Tag: muscle pain

Sjögren’s Syndrome

Cynthia A. Lockley on
  • Sjögren's Syndrome Foundation
  • Sjögren's Syndrome Symptoms – Dry Mouth & Eyes from the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS). Sjögren's syndrome is a chronic autoimmune disorder that happens when the immune system attacks the glands that make moisture in the eyes, mouth, and other parts of the body. The main symptoms are dry eyes and mouth, but other parts of the body may be affected as well, with many people reporting fatigue and joint and muscle pain. In addition, the disease can damage the lungs, kidneys, and nervous system. Sjögren's syndrome predominantly affects women.  New
  • Sjögren's Syndrome from the American College of Rheumatology. Sjögren's syndrome is a chronic, autoimmune disease. It can occur alone or with other autoimmune conditions like rheumatoid arthritis (RA) or lupus. Sjögren's syndrome presents with dry eyes and dry mouth. Inflammation of the tear ducts and saliva glands cause dryness and irritation. Other common symptoms include joint and muscle pain, fatigue, and rashes. Less commonly, it can affect internal organs such as the lungs, gastrointestinal tract, kidneys, and nervous system.  New
  • Diagnosis of Sjögren's Syndrome from the Johns Hopkins Sjögren's Center. There are several tests that doctors may recommend to determine if you have Sjögren's syndrome.  New
  • Sjögren's Syndrome article by Mayo Clinic staff  Updated
  • Green tea may help prevent autoimmune diseases, ScienceDaily – Medical College of Georgia, April 20 2007. They found significantly less salivary gland damage in a group treated with green tea extract, suggesting a reduction of the Sjögren's symptom commonly referred to as dry mouth…"Since it is an autoimmune disease, Sjögren's Syndrome causes the body to attack itself and produce extra antibodies that mistakenly target the salivary and lacrimal glands."
  • Molecular mechanisms of salivary gland destruction in patients with Sjögren's Syndrome U.S. National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health PubMed.gov (abstract in English / full article is in Japanese)

1st U.S. Drug Approved for Fibromyalgia

Cynthia A. Lockley on

Important Update:

December, 2019 – FDA warns about serious breathing problems with seizure and nerve pain medicines gabapentin (Neurontin, Gralise, Horizant) and pregabalin (Lyrica, Lyrica CR)
When used with CNS depressants, opioids, or in patients with lung problems.

Listen to the Podcast about this warning on the FDA site.

21 June 2007—(U.S. Food and Drug Administration press release) (.pdf) – Lyrica (pregabalin) has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat fibromyalgia. It's the first drug approved in the United States to treat the condition that affects up to 6 million Americans, the agency said Thursday. People with fibromyalgia usually have chronic pain, muscle stiffness, fatigue, and sleep problems. The disorder affects more women than men, and commonly develops in early-to-middle adulthood. In the absence of a diagnostic test, doctors typically conduct physical examinations, evaluate symptoms, and rule out other possibilities, the FDA said.