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Sjogrens, Chest Heaviness And Discomfort. On Inhalers, Steroids. EEG And Other Heart Tests Normal. Treatment Options?
Question: I have sjorgrens and it appears that this last year I have been having heaviness and uncomfortable "ness" in my chest. I have had an eeg and all other tests to prove it's not my heart. Is this typical o sjorgrens? I was diagnosed 3 times in the last 20 years. Thank you.
Hi,
Thanks for posting your query.
Having diagnosed with Sjogrens since last 20 years, you are currently having chest heaviness and discomfort. Also from your history you seem to have been diagnosed with bronchial asthma recently in 2010 and were hospitalised for that. However your current medications do not show any medications for asthma as you need to take inhaled medications/ oral bronchodilators for the same.
Dryness of the tracheobronchial mucosa (xerotrachea), which can manifest as a dry cough, Less often, breathlessness from an interstitial lung disease, recurrent bronchitis or even pneumonitis (infectious or noninfectious) are known pulmonary manifestations of sjogrens.
Thus your chest symptoms could be due to your lungs rather than your heart.
At this stage I would recommend the following:
1. You should see a Pulmonologist (Lung specialist).
2. After clinical examination the following tests might be useful : Complete blood count, absolute eosinophil count, chest X-ray, pulmonary function test, HRCT (high resolution computing tomography) scan of the thorax, bronchoscopy (if necessary).
3. After evaluation depending on the diagnosis you might have to take inhalers / antibiotics / oral broncho dilator medications.
Hope I have answered your query. Please accept my answer if there are no further queries.
Regards.
Thanks for posting your query.
Having diagnosed with Sjogrens since last 20 years, you are currently having chest heaviness and discomfort. Also from your history you seem to have been diagnosed with bronchial asthma recently in 2010 and were hospitalised for that. However your current medications do not show any medications for asthma as you need to take inhaled medications/ oral bronchodilators for the same.
Dryness of the tracheobronchial mucosa (xerotrachea), which can manifest as a dry cough, Less often, breathlessness from an interstitial lung disease, recurrent bronchitis or even pneumonitis (infectious or noninfectious) are known pulmonary manifestations of sjogrens.
Thus your chest symptoms could be due to your lungs rather than your heart.
At this stage I would recommend the following:
1. You should see a Pulmonologist (Lung specialist).
2. After clinical examination the following tests might be useful : Complete blood count, absolute eosinophil count, chest X-ray, pulmonary function test, HRCT (high resolution computing tomography) scan of the thorax, bronchoscopy (if necessary).
3. After evaluation depending on the diagnosis you might have to take inhalers / antibiotics / oral broncho dilator medications.
Hope I have answered your query. Please accept my answer if there are no further queries.
Regards.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Jyoti Patil
Thank you for your answer. I'm sorry I forgot to mention I take the enhalers and go to a pulmonologist, but not regularly. One of the enhalers is the common emergency enhaler, the other a steroid. I do not use the steroid enhaler often, but will use it more religiously. It appears the sjogrens is doing a job on my lungs. I agree with what you said. I am not able to go to the doctor at this time, but I will be able to in a couple of months when my job is stable and I have insurance again.
Thank you. Anything else?
Sharon
Thank you. Anything else?
Sharon
Hi,
That was really nice of you to reveal the detail.
As mentioned in my previous post do get your pulmonary evaluation done.
Also regarding the inhalers, you have said that in addition to emergency inhaler you take a steroid inhaler (Now a days plain steroid inhalers are not prescribed - It should be in combination with a beta 2 agonist i.e a drug name ending with "...ol"). Please check this issue with your Pulmonologist.
Wish you good health.
Hope I have answered your query. Please accept my answer if there are no further queries.
That was really nice of you to reveal the detail.
As mentioned in my previous post do get your pulmonary evaluation done.
Also regarding the inhalers, you have said that in addition to emergency inhaler you take a steroid inhaler (Now a days plain steroid inhalers are not prescribed - It should be in combination with a beta 2 agonist i.e a drug name ending with "...ol"). Please check this issue with your Pulmonologist.
Wish you good health.
Hope I have answered your query. Please accept my answer if there are no further queries.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Raju A.T
Answered by
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