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Possible Sjogren's?

I'm 42 and have been a nervous wreck for the past 3 weeks. Started out with swollen/tender lymph node under left arm. Being that I've had lymph nodes swell up before and they've always went away this is different. Swelling/tenderness would go up and down but never go "away". I tried to ignore it thinking it would eventually now we're going on 6 months. So now I get a new symptom. Out of the blue I get this terrible joint pain in my left pointer finger. Google is a great thing and it can also be a bad thing (pretty much thought I was gonna die). Everything was coming up RA, RA. Then came numbness in arm and THAT freaked me out. Made an appointment with the best Rheumatologist in Dallas and he did the full blood work, X-rays, physical exam.(found I had Osteoarthritis in neck) Negative for Lupus, positive for connective tissue disease which he thinks could be it. With the dry eyes, dry mouth which I always associated with allergies my symptoms were leaning more to Sjogren's. Everyday is something new and being that I suffer with panic attacks every symptom sends me off. My new symptom did me in. I felt this vibration in my neck which followed by a weakness feeling. Almost as if it was hard to even lift my head up from my pillow. I didn't find that to be a symptom of Sjogren's so it's got me panicking once again. My mind immediately goes to "Could they be missing something? Something neurological? MS? Nerve damage? Possible paralysis?" Or could it just be part of the arthritis in my neck accompanied with stress. He also thinks I might have Thoratic Outlet Syndrome so could that be it as well? My next step is to get a thorough check, possibly biopsy of the lymph node. Process of elimination. The waiting and not having a TRUE diagnosis is the worst.
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Avatar universal
I wonder what the results were from your test.  I have Sjogrens and this summer I found out my uncle has it too.  I asked him what were his symptoms I was amazed because he described them to be exactly like mine.   Our pains started in our pelvic area.  All our bones and muscles in that area hurt every time we moved.  It did not matter if we were sitting, walking or laying down it was constant pain.  The pain was up in our neck, we couldn't even roll over when we slept.  After 3 months of that I went to the doctors.  I compared our medication and we are taking the exact same thing. Sad thing is that he is in his 70s and i'm in my early 50s but it all began 4 yrs ago.  
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1530171 tn?1448129593
You should consider having a tissue analysis done and specifically look into a possible a tissue magnesium deficiency.
Also you should rule out B vitamin deficiencies, specially B12 (B12 levels should be  500pg/ml minimum to avoid neurological issues), D3 and have your thyroid function tested for Free T3, Free T4 and Reverse T3., as well as Adrenal function, but for thyroid and adrenal issues, I would recommend you look into finding an ND or Functional Medicine Doctor, as conventional doctors adhere closely to conventional endocrinology protocols, leaving the patient vulnerable to being stuck in limbo, undiagnosed, under-diagnosed or worse,mis-diagnosed!
There's just too much controversy, specially with  not recognizing low adrenal function, nor testing properly for cellular thyroid and adrenal function.

Let me know what you think about all this, but please note that my comments and suggestions are not intended as a substitute for medical advice.

Cheers.
Niko

Helpful - 0
1530171 tn?1448129593
Hi Tweena.

  Sjogren's can co-exist and also overlap Mixed Connective Tissue Disease.
MCTD is an initial stage of A/I conditions.

What was the ANA titre and pattern, do you know?

At any rate, I will respond later, as I'm getting ready for work.

Best wishes
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351246 tn?1379682132
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Hi!
I am sorry to hear about your medical problems.  I can understand your worries. In addition to the rheumatologist, you should consult a spine specialist to rule out pinched nerves in the neck. The other thing which needs to be done is an ultrasound of breast and lymph node. Ultrasound often gives a clear picture about the nature of swollen lymph node. You may or may not need mammogram or lymph node biopsy after this.  Please discuss these tests with your treating doctors.
Please consult your PCP for primary examination followed by proper referral. Take care!

The medical advice given should not be considered a substitute for medical care provided by a doctor who can examine you. The advice may not be completely correct for you as the doctor cannot examine you and does not know your complete medical history. Hence this reply to your post should only be considered as a guiding line and you must consult your doctor at the earliest for your medical problem.
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