Living with Sjögren’s disease often means facing symptoms such as dry eyes and mouth, fatigue, joint pain, and sometimes issues with other organs, like the lungs or kidneys.

Sjögren’s is an autoimmune condition, which means the immune system mistakenly attacks the glands that produce moisture. Over time, this can make daily activities challenging. However, with the right care, many people find ways to manage their symptoms and support their overall health.

Currently, there are no medications approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) specifically for Sjögren’s disease. Still, healthcare professionals use a variety of treatments to help relieve symptoms and prevent complications. These treatments focus on relieving dryness, reducing inflammation, and protecting organs that may be affected.

Below are 10 medications and treatments that healthcare providers often recommend for people living with Sjögren’s disease, along with lifestyle tips to help you feel your best each day.

1. Artificial Tears and Eye Drops

Dry eyes are among the most common and uncomfortable symptoms of Sjögren’s disease. This symptom can make your eyes feel gritty, sore, or as if you have sand in them. Artificial tears are a simple and effective way to add moisture and help protect your eyes.

Over-the-counter (OTC) artificial tears are generally safe to use multiple times a day. Many people keep a small bottle handy for quick relief, whether at home, at work, or on the go. For nighttime relief, thicker eye gels or ointments can help keep your eyes moist while you sleep.

If dryness continues despite these steps, your eye doctor may recommend prescription medications like cyclosporine ophthalmic emulsion or lifitegrast ophthalmic solution. These medicines help reduce inflammation and increase tear production in different ways.

For people with more severe dry eye, an eye care professional may suggest punctal plugs, tiny silicone plugs placed in the tear ducts to help your natural tears stay on your eyes longer.

2. Saliva-Stimulating Medications

Dry mouth is another hallmark symptom of Sjögren’s, and it can make it hard to chew, swallow, or even speak for long periods. Without enough saliva, your mouth can also become more prone to cavities and oral infections.

Prescription drugs such as pilocarpine (Salagen) and cevimeline (Evoxac) can help your body make more saliva by stimulating your salivary glands. These medications work best when your glands still have some function left.

You can also take simple steps to reduce dryness:

• Sip water regularly, especially during meals.
• Chew sugar-free gum or sugar-free candies to encourage saliva flow.
• Avoid alcohol-based mouthwashes, which can worsen dryness.
• Use saliva substitutes such as gels, sprays, or lozenges to keep your mouth comfortable.

These simple habits, along with medication, can help prevent dental problems and make eating, speaking, and daily life more comfortable.

3. Nasal and Skin Moisturizers

Sjögren’s often causes dryness in other parts of the body, including the nose, skin, and sometimes vaginal tissues. This can lead to irritation, nosebleeds, or itching.

For nasal dryness, saline sprays or gels are generally safe to use every day and can make breathing more comfortable.

For dry skin, using gentle, fragrance-free moisturizers or natural oils right after showering can help lock in moisture.

If vaginal dryness is an issue, moisturizing gels or lubricants can make intimacy more comfortable. Be sure to talk with your healthcare provider about safe options that fit your individual needs.

4. Corticosteroids

When Sjögren’s causes inflammation beyond dryness, such as in the joints, lungs, kidneys, or blood vessels, doctors may prescribe oral corticosteroids, like prednisone. These medications can quickly reduce swelling, pain, inflammation, and other symptoms caused by an overactive immune system.

Long-term use of corticosteroids can lead to side effects such as weight gain, osteoporosis (thinning bones), diabetes, and hypertension (higher blood pressure). That’s why healthcare providers usually prescribe the lowest effective dose for the shortest possible time.

In more severe cases, especially when other organs are affected, corticosteroids may be given intravenously (through a vein) in higher doses for a short time to reduce inflammation throughout the body.

Sometimes, corticosteroids are used as “bridge therapy.” This means they are given orally in low doses for a limited time, until slower-acting treatments — such as disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) or biologics — have time to start working.

5. Disease-Modifying Antirheumatic Drugs

DMARDs can help control inflammation and slow down the immune system to prevent long-term damage. Healthcare providers may recommend DMARDs for people living with Sjögren’s disease who experience joint pain, fatigue, or rashes.

Hydroxychloroquine is one of the most commonly prescribed DMARDs for Sjögren’s. This medication has been used to treat different autoimmune diseases and can help calm the immune system, easing symptoms such as joint pain, skin irritation, and fatigue.

