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Can Strep Sore Throat Cause Sjogren’s Syndrome After Taking Paxil?
Posted on
Sat, 27 Jun 2015
Medically reviewed by
Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team
Sat, 27 Jun 2015
Answered on
Tue, 14 Jul 2015
Last reviewed on
Question : I had strep throat and scarlet fever many times in childhood until my tonsils were removed. About 4 or so years ago, a doctor changed my anxiety meds to Paxil, which caused an almost constant burning sensation in my spinal cord at my neck. That doctor ignored my 15 plus side effects to add another med to deal with sleep issues. I ceased Paxil cold turkey myself and am now on Effexor. Little by little, Sjogren's symptoms have emerged since the Paxil time. It has been confirmed that I do not have rheumatoid arthritis (but I do have arthritis shown in x-rays), not lymphatic cancer. Could the bacteria from strep/scarlet fever have lain dormant until the Paxil, which triggered the onset of Sjogren's? It seems to me to be the most likely connections, but I am not finding confirmation of any correlations between these.'
Brief Answer:
There is no connection between strep sore throat and Sjogren’s syndrome!
Detailed Answer:
Hi and thank you so much for this query.
I am so sorry to hear about this diagnosis of Sjogren syndrome and all the inconveniences this has caused you. I have reviewed your information fully. I agree with you that your doctor should not have insisted that you stay on a drug that had several side effects for that long. However, there is no connection between paxil, Sjogren syndrome and past history of strs sore throat.
Sjogren is a known autoimmune(your system fighting against your body) which is common in women who are more than 40years old. Persons who have other form or autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis and lupus.
In all, this is not caused by your drug(paxil) or your past history of strep sore throat. There is no connection. However, being a female and more than 40years old are known risk factors for this disease.
I hope this helps. I wish you well. Thanks for using our services and do feel free to ask for more information and clarifications if need be.
There is no connection between strep sore throat and Sjogren’s syndrome!
Detailed Answer:
Hi and thank you so much for this query.
I am so sorry to hear about this diagnosis of Sjogren syndrome and all the inconveniences this has caused you. I have reviewed your information fully. I agree with you that your doctor should not have insisted that you stay on a drug that had several side effects for that long. However, there is no connection between paxil, Sjogren syndrome and past history of strs sore throat.
Sjogren is a known autoimmune(your system fighting against your body) which is common in women who are more than 40years old. Persons who have other form or autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis and lupus.
In all, this is not caused by your drug(paxil) or your past history of strep sore throat. There is no connection. However, being a female and more than 40years old are known risk factors for this disease.
I hope this helps. I wish you well. Thanks for using our services and do feel free to ask for more information and clarifications if need be.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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