I'll start by answering your question. As you know, I'm not a doctor, but here's my take. You are having a flare. If this were the flu, it would have hit already. Nobody has flu-like symptoms without the full blown flu hitting within 10 days. That pre-period you mention is call the "prodrome". Most viruses have a 4-10 day prodrome. If the full blown thing doesn't hit by then, it's probably not going to. Viruses can have rashes (like lupus), fevers, fatigue. But they ALWAYS build to that point, then slowly go away. Some take longer than others like mono, a particularly long one. But that prodrome looks a lot like a lupus flare. If this were a virus, you would have developed other nasty symptoms--respiratory, GI. And it wouldn't come and go. Viruses get worse as the viral load increases in your system. Then your temp goes up as your body fights it off. And then as your body starts to win, the symptoms lessen. In a flare, it can go up and down with no discernible pattern.

Another question to ask yourself: have you been around anyone who has the flu or a virus? (FYI, the flu IS a virus, but not all viruses are the flu. Chicken pox is a virus, for example, but not a flu.) If you haven't been around anyone who is sick then it's unlikely that you have a virus or the flu; they don't come out of the blue; you have to catch them from someone.

Don't feel stupid for not being able to tell the difference. It's hard for almost everyone to tell the difference between a flu and a flare. Flu often comes with stomach upset which flares don't (unless you have something overlapping like Crohn's). Flus are viruses. And depending on which virus you have, you can have different symptoms. After you've had lupus for a while, you'll get to recognize your body and the way it acts in a flare.

Blood work can be helpful in differentiating. Usually (and I use that word cautiously), white count elevates with the flu (or a virus), but does NOT with a flare. Both a flare and the flu can cause elevated sed rate and CRP. Also, respiratory symptoms mean it's the flu and not lupus. And stomach and colon symptoms.

In serious cases, docs may do a spinal tap (lumbar puncture) to look at the fluid.

And not to confuse things even more, a case of the flu can CAUSE a flare. So you might have started with the flu and moved in to a flare.

Now, I'd like to add my two cents about your rheumy saying you were about 95% in remission. I hate when docs use the term "remission" because people think it's like a cancer "remission". It's not. Cancer remission occurs when the docs search and find no sign of cancer based on scans and blood tests. So what do docs who make such statements base their statement on? Nothing. If you don't seem to be having symptoms, then you're "in remission." And that makes patients thing they can go out and do things (like be outside in the blistering heat--what were you thinking? Bad girl!). I prefer that docs use the term that the disease is "quiet". That reminds patients that it can be WOKEN UP if you aren't careful. Lupus does not ever truly go away. It can be quiet for a month or 20 years, but it always comes back. But when docs say things like "you're in remission", it makes patients believe that they're "cured". No one gets cured of this right now; maybe one day, but for now, the disease is just QUIET.

Out of curiosity, when your doc said this, did you have normal complement levels? Normal sed rate and C-RP? Normal antibody titres? Were you feeling 100% yourself when he said that? (If you weren't, that should tell you something about his statement. And yes, I know how much we all WANT TO HEAR THAT, but just because the doc says it, doesn't make it the truth.)

Sometimes, docs just really irritate me....[g]

Tracy

It sounds like you are flaring. I agree with Tracey on the issue of "remission", if you are having symptoms you are not in remission. I am sick of people telling me that they know someone with lupus who is in remission. I cannot even find any statistics about remission in lupus patients. Anyway, this is what a flare is like, I have been flaring for over a year like this but sometimes I feel bad for weeks and sometimes it is days and then I will have a "good" couple of days. However, unlike Tracey said I do get stomach upset, nausea and vomiting frequently during flares, they differ for everyone. I am on a lot of stomach meds and the prednisone made these issues a lot better, hence the decision of the gastro and rheumy that my stomach problems were due to lupus and reflux. Another reason why it is a flare is that you can only get so many flu illnesses. I remember around 7 years ago before I knew what was wrong with me, I went to my internist and told her that I had gotten about 10 flus that year. She said you cannot get so many flu illness in one year something else has to be wrong causing flu like symptoms. DUH!! I felt so stupid how could I think I was the only one in my house so sick so often. I loved the is anyone else sick at home, no, well then it is not usually going to be a flu or virus. You are flaring, try to rest and I hope it goes away for good soon. Hugs!