@susanalka

Long term use of Prednisone isn't well defined. Artificial intelligence says the following:

"While there is no single official definition, prednisone use for over 30 days is generally considered long-term. Other definitions use a threshold of longer than 3 weeks (21 days). The classification of "long-term" is primarily based on the duration over which significant side effects, such as adrenal gland suppression and an increased risk of infections, osteoporosis, and diabetes, become a concern."
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When Prednisone is used to treat PMR ... "long term" might be more than a year. In theory, PMR only lasts a year or two and "burns itself out." I think the time-frames for treating PMR are purposely vague because there aren't any precise answers. However, my prednisone side effects happened after my first dose.

I was treated with Prednisone for 12 years. I can't say PMR ever burned itself out. I had countless relapses no matter how slowly I tapered. The only thing a slow taper did for me was to keep me on Prednisone longer. There weren't many other options other than prednisone that were available when I was diagnosed.

When Actemra was tried, I tapered off Prednisone in about a year. Actemra actually keeps PMR in remission and has kept me off Prednisone for 5 years.