I have rheumatoid arthritis.it appears to be in remission but my specialist insists i stay on harsh meds?

That is correct.: I am assuming you are referring to methotrexate, Enbrel (etanercept) and other disease modifying medications. If these medications are discontinued you would most likely experience a relapse of ra. The absence of active RA is the result of ongoing treatment with these medications and does not indicate the disease is cured in the classical sense.

That is standard: In *most* patients, if they stop their immunosuppressive medications, the RA will become active again and may be harder to get back under control. Others are able to stop their medications for awhile and don't have trouble getting back under control. Very few go into permanent remission and are able to stop their medications completely.

Harsh disease: Untreated rheumatoid arthritis cripples people and shortens life. The disease is harsh. In some patients, I have very carefully reduced the number of meds that they take for their RA but most patients will have a flare if all meds are withdrawn. The key is to control the disease just like one would control hypertension, diabetes, depression, etc.