For all who seem to think you can just stop taking long term prednisone, think again please. I started on prednisone at 10 mg/day for PMR. Every time I began having pain in my biceps, I believed the pain was related to the recurrence of PMR. Time has shown this was probably not true. I have tried to get off the prednisone twice in the last 3 years but could only get down to 3mg/day. When I tried 2.5mg/day I developed a painful condition called pseudo gout in my hands and wrists that continued to get worse until I upped my prednisone to 3 mg, a dose I have stayed on to prevent the excruciating pain in my wrists. The deformity in my hands remains even on this dose. My current rheumatologist said that my adrenal glands had “gone to sleep” b/c their function was suppressed for so long by my use of prednisone. I wish I’d been told this would happen earlier when it was still possible to get off the low dose I was taking. But my doctor at that time was rather dismissive of the dangers saying “low dose prednisone is the new Aspirin”. I thought he meant it was no more dangerous than aspirin. I can tell you from experience, that is not true.