I also was curious about "remission." My rheumy said that I should probably stay on Plaquenil for the rest of my life - she said it would keep me from having flares. I'm essentially symptom-free...
I've had some bad experiences with Rheumys, too. Before I was diagnosed with Lupus, but WAS already diagnosed with Sjogren's, I had a rheumy tell me that my shattering fatigue, joint pain, constant...