cakeller

Hi! I’m new here. I was diagnosed with Sjogren’s a couple years ago, but I think I’ve probably have had it for many years. My question has to do with Sjogren’s gastro symptoms. Do any of you suffer from constipation and lower abdomen pain? That’s what I’m experiencing now. About three weeks ago, I had hemroids, I believe from straining too much. Then those symptoms went away, but I had black tarry stools. Now I have extreme soreness / tenderness in my lower abdomen (large intestine?) with occasional small twinges of pain. I have been eating lots of fiber and drinking tons of water, but it doesn’t seem to help. I have read that Sjogren’s can cause a myriad of gastro symptoms, so wasn’t sure if this was something I should go running to the doctor about or not. Also, for the last several years, I have suffered from occasional “attacks”, usually every couple months or so, that last for a day or two, and that consist of the following symptoms: excessive thirst, fatigue, extreme “brain fog”, mild tingling in the fingers, alternating headache and stomach ache, diarrhea. Usually, once the BM of diarrhea is over, the other symptoms mysteriously disappear. I once thought these symptoms were from some unknown / unusual food allergy (I have been tested for the main food allergy culprits but they all come back negative) but I’ve never been able to pinpoint any particular food that may be triggering it. I have noticed though that it always seems to happen after eating lots of carbohydrates, but it doesn’t seem to matter what the source is (wheat, rice, corn, etc.). And these “attacks” don’t happen all the time. Now I’m wondering if these “attacks” may be from Sjogren’s. Does anyone here suffer from similar “attacks”? Thanks for any answers you can provide. I am looking for a Sjogren’s support group.