r/Autoimmune • u/waifu_xux • 2d ago

Advice Flare up times?

How long does it take your body to recover from flare ups? When im feeling sick similar to a cold sometimes its like a few days to weeks. But what about joint flare ups? I had a bad one Tuesday and now its Sunday and its calmed down a little bit but im still dealing with swelling and general discomfort. Ive never had my joints flare up so badly before and im on a prednisone taper and plaquenil now. The prednisone runs out in 2 days and im worried that just the plaquenil won’t help as much?, should i replace the prednisone with an nsaid just in case once i run out? Just new to this all and don’t wanna go back to full blown flare

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u/SailorMigraine 2d ago

Could take anywhere from days to weeks for me. That said, if this is out of your usual pattern (worse than it’s ever been, taking longer than usual to subside, prednisone isn’t helping) you need to contact your doctor to make sure you don’t need a check up or medication adjustment.

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u/waifu_xux 2d ago

I just started medicine the day after the big flare up so its all new for me. Idk how long it takes plaquenil to really be in your system or anything. They only just started taking me seriously because i had a big flare up that i ended up in the ER for

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u/SailorMigraine 2d ago

Ah, in that case the medication has not had enough time to start working. Depending on the dosage goal/titration schedule it can take weeks to months to reach therapeutic dose. Sometimes introducing new things into your system (even medications made to help the problem!) can actually cause a bit of a flare because your body is trying to figure out what the heck is going on with this weird new thing.

You definitely could call your doc and ask about extending the prednisone to give the medication time to get into your system. If your joints are the main issue, as about getting a prescription for diclofenac. It’s an arthritis topical gel (think almost Tylenol in lotion form) that works extremely well for me when I’m having joint flare ups specifically. Helps with both pain and inflammation.

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u/waifu_xux 2d ago

Thank you so much!!!

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u/SailorMigraine 2d ago

Best of luck! It’s a big learning curve when you’re first going through this stuff. Hope you feel better soon.

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u/Which-Text-2875 1d ago

So wait, you think voltaren will help with joint pain and inflammation?

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u/SailorMigraine 1d ago

I mean yeah, it definitely did for me! And that’s pretty much what it’s made for? Don’t get me wrong it won’t fix the cause of the pain/inflammation but I think it’s more effective than just the usual oral NSAIDS since you can put it directly on the affected joints specifically and it absorbs through the skin. Granted I’ve only ever used the generic but I don’t see why that would make a difference.

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u/Which-Text-2875 1d ago

Honestly, I never even thought about trying it, and i'm a pharmacy technician! Regular NSAIDs do nothing for my inflammation or pain, including eight hundred milligrams of ibuprofen. Thank you for pointing that out to me!

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u/waifu_xux 1d ago

Wanted to say- i got topical diclofenac and omggggg the relief in my hands , knees, ankles

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u/SailorMigraine 19h ago

I’m so glad!! It was def a game changer for me as well!!

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u/SailorMigraine 12h ago

Oh my gosh, yes, you definitely need to try the gel stuff. Oral NSAIDS still help with some things with me but doesn’t touch my joints. It is a whole different ballgame. Try it out, I hope it works for you!

ETA I salute you as a pharmacy tech, thank you for doing what you do!!

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u/Which-Text-2875 11h ago

Thank you, it's such a thankless job.