If you have tapering problems below 5 mg this might explain why.

I understand. Meniere's/ vestibular migraine episodes are no fun.

I can relate to food triggers because of trigeminal neuralgia. I had to sneak food into my mouth. Sometimes I would get an electric shock just opening my mouth before putting any food into my mouth. I would be unable to eat too much anything for days at a time when those attacks were frequent.
https://www.wkhs.com/health-resources/wk-health-library/medical-procedures-tests-care-and-management/a-z/avoiding-trigeminal-neuralgia-triggers

I am learning so much from this blog. I will be starting my 4th month on prednisone tapering from 15 to 10 to 9 and tomorrow to 8. My problem is that I am diabetic and I need very low carb to keep from spiking. In a month I will have my A1C checked but for now my rheumatologist suggests I stay on the prednisone tapering 1 mg each month. I have no PMR symptoms since starting prednisone. Has anyone with type 2 diabetes experienced better glucose control as they taper off the prednisone? That is what I am hoping will happen.

My rheumatologist does not want to do a cortisol test, is this unususal?
Trying to get into an endocrinologist.

It isn't unusual for a rheumatologist not to order a cortisol lab test. This test is hard to interpret when you are still taking prednisone. Even my endocrinologist was reluctant to check my cortisol level until I could maintain a very low dose of Prednisone without needing to increase my dose to control PMR.

My endocrinologist said if I still needed prednsisone to control my autoimmune conditions there was no point in checking my cortisol level. When I said how long I had taken Prednisone, my endocrinologist "expected" my cortisol level to be low. My endocrinologist referred me back to my rheumatologist when I was still needed 10 mg of Prednisone.

A year later when PMR was controlled and I could maintain a 3 mg dose of Prednisone without having a flare my cortisol level was checked. Because I had symptoms of adrenal insufficiency an 8 a.m. morning cortisol level was checked by my rheumatologist. When my cortisol level was low my rheumatologist told me not to decease my Prednisone dose any lower and referred me back to the endocrinologist.

My endocrinologist rechecked my cortisol level and an ACTH level and verified that my cortisol level was low but said there wasn't much she could do. She told me to stay on 3 mg of Prednisone. She offered to switch me to hydrocortisone because she felt hydrocortisone would allow me to regain adrenal function better than Prednisone would. She said it would be okay to take Prednisone if I preferred.

I asked about an Synacthen test but my endocrinologist said it wasn't necessary unless I was still having symptoms when I was off Prednisone. She said a Synacthen test might be needed to determine if I needed to go back on prednisone if I still had symptoms when I wasn't taking any Prednisone.

After my cortisol level improved I was able to discontinue Prednisone but it took 6 months for my cortisol level to improve. Only then did my endocrinologist say "it might be safe to discontinue Prednisone." I never needed a Synacthen test.
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6260064/

Has anyone tried hemp tablets to help polymyalgia ?

Where do you go to get this treatment?

My rheumatologist asked me if I would be willing to try Actemra six years ago. It was offered to me and I accepted to offer. My rheumatologist said Actemra was probably my best hope of ever getting off prednisone. My quality of life was low after 12 years of prednisone so I felt like I had nothing to lose by trying Actemra. I didn’t expect much but Actemra gave my life back. I have mostly recovered from PMR and prednisone side effects.

I am a new to PMR but have the same concern about my cortisol level and whether I should see an endocrinologist. I have seen one because I only have one one adrenal gland and it has an adenoma. The other reply you got was informative. I think I will ask my primary doctor. When I see my rheumatologist next month I will ask for more information about cortisol. looking at my lab work I don't see that it was tested.

Does kevzara help when taping from prednisone with the adrenal insufficiency?

Some people would say Kevzara does nothing to directly improve your cortisol level if you have prednisone induced adrenal insufficiency. I would say there is an indirect effect that helps.

Hopefully, Actemra or Kevzara will allow you to taper your Prednisone dose to 3 mg and still prevent a flare of PMR. Being able to stay on 3 mg was the magic dose that allowed my cortisol level to improve. That 3 mg dose of prednisone was a low enough dose for my adrenals to get a strong signal to produce cortisol again.

Adrenal insufficiency from long term prednisone use can persist for a long time. My endocrinologist told me to be prepared to stay on 3 mg of prednisone for "as long as it takes" for my cortisol level to improve. I was only able to stay on 3 mg of prednisone without a flare of PMR because of Actemra. In my case, my cortisol level improved after 6 months. For some people it won't be that long but for other people it might be much longer. I felt awful on 3 mg of prednisone but at least I didn't have a PMR flare.

What usually happens, is that patients taper their prednisone dose lower only to have a flare of PMR. The dose of prednisone at which flares happen is disproportionately around 7 mg which is approximately the dose where our bodies can sense a low cortisol level. Typically a flare of PMR happens and prednisone is increased only to suppress adrenal function some more. Without Actemra, I would never have been able to maintain a 3 mg dose long enough to allow my adrenals to recover some of their function.

After I stopped Prednisone and remained on Actemra alone, my adrenals made a full recovery. The advantage that Actemra and Kevzara have over Prednisone is that these medications can control PMR and GCA without suppressing adrenal function.

The "prednisone deal with the devil" we make happens when our adrenal function gets suppressed. In essence, we replace cortisol with prednisone. The deal results in adrenal suppression and it is difficult to undo this deal.

Artificial intelligence says the following:
"The idea of the "prednisone deal with the devil" is a metaphor for the serious risk of adrenal suppression that comes with corticosteroid use. When you take prednisone, a powerful synthetic steroid, your body no longer needs to produce its own natural stress hormone, cortisol. This effectively "replaces" your natural cortisol with the drug."
-----------------------------
Unfortunately, adrenal insufficiency is the devil we live with when we take long term prednisone..