It took me 15 months to finally get off of Prednisone for PMR. I think there is so much that is unknown and it is hard to pinpoint what’s cause and effects of medication and what they might do to your immune system. I developed Eight squamous cell skin cancers while on Prednisone. Was that a side effect of prednisone or exposure to sun in my youth? I don’t think we’ll ever know, but like you said, “suspicious, don’t you think?”