Anyone have really bad dry mouth nose eyes etc?
Does anyone here have really bad dry mouth nose eyes etc? Also, has anyone here taken Plaquenil if so what type of side effects did you have?
Hi nsanders. You definitely are not alone in the community in having issues with dryness. There are multiple potential causes, from secondary Sjogren's to medication side effects, so it is important to check with your doctor. A couple of our contributors wrote about their experiences here: https://rheumatoidarthritis.net/living/dry-as-a-desert/ and here: https://rheumatoidarthritis.net/living/secondary-sjogrens-syndrome/.
Concerning plaquenil, I can't personally comment, but our editorial team put together this overview of the drug: https://rheumatoidarthritis.net/treatment/hydroxychloroquine/. Hopefully others will chime in with their experiences. Best, Richard (RheumatoidArthritis.net Team)Hi
. I have also experienced dryness, especially with my eyes. I'm not sure if this is RA related or just the climate that I live in, but I have gotten eyedrops that really help with this. So I would definitely suggest you do that(but do consult your doctor).
I have been on plaquenil(also called hydroxychloroquine). The main side affect that I got was heartburn, which sometimes lasted for weeks at a time. I did experience other symptoms that may be considered side affects, but t is hard to say which were caused by this medication because they can be triggered by so many other factors such as stress, other meds, or even the RA itself. My eyes were more sensitive to light(which may have been due to dry eyes) and I also noticed that my skin was worse, but that may be completely unrelated.
Hope this helps!
Okay. Right, that could be. Yes, it's always good to be observant with things like this and it's very important to keep your doctor in on things, which are things that I'm still learning to do.
Hehe, not at all! I love learning and hearing about other's experiences, so I really appreciate the articles.
Thank you for all the suggestions and support!
Charlie 😀
, your comment reminded me of yet another article. You bring up a great point to keep note of symptoms and trends. It's the first step to understanding your disease and how it affects you.
I wrote an article on how I keep track of different thing: https://rheumatoidarthritis.net/living/keeping-tabs By keeping tabs, I learned what foods trigger my RA (and other factors, etc).
Hopefully, you find the article interesting! ~Monica
Yes. Dry eyes. I blink so often it's annoying. I'm using eye moisturizer drops.
, may I ask, which eye drops do you use? ~Monica (team member) Oh my...I don't know the brand... I misplaced them. 🙁
I have really severe dry eyes. My eyes got so bad and painful, that I couldn't look at anything anymore and had to lie with a damp cloth on my eyes for days in bed. But I found a sort of "cure" that helped me. It's the ayurvedic eye treatment. They pour Ghee into your eyes and additionally I drip Ghee into my eyes throughout the day. That really helps me. None of the other eye drops did. If you do the Ghee treatment it will also help your dry nose and mouth because it literally flushes out all of the latter. I know it sounds scary to have someone pour stuff into your eyes. But there really isn't anything to worry about. You can make Ghee yourself. That way you know what's in it. 
Thanks for sharing that idea
. , I'm sharing an article from a community advocate sharing her experience with dry eyes: https://rheumatoidarthritis.net/living/dry-eye-symptoms As with any treatment, some work better than others, so please consult your doctor before trying just to make sure it's right for you personally and your unique medical history! - Reggie (RheumatoidArthritis.net Team)
