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Sjogren's Syndome after treatment
I have recently completed triple therapy and am currently Und.
Within a week I started feeling worse with regards to muscle and joint pain. I have always had this problem and attributed it to HCV. I went to my GP and she ran a sed rate and CRP and ANA. The results came back consistent with Sjogren's Syndome. The ANA came back as positive and a high Sjorgrens anti-SS-b antibody.
My question is, Has anybody here been diagnosed with Sjorgrens after treatment? the symptoms are consistant with HCV and a high percentage of HCV+ patients have Sjorgrens (14% Vs. 4% in the non HCV population)
It is my belief I have had it for a longtime and the interferon has exacerbated the autoimmune response (second time treating, 2002, 48 weeks).
Any info you can give will be very appreciated.
Marshall
Within a week I started feeling worse with regards to muscle and joint pain. I have always had this problem and attributed it to HCV. I went to my GP and she ran a sed rate and CRP and ANA. The results came back consistent with Sjogren's Syndome. The ANA came back as positive and a high Sjorgrens anti-SS-b antibody.
My question is, Has anybody here been diagnosed with Sjorgrens after treatment? the symptoms are consistant with HCV and a high percentage of HCV+ patients have Sjorgrens (14% Vs. 4% in the non HCV population)
It is my belief I have had it for a longtime and the interferon has exacerbated the autoimmune response (second time treating, 2002, 48 weeks).
Any info you can give will be very appreciated.
Marshall
Thanks again, Their is a good Rheumatologist here in Alaska and i am trying toget an appointment.
It is amazing how much the syptoms of SS are the same as Hepc C.
Joint pain, muscle pain, dry eyes, brain fog, dry skin and fatigue. there is currently research going on that tends to indicate there is a link between the two.
I think all hep c patients ahould be tested for this syndrome if they are not cirotic and having these symptoms.
I found quite a discussin of this same issue in the archives.
Good luck to all,
Lucky1
It is amazing how much the syptoms of SS are the same as Hepc C.
Joint pain, muscle pain, dry eyes, brain fog, dry skin and fatigue. there is currently research going on that tends to indicate there is a link between the two.
I think all hep c patients ahould be tested for this syndrome if they are not cirotic and having these symptoms.
I found quite a discussin of this same issue in the archives.
Good luck to all,
Lucky1
I think if it was me I would get an appointment with an Immunologist. He/she is going to know the most about your condition, causes, how to treat it, prognosis, etc. If there are no Immunologists within driving distance then you could make an appointment with a Rheumatologist. I just think an Immunologist would be better qualified. In my opinion, even if you have to drive a distance, it would be worth it to get the best care. Any University Medical Center should have an Immunologist.
I am sorry you are having these added problems. Hep C is bad enough without piling on other diseases. I hope you can get a good specialist and get the very best care.
I am sorry you are having these added problems. Hep C is bad enough without piling on other diseases. I hope you can get a good specialist and get the very best care.
my joint pain and muscle pain was not good post tx for 6 weeks...then the headaches and lots of the pains started to go away...joint and muscle pain were not too bad for me during tx...i would give it at least 3 months post to see how you feel....good luck...billy
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I know I read that the interferon can exacerbate the autoimmune response and that it can cause elevations in the ANA (that often return to normal post treatment). However, since you have a positive Sjogren's test, that may be indicative of the actual disease.
This is a pretty good site with info from Mayo Clinic:
http://www.bing.com/health/article/mayo-MADS00147/Sjogren's-syndrome?q=sjogren%27s+syndrome&qpvt=sjogren%27s+syndrome
"Sjogren's syndrome is an autoimmune disorder. This means that your immune system mistakenly attacks your body's own cells and tissues.
Scientists aren't certain why some people develop Sjogren's syndrome and others don't. Certain genes put people at higher risk for the disorder, but it appears that a triggering mechanism — such as infection with a particular virus or strain of bacteria — is also necessary."
The article is much longer with a lot of good information, but it appears that the Hep C virus may trigger the disease.
These links are very informative also:
http://www.sjogrens.org/home/about-sjogrens-syndrome/sjoegrens-faqs
http://www.sjogrens.org/home/about-sjogrens-syndrome/diagnosis
http://www.sjogrens.org/home/about-sjogrens-syndrome/a-place-to-begin
This is a good site about lab tests. These links link you to the ANA test and the ENA test:
http://labtestsonline.org/understanding/analytes/ana/tab/test
http://labtestsonline.org/understanding/analytes/ena-panel/tab/test
Maybe you have looked at all of those sires already. If not, I hope they are helpful.
Wishing you the best.