Tell us about your symptoms and treatment experience. Take our survey here.

caret icon Back to all discussions

What can I do about a flare before or after surgery?

I’m having back surgery and will be off of all RA meds. What can I do about a flare before or after surgery? Has anyone experienced this problem?

  1. This is definitely a conversation to have with your rheumatologist as he/she should have alternative ways to prevent/treat flares.

    Hopefully, other moderators and community members will chime in with some other advice.

    Please let me know how the surgery goes! Best of luck, Monica (RheumatoidArthritis.net Team)

    1. I just recently went through this...Well, I'm in the recovery phase now. I had a mid-foot fusion in February.

      The best advise is to make sure your rheumy and surgeon communicate with each other. For me, the surgeon wanted me off all my meds, including anti-inflammatories and only 1 week of prescription pain meds and only acetaminophen after that during 8 weeks of recovery. His mantra was "inflamation is our friend". My Rheumy, told him otherwise. She adjusted my time med free to 2 weeks before and 2 weeks after for infection control, and told him I should be able to start up one of my medications and still have enough of an inflammation response to grow new bone.
      Four weeks off my meds was enough to set my RA flaring, but starting back on one med. dialed it back enough that I am now sitting at a 3 or 4 pain level. I just started back on my second medication and looking forward to more improvement. I can't imagine still being med. free. I have an appointment with the Rheum soon. I think it will take a round of predisone to get back to normal.
      It helped my to know that it was only for a limited amount of time and that soon I would be back to normal...or better once my foot heals and is pain free.
      I hope your surgery goes well.

      Merry

      1. Thanks for the response.
        I’m now 7 weeks post surgery.
        I’m back on both meds since last week but my body doesn’t seem to be responding. They did give me steroids in the hospital after surgery but that wore off quickly. I’m hoping with time that my meds will kick in.

        Please read our rules before posting.