Newly diagnosed with sjogren’s

Please do not be depressed - you can absolutely live a normal life with this! You will have some depressed moments, days, and maybe a week here and there, but don't waste the life you have being depressed full time! I have had SS 34 years (and possibly longer) and am now 62. Don't Google too much, and take care what you read about other's experiences. We are all different and have different symptoms in differing degrees. Develop strategies for dealing with each symptom as it arises. I have strategies for my eyes (NEVER without sunglasses at any moment), my teeth (surround yourself with excellent medicos etc), swallowing, talking (dry mouth can affect this) etc. If I think too hard about it all I can get down, but all my symptoms and strategies have become my "new normal" and a good life goes on full of kids, grandkids, big garden, lenovations, learning, lots of travels etc. Good luck.....monitor what you read.....don't look too far ahead to when symptoms may (or may not) get worse....get the best medicos you can find/afford......and get on with living!

I am concerned that you have a white tongue because that's a sign of thrush. And thrush is a common problem with dry mouth. You really want your dentist or doctor to look at your mouth because if it is thrush you'll need some medicine to treat it.

As we often say in the forum on COPD, you will live with this condition rather than die from it -- and that's good, life goes on.

It's important to take care of your teeth & gums, and your eyes. They need a certain amount of moisture to stay healthy. As another poster mentioned, we are all different. As Lily says, it's called a syndrome because there are a group of symptoms /issues and we all get varied collections of those issues. And issues can go into remission! Might be temporary, might be permanent. Some folks' dry mouth/eyes even go into remission.

Life is a hopefully long series of adjustments to changing conditions. You've just been told you have this particular malady, and it will take you some time to adjust. That's okay. We're here to talk & listen & understand.

One more caveat to add to everyone else's: try to avoid assuming that each new issue is SS. Digestive issues might be SS or they might not. At least half of all Americans over the age of 40 regularly take meds for one or another digestive issue, and only a tiny fraction of those folks have Sjogren's. Did a rheumatologist say that your digestive issues are due to Sjogren's?

I agree with the others. My SS is just another facet of my rheumatologist auto immune condition. Forums and specific charities that are researching the condition are very supportive. I am never without my sunglasses: one pair in the car door pocket, the other in my handbag. I have a meds pouch ( a posh pencil case actually), containing salivix pastilles, sugar free chewing gum, ventolin inhaler, hyloforte pump, and celluvisc capsules. Obviously, a larger handbag too! It took me time to overcome slight embarrassment at using glasses indoors where lighting ( often in a meeting hall) eventually gets problematic, or needing to lubricate my eyes when in company. I just bought a survivor extender for driving as winter (low in the sky) sun is a problem. I am 75, probably had SS for 30 years, but only diagnosed seven years ago. In reality it was a relief as it explained a lot of niggling symptoms of all sorts.  Hope this helps.

i have had SS diagnosied for 23 years now and probably had at least 10 years or longer before this, i am nearly 55 in one month,, honestly i have had great life, for the first two years of being diagnoised was very hard i could not work, and was a bit of a mess, but after two years it settled down i went on to get a degree and travel the world it has only been the last few years that it has really started to affect me. as in the fatigue, don"t feel depressed just take each day as it comes, and if you are having a bad day that is the way it is. I still not take medication for it after all these years, i take natural things, put heaps of baby oil in my bath for my dry skin, take a hair skin and nails tablet for my hair. i take 4 fish oil tablets a day for the pain in my joints. i try all natural first, i live in the moment and honestly i don"t even think about to tomorrow. thats how i live my life, and everyday i ask myself What am i grateful today for and i always find something, even if it is a bad day, When you have the onset can be quite scary. back when i was diagnoised i didn"T even have a computer today is so much better. i can have a white tongue as well and it is not thrush, i wish you well on your journey remember that SS is just a part of you now, but it is not only who you are, and there is a difference, my problem is fatgue and pain in my joints but that has taken years for me,, everyone is different in there journey.