I think that's a lot for a long time but maybe it's warranted. Are your SED rates down? I started tapering slowly after the first month ( minus 1/2 pill for 2 weeks and then another little step down for 2 weeks, etc.) and the discomfort isn't bad. I changed my diet (anti-inflammatory) and do water walking. If the pain comes back I am going to try something from my naturopath/herbalist to see if I can't find a healthy route to continue weaning off prednisone.