Five years of remission — that's genuinely impressive! Unfortunately, RA flares can return even after long periods of remission, and it's more common than many people realize.
There are two types of flares:
- Predictable flares — triggered by something specific
- Unpredictable flares — no clear cause, they just happen
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Five years of remission — that's genuinely impressive! Unfortunately, RA flares can return even after long periods of remission, and it's more common than many people realize.
There are two types of flares:
- Predictable flares — triggered by something specific
- Unpredictable flares — no clear cause, they just happen
Common triggers that can bring RA back include:
- High stress levels or emotional upset
- Poor sleep
- Overexertion
- Illness or infection
- Weather changes
- Tapering or stopping medications Since RA is a lifelong condition, disease activity can naturally increase over time, even without an obvious trigger. This is simply the nature of the condition.
The good news is that restarting treatment often works well. Studies show that a large majority of people who restart their medications after a flare are able to get back to low disease activity or remission.
Working closely with a rheumatologist to fine-tune the treatment plan is the best path forward — which it sounds like is already happening!
July 20
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