How to know when you're having a flare

[J@$0N]

[QUOTE=gunnyl;117843Is there really such a thing as remission when you are still being chemically treated?[/QUOTE]

I'm no longer getting RTX infusions. My ANCA numbers have been negative for the past 9 months. This is why I was curious to the groups thoughts.

[Randy1957]

I'm no longer getting RTX infusions. My ANCA numbers have been negative for the past 9 months. This is why I was curious to the groups thoughts.

I have been on low dose weekly MTX, Bactrim and Folic Acid for 4 years now. My rheumy and I regularly look at some objective measures: basic blood work and urine monitoring (kidneys staying well? liver handling the meds, OK?etc ) the subjective measures of how I feel are the more important take on the disease activity.

The ANCA-C is negative half of the time and just at the positive titre the other half of the time. PR3 has been low, but still positive, for a year. Even when both were positive and high, after the initial onset, I felt fine generally. I am happy the numbers are "better" but the literature isn't really conclusive on either ANCA panel being much use for predicting flares (and I have friends who have flared shortly after having negative ANCA panels) so if you are feeling pretty good that is perhaps about as good as it gets for as long as it lasts. My doc and I last year cut the ANCA panels back to twice a year instead of every three months.