Am experiencing stiffness and pain very like a flare-up of my rheumatoid arthritis. are these normal symptoms?

Depends: If you are experiencing stiffness for more than 20 min and you have a diagnosis of ra, you are probably having a flare. Call your rheumatologist right away and let him/her know. Flares of disease can be triggered by stress or infection but sometimes nothing. You should discuss with your rheumatologist whether you might benefit from a short burst of oral steroids, or need to modify your RA meds.