A low dose of prednisone seems to help many people since they seem to stay on it for a long time. A short duration at a low dose may be okay but ask your doctor. What someone considers to be a "low dose" and a "short duration" is debatable.

I was surprised when my rheumatologist said "if I only needed 3 mg or less" he wouldn't be so concerned. I was taking much higher doses for decades so that caused a lot of concern. The least amount of prednisone I could ever stay on was 10 mg but 15 mg was better. The pain and overwhelming fatigue was tolerable only if I stayed on 10 mg or more.

I am very happy and glad when my rheumatologist thought after 12 years it was time to try a biologic called Actemra (tocilizumab). There were hundreds of my failed attempts to taper off prednisone during all those years. I don't think I was tapering too fast or too soon or otherwise incorrectly. I was just "dependent" on that amount of prednisone but it wasn't an addiction.

To be able to get off prednisone, I needed to stay on 3 mg of prednisone for quite a while. Staying on 3 mg was only possible with the addition of Actemra which kept PMR in remission.

It took approximately 6 months until my cortisol level improved. One of the known side effects of prednisone is that it suppresses adrenal function so that cortisol isn't produced. That seems to happen at prednisone dose greater than 5-7 mg. Countless people seem to have difficulty getting lower than this dose and get stuck with taking this dose for a long time and sometimes forever.

Prednisone won't get rid of PMR but it makes it easier to live with PMR. Actemra seems to cause PMR to go into remission and doesn't suppress adrenal function.

Getting off prednisone will probably get rid of adrenal insufficiency if you haven't taken prednisone at too high of a dose and for too long. "Too high" and "too long" is debatable too.