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@peggyp

Once you get to 10 mgs, reducing by 1/2 mg is recommended. Never reduce more than 10%. You want to reduce to the amount that takes care of the PMR inflammation but no lower, otherwise the inflammation keeps growing until you have a flare. If the PMR is gradually going into remission, you then have to make sure the adrenals are working before going any lower. The adrenals create cortisol, the equivalent of 6 or 7 mgs prednisone. Your body stops making cortisol when you are on pred for a long time. It takes a year or longer for adrenals to begin making cortisol again. Some adrenals do not recover and prednisone takes over. The slower you reduce, the greater chance for the adrenals to awaken.

I was on 6/7 mgs pred for almost two years. I am in my fifth year of PMR and am on 3 1.2 mgs. I would be lower except for an arthritic hip for which I am awaiting hip replacement. I use the following method (Dorset Lady's) to reduce: Sun-new dose other days old dose; Sun/Th new dose, other days old;SunTuTh new dose, other days old; SunTUWTHU new dose, others old; SunTUWThSat new, MF old; the following week all new dose. It is easy to stop if the new dose shows signs of a flare and prevents seesawing up and down..
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Replies to "Once you get to 10 mgs, reducing by 1/2 mg is recommended. Never reduce more than..."

I have a question and a concern. I have PMR and have reduced (1 mg a month) now at 1.5. I certainly don't feel pain and discomfort like I did when I started on prednisone, but the last 2 weeks or so I have experienced slight discomfort in my neck, hips and thighs. It is certainly manageble and doesn't keep me from going about my daily exercise or sleeping. However, I read about others going up and down on prednisone to manage the pain and reduce the inflammation. Should I expect the discomfort to go away completely before quitting prednisone or do you taper to a level that is tolerable? My worry is that inflammation is still "brewing" and I may get GCA.