The Rheumatologist.....

We had a great visit with my new rheumatologist on Monday. Here is what we know so far.
I definitely have Sjogren's Syndrome...here are the details:

Sjogren's syndrome (show-GRENS SIN-drome) is an autoimmune disease that causes dry eyes and a dry mouth.

What Are the Symptoms?
Dry eyes/mouth
Swelling
Difficulty chewing or swallowing
Dry cough
Cavities
Oral yeast infections
Dry nose, throat and lungs
Fatigue

What Causes It?
Although cause is unknown, heredity, viral infection and hormones may be contributing factors.

What Are the Effects?
In Sjogren's the body's defense system turns against itself and attacks glands that produce moisture. Sjogren's occurs in two forms:
Primary occurs alone, not associated with any other disease.
Secondary occurs with rheumatic diseases such as polymyositis, rheumatoid arthritis, scleroderma, systemic lupus erythematosus

Who Is At Risk?
It primarily affects women over the age of 45 and rarely affects anyone under age 20.

Cautions
If you are a woman with Sjogren's syndrome and plan to become pregnant, you should check with your doctor. He may check for an antibody that can cause heart problems in newborn babies.
http://www.sjogrens.org/

Secondly he diagnosed me with Fibromyalgia, which simply means pain in the muscles. I would imagine that this has been an issue for me for a long time.

Here are the facts:

Fibromyalgia (or fibromyalgia syndrome) is an arthritis-related condition characterized widespread muscle pain and the presence of tender points, or areas of the body that are particularly sensitive to pressure. Other symptoms may include sleep disturbances, severe fatigue, depression and anxiety, cognitive difficulties, headaches, bladder irritability and spasms, irritable bowel syndrome, jaw problems and painful menstruation.
Fibromyalgia affects 3 percent to 6 percent of Americans, mostly women. Its exact cause is not known.
Fibromyalgia affects more than 3.7 million Americans, the majority of whom are women between the ages of 40 and 75, but it also affects men, young women and children as well. People with other rheumatic diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis or lupus, are at greater risk for fibromyalgia. For example, about 20 to 30 percent of people with rheumatoid arthritis also develop fibromyalgia, although no one knows why.

Lastly he commented on my heart acting up with the fast heart beat (tachycardia) events and the Premature Ventricular Contractions which we suppose are caused when I use ibuprofen and other medications like this. He ran some cardiac blood work and a lupus panel. It is assumed that I have some sort of inflammation around my heart/lungs and other organs that is aggravated by certain medications, but can also be worsened by stress, fatigue and so forth (because I never experience any of those issues....*grin*).

We will find out more answers in May. I still suspect I have Lupus (Sjogren's rarely appears by itself), but at this point we know it is NOT Rheumatoid Arthritis, which is a good thing.

The best news we received was that the disease process usually follows the same pattern it presents with within the first 2 years, so it is possible that this is the worst it will be as long as I stay as healthy as possible and get enough sleep! Fatigue is the enemy!!!

Here is information on Lupus:
Lupus is an autoimmune disease that can affect various parts of the body, including the skin, joints, heart, lungs, blood, kidneys and brain. Normally the body's immune system makes proteins called antibodies, to protect the body against viruses, bacteria, and other foreign materials. These foreign materials are called antigens.
In an autoimmune disorder like lupus, the immune system cannot tell the difference between foreign substances and its own cells and tissues. The immune system then makes antibodies directed against itself. These antibodies -- called "auto-antibodies" (auto means 'self') -- cause inflammation, pain and damage in various parts of the body.
Inflammation is considered the primary feature of lupus. Inflammation, which in Latin means "set on fire," is characterized by pain, heat, redness, swelling and loss of function, either on the inside or on the outside of the body (or both).
For most people, lupus is a mild disease affecting only a few organs. For others, it may cause serious and even life-threatening problems. Although epidemiological data on lupus is limited, studies suggest that more than 16,000 Americans develop lupus each year.http://www.lupus.org/newsite/index.html