how to tell if they warrant a round of steroids

Sorry, I'm just assuming when you say "they" you mean you or someone close to you in which case I think the first step is always going to be checking with your physician. For me, personally, since I've been with my rheumy for so many years, he trusts me to move up my steroid dose when I need to. I do it only when I am feeling bad enough that I know that a 2-3 day prednisone blast will get it back under control. This comes with years and experience, unfortunately. Hopefully this helps! Keep on keepin' on, DPM

Hi . My wife, Kelly Mack (a contributor here), has a case very similar to Daniel's (they are good friends) and she has a similar situation with her rheumatologist. They have developed a flare action plan, which involves an emergency prescription of prednisone, for when a flare hits. One thing they have discussed is staying in front of the pain. If things get too bad, it can be hard to catch up and get the pain back under control. So, don't hesitate to reach out to your doctor at the first signs or, if they are amenable, have a plan like Daniel and Kelly to start on extra treatment right away. Best, Richard (Team Member)