Hydroxychloroquine is generally considered safe for long-term use when monitored regularly, although regular eye exams are important because of rare eye-related side effects.

For people with more persistent joint inflammation, healthcare providers may recommend methotrexate, another DMARD that can help reduce swelling and protect the joints. Sometimes, methotrexate is combined with hydroxychloroquine for additional benefit, especially for people whose Sjögren’s overlaps with other autoimmune conditions, such as rheumatoid arthritis.

If Sjögren’s affects other organs, additional immunosuppressive medications may be used. For example, if the lungs are involved, a healthcare provider may prescribe mycophenolate mofetil or azathioprine — sometimes combined with hydroxychloroquine — to help manage symptoms and protect organ function.

6. Biologic Medications

Biologic medications are advanced DMARDs made from living cells that target specific parts of the immune system. They’re used to treat many different autoimmune conditions and may be considered for people whose symptoms don’t respond well to other treatments.

Currently, no biologics are approved by the FDA for treating Sjögren’s. However, healthcare providers may sometimes prescribe these medications “off-label” for people with severe inflammation or organ involvement when other options have not been effective.

Rituximab may help some people with Sjögren’s disease symptoms such as fatigue or inflammation. However, study results have been mixed, and rituximab does not always improve tear or saliva production.

In January 2026, Ianalumab received an FDA Breakthrough Therapy designation, which may speed up its review process, but this is not the same as FDA approval.

Belimumab (Benlysta) is also being studied as a possible treatment for Sjögren’s disease.

Because biologics can increase the risk of infections, healthcare providers will monitor you closely if you take these medications.

7. Pain and Fatigue Management

Sjögren’s can cause ongoing fatigue, muscle aches, and chronic pain. To help manage these symptoms, healthcare providers often recommend a combination of medication and lifestyle changes.

For mild pain, healthcare providers may recommend nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen. In some cases, healthcare providers may recommend low doses of certain antidepressants or nerve pain medications, such as gabapentin, to help reduce nerve-related pain.

8 Everyday Moisture and Comfort Aids

Moisture-preserving tools and simple habits can make a big difference in daily comfort. Using a humidifier can help keep indoor air moist, which can relieve dry eyes, skin, and sinuses. It’s important to clean your humidifier regularly according to the manufacturer’s instructions to prevent the growth of mold or bacteria, which can cause breathing problems.

Moisture chamber goggles are special glasses or goggles that create a seal around your eyes to hold in moisture. They help reduce dryness by protecting your eyes from air, wind, and dust, and by slowing down tear evaporation. These goggles are often used by people with severe dry eye symptoms, including those living with Sjögren’s disease.

For dry mouth, sugar-free lozenges, saliva substitutes, and frequent water breaks can help. These small changes support moisture in your mucous membranes and can prevent irritation.

9. Lifestyle and Dental Care

Maintaining good oral and overall health is important for managing Sjögren’s disease. Some helpful tips include:

• Avoid caffeine, alcohol, and tobacco, as they can make dryness worse.
• Protect your teeth by using fluoride toothpaste, flossing daily, and rinsing with mouthwashes that do not contain alcohol.
• Visit your dentist regularly for checkups and cleanings to help prevent cavities and infections caused by dry mouth. The Johns Hopkins Sjögren’s Center recommends dentist visits every three months, though your needs may vary depending on your symptoms and your dentist’s advice.

10. Clinical Trials and Future Treatments

Doctors and scientists are working hard to develop better treatments for Sjögren’s. Ongoing studies are exploring new biologic drugs, therapies that repair moisture-producing glands, and medications that reduce fatigue and pain more effectively.

While these treatments are still being tested, they offer hope for the future. If you’re interested in taking part in a study, talk to your doctor or visit clinicaltrials.gov to learn more about clinical trials.

Finding Relief and Hope

There may not be a single Sjögren’s medication that treats every symptom, but there are many treatments for Sjögren’s that can help relieve dryness, reduce inflammation, and protect your organs.

By working closely with your healthcare team and combining medical treatments with healthy daily habits, you can live more comfortably and protect your long-term health. With new research underway and better treatments on the horizon, there’s more hope than ever for people living with Sjögren’s.

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