I have heard a lot about flares, and don't quite understand what they are. I started out with sore shoulders, then progressed over the course of five months to sore arms and wrists and twinges in my knees and thighs. But my symptoms seem fairly steady (unless I am on strong doses of NSAIDs); they don't come and go at all, except they're a bit worse in the evening. Does this mean I haven't had a flare? Or is my flare lasting five months? Or is this something I have to look forward to?
You know it took a while for me and my Dr to figure out what a "flare" was in my case and I think that sometimes the description of a flare is individual. I am in pain 24/7 but occasionally I go into a "horrible, bed ridden" status and we decided that was a flare for me.
I have known those that responded well to the meds and a flare is a time of being in pain and swelling but they have almost no symptoms otherwise.
My Rheumy said that though the damage from RA was "under control" I still have RA and it is very painful. I have not had Medical or Natural Remission yet but sure hope that it happens.
My experience sounds very similar to yours, the RA slowly spreading to more joints and no major flare ups, although I have been confined to bed a couple of times after I ate something that really affected my joints. There are people on here who talk about having flares on what seems like a regular basis, so everyone is different. I had a terrible flare a year ago, couldn't get out of bed for weeks. I have never been so miserable and am now on Remicade, plus the MTX that I've been on for 17 years. I was also on Naproxin, Vicodin, Oxycontin and Prednisone until the flare was under control. I have days where I have to add Aleve and even took Naproxin and Vicodin last week when my elbows were really hurting, but I wouldn't call it a flare. I think it depends on how bad you feel and that's pretty individual. If I couldn't get out of bed or had to have help to get dressed I'd consider it a flare.