what exactly is remission?

How do you find out that you are in remission? Is it merely a lack of symptoms or do test need to show certain results?
I thought Crohn's meant that I would likely never feel 100% again - since it is chronic and so if people are always feeling some symptoms - is remission considered the lower symptom periods of time between flares or is there a more medical basis than that?
Still trying to figure out if I need to switch meds like prescribed by my GI when I actually feel pretty good these days (from 5ASA to Prednisone and Imuran)...I've had more stomach pains and possibly more joint pains in the last few days, except it is possible that I am just noticing them more now that I know they can be a symptom (plus the stress of trying to figure out what meds to take when I don't like my choices very much becuz of all the nasty side effects to be expected).
I will be calling my doc tomorrow to ask again why the change is necessary - in case he thinks I'm a more severe case than I realize - but from what I read around here - I don't think I am still in a flare since my symptoms have reduced so much. So does no flare mean remission or am I still missing something?
Thanks to everyone who has replied to my previous post - I definitely appreciate the advice from people at all varying degrees of this thing...(I am still worried the docs are all paid by the drug companies...too many movies perhaps.)
THANKS!

In my mind, remission is when your disease is not active. Sometimes you might feel great, but your bloodwork will show higher inflammatory markers, or low blood iron....this would not be remission, even if you're feeling good. I think some of us (like me!) forget what it feels like to actually NOT have any symptoms. I find the symptoms of my Crohn's to be confusing and quite subtle sometimes, and as a menstruating woman, once you add in hormonal cycles and the typical bowel issues that come with menstruation you can just forget about having a full understanding of where your disease really is.

Anyway, I'm glad you're feeling better but I think it is unlikely that you are already in remission since you just started treatment a few weeks ago. It can take a while to get the kinks out of a treatment protocol, and when you say your joints are achy and you're having stomach pains I think you can safely attribute those to the IBD, and not the mesalamine meds or the prednisone (and you have not yet started Imuran, right?).

It is possible to feel pretty good but still have active Crohn's. I was on Pentasa for about a year, and was feeling pretty good, but my blood work showed I still had inflammation. My GI requested another colonoscopy, and that found that although I had reduced symptoms, I still had active Crohn's in my gut, so she switched me to new meds (Imuran).

So yes, like kazbern said, it is possible to still have stuff going on in there even when you feel good otherwise. That's a big part of why many people choose to be on maintenance meds even when they're feeling good, because it's not always obvious when our guts start acting up again.

If you can get to no symptoms, that's excellent! But it's not always something that's achievable for everyone, so you may have to settle for just manageable ones.

Good luck!

This is all so new to me. And I know first hand how hard it is to okay medicines when there are so many bad side effects. Its hard to understand taking a medicine that may cause more harm then good. After lots of reading, talking with others, I have just had to pray and leave it completely in Gods hands.

My son has had stomach pain for years. He tells me mom my stomach hurts so bad. He says the pain never goes away completely. He says he has just learned to deal with it. On the pain scale the hospital uses it doesnt ever get any better than a 3 or 4. He doesnt want to take tylenol because it doesnt help and he says he cant see taking more meds if they dont help. But he knows he has to take everything else. I have tried to tell him maybe the tylenol will help now a little and he says no mom it doesnt.
My son now says how his knees and ankles hurting all the time. His shoulders he says hurt the worse. He has never been a complainer about anything. So for him to say something hurts I know it must be bad. He has always been really easy going. Even after all the medical issues he has had over the years. He always finds a way to put a smile on his face. But he says he hurts so bad now..

I wish he would be in remission fast and he would be free or almost free of pain but I am afraid thats still a while away. He says he is always hungry but its hard to find him a good snack since he cant have any fruits or veggies. Any idea?
Thanks

Hi,i'm in remission (since January) my bloodwork came back showing no active Crohn's, i knida guessed i was myself as it was the first time since being DX that i felt 100% my usual self .Hope this helps,Slainte