Can you stop a flare? | Arthritis Information

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I was diagnosed in September.  It was a relief at first because I thought I was crazy. I still wonder sometimes if this is really all in my head.  Anyway, I want to know what a "flare" is like.  Are they different for different people? I seem to have times that vary in duration when everything hurts, my mind is cloudy, and all I want to do is rest. In the moring, I lie still for so long because I know when I move, the pain cycle will start over.  Is this typical?  My blood work was borderline RA...maybe I'm just out of shape.  I'm 52 and I don't really have anyone in my family who can tell me about the aging process so I can know the difference between the natural process of slowing down and what is RA.  I'm taking nothing right now.  Do you have to keep going back to the doc for every new pain?  I'd never leave her office!!! 

Hi Mare and welcome

If you've been diagnosed with RA you reall should have some meds prescribed to stop/slow the progression of the disease, this with give you the best chance of avoiding damage to your joints. While I was waiting for my first appointment with a rheumy (about 6 weeks) my GP advised I take 2 paracetomol 3 times a day as I had pain going from one joint after the other and I was so tired I needed a good hours sleep late afternoon and still had a long nights sleep. The paracetomol took about 3 days to build up to a response and I did feel a lot better - even broke out into a little canter

Good luck, hope you get sorted soon. 

That's not just "getting older", it's RA. I know it's hard to move, but I find
when I'm like that that movement eventually helps. You need to see a
rheumatologist, pick a therapeutic regimen and beginit---otherwise your RA
will just get worse at a faster pace. As for stopping a flare, maybe some
people can but you would really have to understand your own RA
intimately---we are all different! Where I live they have an Arthritis Self
management Program you can go to which gives you all sorts of useful
information on flares and what to do with one. Perhaps read some books?
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