Swollen lymph node

Posted , 6 users are following.

Hello,

For about a year now I've had dry mouth. I'm pretty sure it's sjorgens. I've been To a rhumetologist took tests and all came back negative. He said he doesn't want to do the lip Biopsy. He says he's pretty sure I have secondary sjorgens from my crohns. Was just wondering does anyone have a lymph node that is always swollen? Mine never goes down. It's been swollen ever since I started getting dry mouth. Also, does anyone have advice on how to manage the fatigue? I'm always tired. I have to nap everyday. And I'll have to nap during my breaks at work.

2 likes, 8 replies

8 Replies

  • Posted

    Hi Cassie,

    ?Not all RA's like to do the lip biopsy, especially if they suspect the sjogrens is secondary to another auto immune disease.  Auto immune diseases mimick each other so often, it can take years to know for sure.  It's very tricky!  Very often, if you have one, like Sjogrens, you can have Lupus, or visa versa...or Fibro, crohns and so on.  My lymph nodes do get swollen often, and it can be very common when dealing with Sjogrens!  One of the suggestions is to gently massage the area, you need to make sure your RA doc knows about this, and they need to keep an eye on it, as sometimes this can require surgery!!  Not to be messed with!!  Sounds like you should be on some kind of meds for the dryness.  Imuran does work wonders for the dry mouth, I used to chew gum all day long, drove me nuts, and I tried all the so called over the counter remedies, and non of them worked.  Even the ones my dentist gave me to try.  You also need to see a dentist at least twice a year...in case you are not already doing so, as we can lose teeth to this dry mouth!!  No saliva, leads to major bacteria...which leads to tooth loss!!  Which is what causes the lymph node getting hard under your chin/neck area.  Also, flossing is absolutely # 1 in prevention!!!  My dentist calls me his flossing queen!!  biggrin?  I am terrified of losing my teeth!  I've made it 62 years and still have all my own, and I want to keep it that way!  LOL

    ?I wish you luck!!  Keep us posted, as to how you are doing, and what your doctors have to say about that lymph node!!

    • Posted

      Yeah, I'm a little bit worried though, cause I've read that crohns and sjorgens aren't really linked with each other so I don't know if it's secondary sjorgens. I really hope I don't end up get getting another auto immune disease. The RA says there was a medicine he could give me, but he didn't want to give it to me because it can cause stomach probems. I'm guessing he meant imuran. Maybe I should find a different RA. Haha, I've always been super worried about losing my teeth even before all the dry Mouth stuff. I go 2 times a year, I need to do better with flossing though.

    • Posted

      Your RA might be talking about Plaquenil, which is also a good med for Sjogrens.  I can not take it, but most people have no problem with it.  I just happen to be one of the few unlucky ones.  It can cause eye problems in a few of us, and it did in the first 3 months, and had to be taken off immediately.  Once it causes damage, it can NOT be reversed!  So while you are on it, you do have to see an Opthamologist every 3 months.  It does not work like the Imuran on the dry mouth, but helps some.

      For me, the Sjogrens has gone inside to my organs, liver, kidneys, intestines, and stomach, so I am on all kinds of meds, but the Imuran, along with Protonix and Amitriptiline for my stomach, has helped a LOT!!  I don't wish this on anyone!!!  And I pray you don't ever have to worry about your Sjogrens goes inside!!!

      ?Regarding flossing...the dentist really stresses the importance of the flossing to keep our teeth!  More so than the normal person.  He put the fear in me when I told him I had Sjogrens in the beginning!!!  LOL  I also use a gum massager, that little pointy rubber deal, you can also get it from your dentist.  Mine gives me a new one along with little picks with the flosser at the end.  I use it all!  LOL 

      ?I would keep that appointment for a biopsy of that lymph node!!  The other thing I do when one of mine starts getting swollen and hard feeling, is bite into a lemon a few times a day, it will create some saliva, and gently massage the node, sometime it helps move things in there.  Depending on how bad, hard it is, it can help.  Mine will go away after a few days.

      Good Luck!! 

  • Posted

    Sounds like Sjogrens but do you also have dry eyes? If you are on disease modifying drugs or steroids for your Crohns then a lip biopsy would probably be a waste of time as this will usually skew the results. Secondary Sjogrens can be just as much of a problem for some as the primary form of the disease so I would say you need to get that swollen lymph node checked out with ultrasound asap. The fatigue could be Sjogrens alone but you should be checked to rule out Lymphoma.

    Re the dry mouth - do you know if you are a mouth or nose breather I wonder? Many who have severely dry mouth are breathing mainly through their mouths - probably through habit but also because of blocked nasal passages due to sinus problems or Sjogrens dryness in nose. Just being aware of this can be helpful I have found. If you are a mouth breather at night then you could try to keep your nasal passages as clear as possible and break the mouth breathing tendencies.

    • Posted

      I don't have dry eyes, just dry mouth. I've already got an ultrasound for the lymph node from an ENT. He says that other than the fact that it's swollen, it looks normal. We might get a biopsy of it, I have another appointment soon.

      I am a bit of a mouth breather, so I'll to work in that.

      Thank you!

  • Posted

    If you have a lot of nasal problems you are probably a mouth breather. My son went through this until he had nasal surgery. Fixed him right up. Unfortunately the surgery is not permanent. After a few years (10 or so) you may have to have it done again.
  • Posted

    Dry mouth gives me broken nights, which leads to poor sleep quality which doesn't help with fatigue problems. I have had to learn to pace myself and limit what I do in a day. If you are working, that's difficult. I am in my seventies so have a good excuse. But if you find chores tiring, do what I do -- I buy ready chopped vegetables, and batch make soups to freeze. Then I have something easy to fall back on when fatigued, which is usually at the end of a day.

    Hope this helps. All the best.

  • Posted

    Had swollen lymph node protruding from side of face. Dermatology did biopsy and drained, it was full of fluid. Get scan about every six months to check for malignancy.

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