Thanks very much, Alice. That's very clear and helpful. Whenever I have a new idea (I guess this is just human nature), my mind tends to filter out all the parts that don't fit, and only concentrate on the parts that do. So I get a false picture. I'm happy with the idea of experimenting with my diet to see if I can avoid whatever is triggering those 5:00 p.m. attacks--as a start. And journaling.

I did read a while ago that people with rheumatoid arthritis feel worse at certain times during the day, and the article put it down to circadian rhythms: evidently the immune system sends out surges of antibodies in the early evening. That's a trigger I can't do much about.

Abby