I had some lingering pain but the pain could be explained and it wasn't caused by PMR. I felt alive again but not as soon as I tapered off Prednisone. It took a long time and it was eventually a wonderful thing to be off Prednisone.

Whoever thinks prednisone gives your life back --- that feeling is only temporary. Long term use of prednisone saps the life out of you again if you ask me. What remaining life I had was characterized by overwhelming fatigue.

Pain wasn't good either so I certainly think there was a need for me to take prednisone in the beginning to stop the PMR pain. I'm not so sure I needed prednisone to control my "PMR pain" for the entire time I took prednisone.

Pain wasn't my "overwhelming problem" most of the time until it recurred on low dose prednisone. I would tell my rheumatologist, I needed a "cortisol fix." compared to having a "flare of PMR."