Question
My RA is not under control yet. I am taking NSAID, Prednisone, and MTX. I know when I am going to flare. I flare every three months without fail. A few days before I get realy bad I get tired and the pain increases every day. Since I know when I am going to flare is there any thing that I can do to prevent the flare from happening or atleast reduce the amount of pain and swelling? I was thinking about increasing the Prednisone and get alot more rest. Any ideas?
Answer
If the flares are so infrequent, then you might talk with your rheumatologist about increasing prednisone for a short time during the flares. If the flares are more frequent, then it is generally advisable to modify or change the DMARD agent– such as increasing methotrexate or adding another agent such as a TNF inhibitor.
