Unsure what remission feels like

Bella27

Hi, can anyone help. I'm newly diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis about 9 months ago and I'm now on methotrexate injections for past 3 months. My question is if I'm in remission should I be pain free or is pain I'm still feeling, from damage caused before I started treatment. My CRP is down to 5 but I don't know how I'm meant to feel if I am in remission. Any advice would be much appreciated

frogmorton

Hi @Bella27 Are you saying you feel as though your disease is still quite active, but your consultant has said you are in remission? I believe it means '….diminution of the severity of disease or pain.' So, to them, better bloods might mean remission looking at that definition.

@Hairobsessed123 might be able to help you there she has done very well. In fact I think she has come off her meds.

It is possible that your ongoing aches could be damage caused to joints from before you started treatment many of us do go on to have osteoarthritis due to damage.

You could look at other aspects of the disease to help you decide (none of us are really able to answer completely as we aren't Drs), such as whether you are still exhausted or still having fevers?

It's a tough one isn't it? Nothing clear-cut.

Sorry that wasn't much help

Take care

Toni x

Bella27

Thanks for the reply @frogmorton. Sorry I was a bit vague, I guess what I'm asking is, if you are in remission are you pain free? I haven't seen a Nurse or Dr from Rheumatology for a while, just not sure if my meds need increased as still have some pain but soo much better than before

Baloo

@Bella27 at least this is a question about pain that doesn't involve offering medical advice, but it does seems to involve describing how wierd arthritis really is compared to normal life. I would say all my aching joints seemed to stop aching at the same time for a change, that to me is a remission,

If I stand on my feet for even a short time my feet start to hurt, they always have done, but normally it stops when I take the weight off. With arthritis it seems to be very different. The joint hurts and doesn't stop.

Bella27

Thanks @Baloo, that's good enough for me, if all joints stop aching at the same time. I'm not quite there yet