Flare Ups

[Guest guest]

Hi All~

Just what are flare ups?

I've had so many people tell me different things about flare ups & how

long they last.

Does anyone really know?

Also, anyone live in Bergen County New Jersey?

I live here & there are no supports groups to go to that I know of,

unless someone know of one.

Have a great day.

[Guest guest]

Hi there:

A flare-up or flare, is a period of time, anywhere from days to years, where a

person's disease is active and the symptoms are worse than usual. Symptoms can

be anything from extra pain, to fatigue, rash, swelling, heart/lung/liver/kidney

problems, etc.

Hope that helps.

--

Dodge

Let me deal with honor. Let me act with courage. Let me achieve humility.

Read my blog at:

http://jumpthis.wordpress.com

---- patti1031 <patti1031@...> wrote:

=============

Hi All~

Just what are flare ups?

I've had so many people tell me different things about flare ups & how

long they last.

Does anyone really know?

Also, anyone live in Bergen County New Jersey?

I live here & there are no supports groups to go to that I know of,

unless someone know of one.

Have a great day.

[Guest guest]

i'm just reading my e=mails now. i live in bergen county.worst state for ra

flare ups i get them a lot. some are worst then others.some days i get none.

i believe he weather has a lot to do with it

 

ann

From: Mimi <mimi212@...>

Subject: [ ] Re: Flare Ups

Date: Monday, October 27, 2008, 7:39 AM

Hi - I have RA/FMS and at first I was unable to tell the

difference between the flares. Basically, the flare ups are when the

disease is REALLY active and you are in more pain than normal. As for

how long the flares last, there are too many factors to know for sure.

It is different for each person.

I live in Florida - sorry I couldn't help with the group thing. Have

you checked with the Arthritis Foundation online

http://www.arthriti s.org/ . You might find something in your area from

there....... .....Doreen

>

> Hi All~

> Just what are flare ups?

> I've had so many people tell me different things about flare ups &

> how long they last.

> Does anyone really know?

> Also, anyone live in Bergen County New Jersey?

> I live here & there are no supports groups to go to that I know of,

> unless someone know of one.

>

> Have a great day.

>

>

[Guest guest]

Hi Cheli - yup, feeling like crap is a sure sign for me. I'm glad you're doing

well on the prednisone. It will cool down a flare for me too, but it rears up

the ugly woman inside of me so much so that I can't stand myself. So I end up

holding off on the prednisone for as long as I can, then it turns to all over

pain, then I kick myself in the butt for delaying the prednisone to begin with.

LOL - you think you're a mess??? Please let us know how you make out with your

Rheumy. I pray he/she puts you on something other than just the plaquenil. Feel

better soon and best wishes to your mother for both her Rheumy and Cardiologist

appts..... Doreen

The day before Thanksgiving my back went out. I called my regular doctor's

office and they gave me a steroid pack. That helped me get back on my feet

again. I was feeling good. A week later I went to my regular doc and he said I

looked much better and I was moving better too. I said yep. I feel great. He

asked me how my RA was doing. I told him I have been going downhill since I have

been taking this PQ and it has been 2 months now. He said I should call the R. I

put it off until today. I was making some cookies and I had to use my hands to

mix it. Wow did they hurt. I couldn't even do it that good. I also have been

feeling like crap. I called the R today cause I thought maybe he can do

something. Not sure what he could do but hey why not see. I talked to his nurse.

She called me back and the doc said he was going to give me another steroid

pack. I was so happy. When I took it a few weeks ago I felt so good that I could

run for miles if I could run. Lol. She said I was in a flare up and they gave me

an appointment a week earlier than when I was supposed to go in. She also said

that they think my flare ups might show as how I feel and not as much as pain. I

feel like I have the flu. It feels like I ache all over and I can't keep warm.

Living in Chicago right now my house is set at 78 and I'm still cold. All I want

to do is curl up in a ball and hibernate until I feel better. I will start the

pack tomorrow. Does anyone else feel more like crap than pain at times? I'm

sorry to use the word Crap but that is the only way I can describe it. Oh, I

just found out my mom has RA too. I will be going with her to her doc next

month. I told her she needed to get checked because she had the same symptoms

like me and more but worse. I guess I will have to help her with this too. She

also is going to a cardiologist tomorrow cause she has been having some

irregular heart rates and her feet are so swollen she can't even tie her shoes.

