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The lower the dose of steroids the greater the percent of taper when you go down even 1mg. At 20mg a 1mg taper is 5%. At 10mg a 1mg taper is 10%. You may not realize the difference however your body does. Possibly try reducing by 0.5mg once you get low enough that your body reacts to a 1mg reduction adversely. Pill splitters are a great stocking stuffer!
Please read up on adrenal insufficiency since taking steroids long term can contribute to this problem. The oral steroids have taken over the work the adrenal glands normally do. Waking them back up is a big portion of PMR tapering. The symptoms of adrenal insufficiency are very easy to confuse with PMR pain. I'm not even sure they can be parsed by a medical professional. The body is complicated and complex. It is amazing what it does for us that we have taken for granted. I have learned so much about my body - I'm impressed.
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"The symptoms of adrenal insufficiency are very easy to confuse with PMR pain. I'm not even sure they can be parsed by a medical professional. The body is complicated and complex"
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This was true in my case. How ironic that the treatment for adrenal insufficiency was the same as the treatment for PMR.
https://www.endocrine-abstracts.org/ea/0056/ea0056p44
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I needed to take a maintenance dose of prednisone until my cortisol level improved. Staying on a dose of 3 mg or less was a low enough dose to allow some room for my adrenals to regain some function. My endocrinologist said to remain on low dose Prednisone "for as long as it takes" and possibly for the rest of my life.
After I stayed on 3 mg or less of prednisone for 6 months, my cortisol level improved. My endocrinologist said it was fortunate that my cortisol level improved after long term Prednisone use.
After my cortisol level improved, I was allowed to discontinue prednisone. My endocrinologist said 3 mg was such a low dose that I could simply stop taking Prednisone without a taper. As long as PMR was controlled AND my cortisol level was good there was no need to take prednisone anymore. PMR was controlled by a steroid sparing medication that didn't suppress my adrenal function.
So often in medicine ... the treatment for one problem creates a new problem.