Hello @jchatchett, I'm so sorry to hear about the side effects and the pain. I know it can seem overwhelming at times. I see you mentioned you are at 9 mg dosage and go down every 4 weeks. Did your doctor give any instructions about if the pain gets bad again to go to the previous dosage? I would talk with the doctor about the pain. My first occurrence of PMR I was put on 20 mg and after awhile he gave me a schedule to try tapering off of prednisone. He also told me it would be difficult and it was. It took me 3 years before the pain went away enough I didn't need the prednisone. The last of those three years was bouncing back and forth between 1 mg to 1/2 mg dosage until I finally stopped taking the 1/2 mg dosage and the pain was gone.

Have you told your doctor about the side effects you are experiencing? My rheumatologist told me that PMR was the arthritis everywhere disease. I'm guessing that was the easiest way for him to explain it at the time. There is a lot of information that describes it along with symptoms, treatments, etc..

Mayo Clinic has some information here - http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/polymyalgia-rheumatica/basics/definition/con-20023162.

NIH page has some good information also - https://www.niams.nih.gov/health_Info/Polymyalgia/default.asp

Hoping you can find some relief for your pain.

John

jchatchett, have you checked out other things that might be causing what you feel are side effects of prednisone? E.g. hair falling out can be an indicator of hypothyroidism often missed by MDs Also, magnesium helps leg cramps and a-fib, but you need a liquid kind like Re-Mag so that your body can absorb it. You can read more about liquid magnesium on Dr Carolyn Dean's website if you are interested. I know exactly what you are going through, as I also pray for remission and stopping the dreaded prednisone. Good luck to you.

I had PMR and was on prednisone for 18 months. The side effects were terrible, especially the weight gain. I did not experience any difficulty tampering off. I started at 20 mg and went down to 2 mg. Fortunately I have been in remission for over 3 years. Please check with your physician after tapering off. You may not be ready. I do recall the the awful pain before I started on prednisone. <br><br>

@jhatchett. This is a suggestion for you. Both myself and my sister-in-law had been diagnosed with PMR year 2013.
I personally had it for almost three years. It' an autoimmune disease caused by inflamation somewhere in the body which
Doctors can only tell by a high CBC or a high sedimentation No. Mine was 14 at the time. But here's the the part I want you to know.
In checking with a neurosurgeon for back pain It was discovered that we both had stenosis of the cervical neck and we both had
Surgery. Arthritis and Spurs were squeezing the spinal cord causing all the symtoms you describe. I now have no general body
Pain but I still have my back pain because of a separated SI joint for which I need more Surgery. That won't be until I feel my neck
Is completely healed which will take time and more therapy. You would need to see a very good Brain and Spine Neurosurgeon!
For X-rays to be sure this is not your problem. I feel since this was two of us PMR may be a misdiagnosis. Worth a try!
Feel better. From Daisybud12. PS. Joan lives in Reading, Pa I live in No. Florida

This is most interesting. My husband had a neck injury many years ago. It might be worth checking into as his rheumatologist is not 100% sure on the PRM.....