well grounded with experience. In that case they may be looking for an actual MD just for the trust factor.

However, a polite response or a "thanks, but I'd also like to hear what the Health Expert's opinion is" would suffice.

Member experiences are very valuable to understand real life coping techniques that have worked (or not worked) for an actual individual...rather than just reading a bunch of medical jargon.

I hope that helps clarify. Just remember that we are a community. We all have rough days, but we are still here to support and be supported. It's a give and take, and respect is mandatory for your post to remain showing.

There you have it! Now go ahead an post away!! (Just scroll to the top & find the "Post Now" button & click "Discussion")

Yours In Health,

~Andie, Community ModeratorView Thread

Posted by Andie_WebMD_Staff

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13 Replies | ReplyReport This| Share this:HOW TO: Get the Best Response to Your Question If you're new to the Lupus Community, we welcome you! Sometimes coming to a new forum type of...

Kidney Pain and Lupus Nephritis

see a lot of people posting that they have flank pain in their lower back and think it is lupus kidney...

Posted by Lupylisa44

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9 Replies | ReplyReport This| Share this:Kidney Pain and Lupus Nephritis see a lot of people posting that they have flank pain in their lower back and think it is lupus kidney...

Diagnosing Lupus

In response to a number of questions regarding diagnosing lupus. I would refer you to the excellent...

Posted by David Zelman, MD

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4 Replies | ReplyReport This| Share this:Diagnosing Lupus In response to a number of questions regarding diagnosing lupus. I would refer you to the excellent...

Natural Treatments for Rheumatoid Arthritis

Looking for some natural treatments for rheumatoid arthritis, or RA? Check out this article on...

Posted by Andie_WebMD_Staff

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1 Reply | ReplyReport This| Share this:Natural Treatments for Rheumatoid Arthritis Looking for some natural treatments for rheumatoid arthritis, or RA? Check out this article on...

Tapering steroids

Many patients with SLE take steroids to treat their disease. You should be taking the lowest possible...

Posted by David Zelman, MD

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8 Replies | ReplyReport This| Share this:Tapering steroids Many patients with SLE take steroids to treat their disease. You should be taking the lowest possible...

new posts in old discussions

So many new people keep resonding to REALLY OLD discussions like the CALLING ALL LUPIES and "hives with...

Posted by Lupylisa44

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Lupus and Disabilty

SLE can be disabling but fortunately not always. While you may think that you are disabled, those that...

Posted by David Zelman, MD

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24 Replies | ReplyReport This| Share this:Lupus and Disabilty SLE can be disabling but fortunately not always. While you may think that you are disabled, those that...

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