Yes, the usual taper is much slower and in smaller increments. A drop of 2.5mg in one go (under 10mg) would almost certainly bring back a flare and full-on pain in most people. Is there some reason the doctor told you to drop the prednisone so quickly? And most people start on 15mg - 25mg prednisone for polymyalgia rheumatica. In Australia the standard start dose is 15mg.

Even with much slower reductions, there were times when I could do very little or the muscles became very sore and stiff. Different activities affect us all differently. Careful and paced activities in the yard and garden are okay for me but I'm not game to try things like swimming. Others say that water exercise helps.

Do you have regular blood tests like ESR (erythrocyte sedimentary rate) or CRP (C-reactive protein) to check if inflammation is out of control again? If it is, the prednisone is too low to do its job.