Treating PMR with Prednisone and Hydroxychloroquine

I just started on hydroxycloroquine. I’ve been on prednisone for 5 months so hoping it helps. I’m in pain every morning subsiding by afternoon. How long were you on H before you felt an improvement? I’ve read that it could take up to 3 months to kick in. And when you went on H and said that it helped you get off of P, what was your taper schedule? Right now I’m supposed to taper 1 mg every 2 weeks, but I’m trying every other day 5mg with 6 mg.

I’ve been on prednisone for 2 years and have been only able to taper to 3 mg per day. And at that I have some issues. My rheumatologist added Hydroxy 400 mg 8 months ago. It does help the pain and mobility issues in the neck and shoulders and hips. However, I have had an interesting side effect of slight blurred vision until it starts to wear off. Say at 10 hours after taking. I monitor with my ophthalmologist also. Not sure if it has affected my cataracts but maybe. My hope is that this will burn out eventually and I can be off both but it’s getting late for me I’m 77. So day to day I hope. It does take about 3 months to notice a difference in mobility and pain. Hope this helps.

I am 82 years old. I had PMR 23 years ago and was on prednisone for three years. Now the PMR has returned after 20 years, and I am back on a long, low-dose taper for about a year. The doctor wants me to take hydroxychloroquine with the prednisone, but after seeing the possible side effects I decided to delay the latter because of possible depression. My oldest, closest friend just died at age 99, and I think I need to wait to see if I am just sad or if my sadness just passes without my getting depressed.