New PMR patient, wondering if mornings will become pain free someday

I was taking prednisone and methotrexate simultaneously for LCA or GCA but my rheumatologist decided that there was no benefit. So now he has me on Actemra as well as the dreaded prednisone. I am to take the Actemra for another 6 mths. My blood results are in normal range but doctors think there is something else going on with my blood vessels so am having scans. I have not tried to split my dose but certainly have had problems in the morning , not with pain but with general "fog in the brain" .
Yes, thin skin is a problem especially when 81 years old. Even my watch face winder is leaving red marks on my hand.

Wow, reading this is like hearing my life story. I’m into my 9th year with PMR. 7mg prednisone. Mornings remain pretty miserable, my forearms look as if they are tattooed (dark pigment) super thin skin, hand and shoulder pain, and hip sometimes. I’m very active (pickleball) but pay the price. I’ve tried to get the prednisone down but hit the wall at 7mg. I hope anyone starting this journey resolves quickly!!

In November I was put on methotrexate so I could lower my prednisone. To date I feel the meth has done nothing. I tried going down on m prednisone dosage and could not function. In 2 years plus I have made no progress. Considering a change of doctor. Maybe a new set of eyes will see something.

I was able to taper off steroids after 6 months. That was 2 years ago. I have had 2 small flares since but I am basically pain free. Not pain free as when I was 50. but more or less at 72. But seems something always has a kink in it.

It took me 4 1/2 years to recover and come off Prednisone. After that, I managed to reduced pain after adding CQo2 and Ensure to my diet. Don't quite understand why the last made a difference but it certainly did. I was so consumed by the effects of PMR I forgot to add in my age to it all. For the past year it's been being 79 years old that was the problem and when I started to treat myself accordingly life improved. Best of luck and good wishes. Keep trying and you will find an answer.

I developed PMR at 61 but didn't get diagnosed and treated for almost 1.5 years (I thought it was age and being out of shape during covid). When I was treated with prednisone (20 mg) I had immediate relief. I reduced my prednisone steadily over the course of 1+ years but am currently stuck at 2mg after another 1+ years of trying to reduce my dosage periodically. I am however, pain free and CRP is normal.

The being stuck is the dependency on the steroid. Your body has to start making its own cortisol. When you taper that low the body is stressed without the cortisol causes stress , pain, inflammation. google prednisone dependency or something like that. Your only answer is try an even slower taper. Your on so little now. It will require some will power.

Thanks! I am in the process of another attempt - this time reducing Monday, then the following week Monday, Wednesday, then Monday, Wednesday, Friday and so on.

has anyone tried Provia to protect bones?

Use of my new slightly used leather gloves started after skin damage from yard work, pickleball and softball with the geezers. My hands looked terrible then with high doses of Imidicloprid. There were No docs with knowledge of this PMR problem in N. Florida 4 or even 3+ years ago! Mayo Clinic THANKS for this information source! I "transitioned" off Imidi.. about a year ago, moving to 5 mg of steroid SLOWLY down to 1 mg, then fractions of 1 slowly, like a week at each level to zero. Now none... my shoulder pain is gone but I have had a repeatedly damaged rt. Rotator cuff, so no overhand throwing (maybe ever). No chinups yet. PS: I am 83, thus I ride my bike hard for 25 minutes daily around a parking lot. Why? Many of my other "almost geezers" pull groins & get knee damage running. A Geezer wife novice just broke her foot 5 places during PB.