Patients like prednisone for PMR. It works rapidly and that is what patients know and care about the most. There are also people who think doctors are idiots for not treating PMR correctly because they don't prescribe enough prednisone.

It is a tough decision for doctors to make. They don't enjoy their patients being in pain. However, they are reluctant to prescribe liberal doses of prednisone on a long term basis because they are fearful of the long term side effects.

I don't know the answer to this dilemma. Until something else works medically as well as prednisone, that is what we are stuck with.

I had a love/hate relationship with prednisone. I knew Prednisone wasn't good for me but I didn't think there were any alternatives to prednisone. I'm just happy my rhematologist was willing to try something that wasn't prednisone. The other part was my willingness to try the alternative.

Have you seen the cartoon about the running faucet with the sink overflowing?? The doctors are mopping up the mess without turning off the faucet. The carton wasn't about chronic inflammation but it seems pertinent to PMR.

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