Mixed Connective Tissue or Sjogrens anyone?

Hi and Happy New Year to one and all. Now I'll apologise in advance because this is just a bit of a moan and as such is not a very good way to come on for 2014 I realise :xmas_redface:

So to begin with the good news I have been fairly pain free ever since restarting Hydroxichloraquine 7 weeks ago. Strangely the first time I was on it for a year with Methotrexate it seemed to not make much of a difference. But I am thinking my diagnosis of RA may be changing to Mixed Connective Tissue Disorder now. I can't say that a change of diagnosis would be very welcome and I know it's early days relatively speaking and not sure when I next see my rheumy or what he said in his last letter.

I'm also terribly tired all the time and I'm not sure if this is because my eyes are so dry or if my eyes are dry because of the tiredness. Either way I'm struggling to get my New Year's vow to get back to the studio and knuckle down to some real work as an artist again. I keep looking at the dogs snuggled up on my sofa and getting jealous and can barely find the energy for much at all. Concentration terrible too.

So I wondered if any others here have been diagnosed with RA which turns out to be Sjogrens instead, and if so how much does arthritis feature? Presently the most annoying thing I'm experiencing is a significant increase in eye dryness. I see the optician for my annual eye check tomorrow and will ask him for another tear break up test because it's getting to the stage where I'm using drops once every few hours and have to carry them around with me and administer them before driving. My mouth feels quite dry a lot of the time too but mainly it's my eyes. My skin has become much dryer and in recent months I've suffered from outbreaks of hives and a horrible sore rash around my mouth and an itchy scalp on and off. Also, despite a brief respite from icy, wet, numb sensation in legs it's back with a vengeance.

In marked contrast to the lack of moisture in my eyes I've been waking in the early hours of each night soaked with sweat and with a desperate need to cool my hands and feet down as they are burning.

I used to suffer terribly from widespread and very severe eczema and bouts of alopecia from the age of 3 until 45 when it all went away. I'm wondering now if these are all connected and if my autoimmune problems may have been around for much longer than I've realised - well before the RA side of things showed up. I wish whatever this is would make itself a bit more clearcut though as the uncertainty of what each day will bring is getting me down. It was easier to deal with when just one symptom such as joint pain and stiffness in a way but now I'm stiff and itchy and have to use drops to see properly. Sorry to moan but I'm fed up with feeling like an exhausted shriveled, old prune with tingling anaesthetised legs and feet! I turn 51 next week so maybe it's all just age or menopause related but currently I feel like I'm spinning round in one big tedious circle where my physical health is concerned! Rather like an old building which has been badly renovated I feel some settlement would now be good :roll:

New vow - not to moan for a good long while if humanly possible!