Know How Our iCliniq Doctor Helped a Patient Who Was Extremely Worried After His Doctor Suspected Him to Have Secondary Sjogren’s Syndrome

A patient whose rheumatologist suspected him of having a secondary Sjogren's syndrome consulted our iCliniq doctor and said that he was very much worried and wanted to know if Sjogren's syndrome was a serious condition to be diagnosed with. He also shared what he knew about his condition and expressed his concern about the associated complications. He said that he suffered from dry eyes and gave a history of taking medications for dermatomyositis for three years following which he had developed a dry mouth. He said that he was very much confused as he had tested negative in the Ro/La test, which was taken to rule out Sjogren's syndrome a few years back.

Our iCliniq doctor went through the query and firstly asked the patient not to worry. He then assured the patient that the medication he was taking was sufficient and even the best treatment for both dermatomyositis and Sjogren’s syndrome. He added that the medication would also prevent flare-ups or complications associated with Sjogren’s syndrome. He then explained to the patient that Sjogren’s syndrome was an auto-immune disease in which the body would attack its own normal cells. He said that the symptoms like dry eyes and dry mouth he had were the most commonly seen symptoms of Sjogren’s syndrome. He also informed the patient that it was common for the Ro/La test to be negative in any autoimmune disease. He asked the patient to take the medications, follow up regularly, and keep an eye out for possible lymph node enlargements.

The patient reverted and asked our doctor which one of the Sjogren's syndrome types between primary and secondary was the severe form. He also enquired about the risks of organ damage and lymphoma due to Sjogren’s syndrome.

Our doctor read through and replied to the patient’s query, saying he felt that secondary Sjogren’s syndrome was the less severe form of both. He clarified that there were not many studies related to the topic and that his answer was entirely based on his clinical observations and the knowledge he had gained from his patients. Regarding the patient’s concern about having complications, our doctor responded by saying that the risk of lymphoma was present in all rheumatic diseases, including dermatomyositis. He asked the patient not to worry and advised him to get regular checkups as it was all he needed.

The patient reverted happily and said he was fully satisfied with our doctor’s reply and rated our doctor a five on five.