Originally Posted by bassman

I don't know if there is an official definition for flare. My thinking is that first there is the "norm" or what is normally happening. This is how you feel most of the time. For each of us it is different. When my meds are adjusted correctly, I run along at about a 5 or 6 on a pain scale of 10. I know what typical sensations to expect. That is my “norm.”

When I experience what I call a "flare" (short for flare-up, a term used by fire fighters when battling a building fire - you can picture what it means there) my pain level might jump to 9 or 10. I might get localized sharp pain like a harpoon or a dagger in my leg. Others might get a severe increase in temperature, which would correlate nicely with the firefighter’s terminology.

If you say your temp is all over constantly...you are either getting a LOT of flares or your doctors still have not found the right medication cocktail to help you get that steady 5 or 6 pain level like I have. In other words, you don’t have that nice, steady “norm” I was referring to. I really hope you could achieve that. It doesn't sound like too much fun, but it seems better than wild fluctuations!

I really wish you the best.

Gentle hug

Mike