Thanks,

Cheli.

[Guest guest]

Doreen,

Thank you very much for your reply. It put a smile on my face. It was the first

thing I read this morning. Last night I was trying to put my 2 year old to sleep

and I felt so horrible that I was just about to cry. I was able to fall asleep

before I cracked. Lol. We have to hold her until she falls asleep and it seemed

like forever last night. I told her mommy was sleeping so now she has to go

sleeping too. I think that worked. Lol.

I too sometimes wait until I can't take it anymore then I call the doc. My doc

then tells me next time come in before your back goes out. Lol. This is the

first time I called the R about how I was feeling. I'm glad they listened. All

these years I thought all of this feeling like crap was a side affect of my JRA

that I had when I was younger or just a bad cold that wouldn't go away. Lol I

would tell the doctors all these years I felt like crap and or I ache all over

and they just looked at me like I was crazy. I also heard no you never had JRA

cause you wouldn't be walking today. I'm just so glad that someone is finally

listening to me for once!

How does the steroids make you turn ugly? I have never heard of anyone getting a

bad reaction like that. I think he might want to put me on MTX. He said if the

PQ didn't work he might start me on that. I'm just worried about the cost of the

drug. Next month I won't have insurance. I'm on state insurance but I make to

much now and I need to call them. As soon as I call them they will shut it off.

I was supposed to call weeks ago. Lol. I keep waiting to call can ya tell?

Thanks again,

Cheli

[ ] Re: Flare Ups

Hi Cheli - yup, feeling like crap is a sure sign for me. I'm glad you're doing

well on the prednisone. It will cool down a flare for me too, but it rears up

the ugly woman inside of me so much so that I can't stand myself. So I end up

holding off on the prednisone for as long as I can, then it turns to all over

pain, then I kick myself in the butt for delaying the prednisone to begin with.

LOL - you think you're a mess??? Please let us know how you make out with your

Rheumy. I pray he/she puts you on something other than just the plaquenil. Feel

better soon and best wishes to your mother for both her Rheumy and Cardiologist

appts..... Doreen

[Guest guest]

Doreen,

I'm not sure why he is starting me off slow but maybe cause I have no joint

damage. I'm not sure if that's the reason or not. I don't think he is doubting

what I had when I was little cause of all the paperwork and the blood work I had

from my old records. Maybe it is also on how I am dealing with the pain to

everything I said to him. I have no clue so I have no true answer! Lol.

I'm going to see what they say about the program. I heard you have to spend so

much money a month before they cover anything but you are right it is better to

have it if something were to really happen.

I am feeling slightly better since starting the pack. I hope it works. Lol. I

think my hubby would kill me if I became a witch on the steroids cause he

already thinks I'm a witch right now. I get so moody when I feel like crap. Lol.

I will post more as I know more. Lol.

Cheli

[ ] Re: Flare Ups

Cheli - I don't know what it is about the prednisone that turns me into

witch(b)woman. Some people do well with the steroids, others it affects like

that. Granted I don't become homicidal or suicidal, but after several days of a

dose pack and I could rip a head off! LOL My Rheumy has me taking 5-10mg of

Prednisone at the first sign of a flare - taking it for 5 days and then

stopping. That's not usually too bad.

Its good to hear that your Rheumy will be adding MTX to the plaquenil, although

I'm surprised - if you had JRA, why are they taking it so slow this go-round?

Not unless they seriously are doubting the original diagnosis - that seems crazy

to do, though. It is possible for RA to go into remission...

Anyway - I don't have insurance at all. I take MTX via injection and its not

very expensive. I have a RX assistance card that helps to offset some of the

cost of the meds and my pharmacist honors WalMart's $4 pricing where he can for

some of the others. I qualified for free Enbrel (praise God!)

Don't let it all overwhelm you. Call your caseworker, report your income and see

where it goes from there - you might qualify for the medically needy share of

cost program. It doesn't help at all for us with the everyday stuff, but it sure

is nice to know we have assistance should God forbid something serious happen.

Keep us posted. We care.....Doreen