JoAnn,You have some big challenges woman. I have been fighting with the dry mouth and eye myself, but mine are medication side effects. Fun. I hope your PFT's continue to be amazing. Our attitudes can make a huge difference in outcomes. Keep fig

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JoAnn,You have some big challenges woman. I have been fighting with the dry mouth and eye myself, but mine are medication side effects. Fun. I hope your PFT's continue to be amazing. Our attitudes can make a huge difference in outcomes. Keep fighting. I did take note of the methotrexate. According to my docs, methotrexate is often used in lung disease as an alternative option to steroids. We tried it for a while with me. However, I wouldn't say that the methotrexate is any better for you. Hugs.Madeline To: asthma Sent: Monday, December 5, 2011 11:51 AM Subject: Sjogren's, interstitial lung disease and asthma

Sjogren's Syndrome is an autoimmune disease that damages the moisture producing glands in the body. The hallmark symptoms are dry eyes and dry mouth, but it can also cause many of the same systemic problems of Lupus and increases our risk of developing lymphoma significantly.

Interstitial lung disease is a result of the inflammatory process damaging lungs by scarring. I was told in 1998 that I would have COPD by now because of the scarring that they saw in my chest x-rays. Luckily my PFT last April was still nearly normal, aside from my pulmonary hypertension related to severe sleep apnea. Treatment of ILD is to slow down the damage. Nothing can cure it.

I also had some lung damage from long-term Macrobid therapy, which was prescribed in a low dose daily to reduce my painful symptoms of interstitial cystitis, bladder wall inflammation with numerous micro-perforations. The Macrobid really helped my IC problems, but triggered elevated blood sugar readings, transient neuropathy in my hands and more lung problems. Thankfully I was able to read about these rare toxic side-effects and discontinued Macrobid immediately. I've been able to control the function loss with Serevent Discus and now the mini-nubulizer use of cromolyn sodium (since I have a life-threatening allergy to the inhalers with the HFA propellant.)

I love the cooler weather because I feel better and can breath easier with cool moist air. I always suffered when we lived in Michigan because of the dry outside and inside air during the Winter, and high humidity and hot weather of the summer.

It seems as if it's always something. Currently I'm taking Methotrexate which can have it's own risks to lung function but controls my Sjogren's better than anything else I have taken.

JoAnn who has Primary Sjogren's, and a bunch of other alphabet diseases that go along with it...