So sorry you’re going through this, folks have different tolerance levels apparently. You might ask your doc about Kevzara, it may be worth the risk to try. At least research it.

From my experience the prednisone side effects get significantly better with a lower dose, below 7.5 in my case. I am presently at 6 mg and my skin is pretty much back to normal and I have lost 8 of the 12 pounds I gained after going on prednisone.

It can be pretty daunting at first. And, truthfully, after 2 years I still have some daunting days. But, in general, things get better over time. At 8 and 7.5 mg (4 days at 8 and 3 days at 7.5) my skin has gone back to normal. My hair has gone back to normal.
My weight gain remains but hopefully there’ll be movement there soon.
The main thing, imo, is to find things you love to do on the good and less good days, refrain from comparing your present situation with your pre-PMR self, and enjoy all the moments you can.

Hi,

I was diagnosed 13 months ago. It has stopped all my activity that I once loved, hiking, biking, walking long distances daily. I continue to walk, but just around my apartment complex.

I took myself off Prednisone for a couple of weeks, doing the tapering. Pain was just too much. Went back on, but promised myself at a low dosage of 5 mgs…it works pretty good, I have bad days but usually due to too much activity. I live on 2nd floor and can only use stairs to get out. Now moving to my daughter’s single family large home. Stairs are the worst so I hope to get better when I move there.

HOWEVER, I PURCHASED A BODY HEATING PAD THAT HEATS THE UPPER PART OF MY LEGS (MY WORST PAIN RIGHT NOW IS THE TOP/BACK PART OF MY LEGS), AND UP TO MY SHOULDERS. WHEN I WAKE ITS EXTREMELY HARD TO WALK. I RELAX IN My CHAIR WITH THE HEATING PAD N MORNING CUP OF COFFEE FOR 25-35 minutes AND I AM GOOD TO GO. Keep moving all day, don’t sit too long.

I'm so sorry for your situation. Yes, as others have stated, lower dose = fewer side effects.
I too got PMR after the shingles vaccine . Mine was 2019 I think. Took forever to get a diagnosis.
Also, I hoped to be done in 18 months, but here I am nearly 5 years later... on 2 mg. Was off for sever months ( yay) but after contracting a flu/ virus this summer, it flared again. I guess our immune systems are on high alert and the controls are not working properly. I hope this will go away one day but I'm prepared for the occasional flares.
Stopped dairy and gluten to try to improve my recovery. Seemed to help ( also helped the gut). Have gluten now and then when dining out ( hard to avoid 100%).
Tried acupuncture. Good results. And I don't push as hard at my physical activities.. cut back by 10-20%. These are things that seem to help. Good luck everyone.

I read about the side effects when I started on Pred. So I was prepared. I take a Biotin supplement every day for my hair and thankfully you only need to take one a day of those. I ate 3 dried soft prunes every morning in case of problems with constipation. I make a weekly brew of a parsley infusion. Parsley in a pan with water brought to the boil then turned off and left to go cold. Can add ginger and lemon. Sieved, then placed in a jug and put in fridge. Small glass of that every morning helps everything. The few weeks before I started Pred I found it hard to eat so lost a few pounds so was glad to get my appetite back but I was aware that Pred can make you think you are hungry when you are not. I am an eat to live and not a live to eat person (my hubby is the opposite and drives me mad). I was not going to let Pred win so started eating an orange after my dinner and telling myself this will pass and I will win. I am very aware of things that make inflammation worse and weight gain is defo one of them. You have to take control and be aware of everything you eat.

Everyone is different, I'm sorry you are having such a tough time.
Walking has turned out to be one of the most important things for me. It feels like a miracle when it comes to reducing daily discomfort, and even though I initially felt awkward limiting myself to just walking around my condo complex, I now know a lot more people, and a lot more dogs.
Exercise is really important too, though I have to be careful not to do to much. But light stretching with bands can be really helpful even on marginal days.