Ssz stopped or flare?

[attatel]

Hi,

I've been on 20mg Mtx for over a year after stopping it for several months (I took it for about two years before the break). It wasn't controlling my RD so I was started on sulfasalazine as well 4ish months ago. It was brilliant! I was taking multiple painkillers every day and still in a lot of pain and virtually immobile and after starting the ssz I could stop all the painkillers and all my symptoms improved enormously.

BUT

now it seems to have stopped working.

I'm back to all my joints being stiff and swollen and painful.

I'm wondering, though, if this could be what people mean by a flare? I've never had any variation in my RD before, but I had to go for a PIP assessment which was very stressful and I know people say stress can cause flares.

What do you all think?

TIA,

Terry