Regarding Mild Moderate or Severe | Arthritis Information

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If you are once severe, can you become mild?  or are you just handling your severe disease so well that your SYMPTOMS are mild....... But you are still categorized as severe?

 
OR were you moderately diseased and now you are mild?
 
I can definitely see moderate going into severe category.... I did that... AFter years of relatively mild activity.... suddenly, I flared and got much worse ..
 
but I'm curious what you all think about these categorizations and the changes in our level of disease..
 
Does it affect what "type" of RA you have...... mild, moderate or severe?
[QUOTE=babs10]If you are once severe, can you become mild?  or are you just handling your severe disease so well that your SYMPTOMS are mild....... But you are still categorized as severe?
 
OR were you moderately diseased and now you are mild?
 
I can definitely see moderate going into severe category.... I did that... AFter years of relatively mild activity.... suddenly, I flared and got much worse ..
 
but I'm curious what you all think about these categorizations and the changes in our level of disease..
 
Does it affect what "type" of RA you have...... mild, moderate or severe?
[/QUOTE]
 
I think if you are able to get your RA under control or acheive remission, that certainly you can change the course of your disease or at least slow it down..
 
As for the classifications...well, I'd probably still be considered severe because of the damage I have....But I'm certainly not functionally disabled anymore Like Lynn, I _think_ that classifications of severity of the current disease process can change with treatment and response. What does not change is damage---unfortunately. Good question Babs, I've wondered about that myself.  When I had my initial flare up, most of my joints were inflamed at the same time, so much so that only a mega dose of IV steroids would bring the swelling down.  That hasn't happened since I started Enbrel.  Now when I flare up, it usually involves a couple of joints.  Last week, both my elbows were inflamed, but they are better now.  For the last several days I've been expecting my left knee to swell up because I've been feeling that twinge that makes you go...."rut ro!"  It never did, but my right knee is now the size of a grapefruit.  So now, I think I would be mild, but when it started I was moderate, as I don't have any damage to my joints.  Not that I know of anyway.see.. I think once severe.... always severe
 
but with control affecting you mildly.
 
but you are always in the severe (or moderate or mild category unless progresses worse)
 
you are still severe as far as disease......but disease activity has been greatly reduced by meds
 
those who take pred, IMO are masking their disease severity w/ the RX.......  so they are still severe, just feeling better thanks to the pred..
 
 
I think that you're right about that Babs, and here's why.  If I quit taking my meds, I believe fully that I would return to how I was. I think that since I do still have these smaller flare ups with the meds, without them I would be back to square one.  So even though I am now more similar to mild, I think in actuality I am moderate.At least part of the formula consists of clinical presentation and laboratory analysis. Or, at least that is my RD's evualuation process.

The "score card" is not identical to but is similar to the categorical evaluations that Lev posted >>here<<.

FWIW
I really think because of the physical findings, xrays, etc. that the staging of the disease can and will change.  If you started as a severe onset and continued to be severe the according to labs, physical findings, etc. you're still severe.  If you're on meds that help and according to labs, physical findings, etc. you're diagnosed as moderate.  As you continue the drugs you reach a point that you're mild due to labs, physical findings, etc.  During this period of time your RD is going to rate and chart your progress as severe, moderate, mild, not severe through out this period of time.  The staging changes depending on your response to the meds.  Take a look at your RD's chart notes or ask him/her to show you.  Lindythanks!
Yes, Shug.. My RD has his own system for scoring.. he has a questionnaire I complete and he puts my selection into his computer... the computer then pops out my "number" which tells him where I am in the scale of getting toward remission or falling behind on the way up.
Bump, because it may get lost in all the nonsense and that would be a shame since this is a board about RA.......... To the top.
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