Anyone here tried to date with this? I have been on and off dating someone and just heard from him again since my diagnosis. I am not sure if dating is a good idea and how to handle intimacy- if I am at increased risk? And how to explain my dried out mouth. Should I disclose what’s going on? Just be on my own?
First, don't give up on dating because of SS!
Second: You didn't mention how old you are, which is crucial: dryness in a 70-85 year old woman who hit menopause around 45 is quite different from dryness in a 40-50 year old. Then there are those like me who had total hysterectomies in our 20s, lifelong SS diagnosed in our 30s or 40s.
I'm going to PM you with details of personal experience which I don't wish to have available to the rest of the world. I don't mind sharing privately with forum members.
I’d be interested in further communications about the private message and advice too.
Would you be willing to share these same details with me? I’m 41.
Snail j and Triciaw
I will copy and share to Tricia, which I prefer over having anyone else sharing, after i hear back from Snailj in a PM.
Does a total hysterectomy cause Sjogrens?
No or Sjogren's would be normal rather than rare. But if all your repro organs are removed suddenly at a young age, you'll have a sudden onset of extreme vaginal dryness unlike anything experienced younger than age 70-80 in women whose menopause comes on gradually over time. I had a vaginal tear from missionary position sex so bad that I would've bled out without nearby ER. Emergency surgery requiring full anesthesia. I have learned a bit about dryness over the decades.
I had Sjogren's before I had the hysterectomy, which was for severe endometriosis. There is a theory that endo might be an AI issue rather than just a repro issue, at least in some women who also have SS. That makes zero sense to me, but the theory is out there.
Hello, would you be willing to share (in a PM if preferred) your experience with vaginal dryness / tearing. I was diagnosed with SS 2 years ago but have had tearing issues since my twenties! It's hard to find anyone to talk to about it and it has made me feel so abnormal. Luckily my sexual partners have all been very understanding, but this problem has made me so self-conscious.
Pm to you now ... well, am doing lung treatment & watching fave show so "now" is an indefinite term, lol.