How are you tapering prednisone?

@gigilea I’m 72 once I started to taper at 10 went to 9 for 3 weeks then 8 and so on. When I hit 5 the doc said do it for a month and then 4 for a month and so on. The pain really started at 5 a bit. I’ve read that that seems to be the number!! I keep on walking thru it all and that I haven’t stopped. I try to get 20-30 miles a week. I will continue as best I can. I’m thinking this is the new normal. I really want off this med!!!

@laura1970 I was doing so well tapering. Just prior to getting PMR I had terrible pain from a torn meniscus. It was treated with a cortisone shot. Soon after I developed PMR and started at 20mg/day. Very soon after taking my new steroids, my knee pain disappeared. I did very well tapering to 2mg/day. I am using methylprednisolone instead of prednisone and the pill only comes in 4 mg. I can slice it down to 1 mg. So to go down from 2mg to 1.5 mg I alternated days of 2mg, 1mg, 2mg,1mg, etc. I did OK for about 10 days when my knee pain came soaring back and PMR symptoms were starting in my neck and upper arms. I believe like you, my knee was causing adrenal insufficiency. I called my Rheumatologist and she agreed that I should stay on 2 mg daily for now. My PMR symptoms have disappeared. On Jan. 2, I will see an orthopedic Dr for my knee.

I was diagnosed with PMR in August 2025 and needed to be hospitalized as I couldn’t even move anymore. They started me at 30 mg for one week and then down to 25, 20, 15. Thereafter every 14 days to 12,5 , 10 7.5
Now every 3 weeks only 0,5 mg reduction.
When I get to 5 mg I will carry on by a 0,5 mg reduction but stay on that for at least a month.
I believe the clinic has been very successful with that. ( I am in Germany and are looked after by Rheumatologists in a specialist clinic) The slower the reduction is I. The last months the better the success.

@aisp3b it sounds like you have your medical issues well in hand. Good for you!

@aisp3b just fyi methylprednisolone can be diluted in liquid (water I believe) by pharmacies. It might be easier than cutting your pills into 4.

Thank you. I will check with my pharmacy.

@aisp3b I assume that your pharmacy will require a new prescription with orders for dilution. It is possible that your physician, or provider, won’t know this can be done. You can refer them to this:

A typical way to order this is to write an Rx for a compounded oral suspension of methylprednisolone at a defined concentration (e.g., 5 mg/mL or 10 mg/mL), with clear total daily dose, route, and duration.

Tell them you would prefer the 5 mg/ml as it will make it easier to take a low dose

@laura1970 Thank you for this information. I have been on methylprednisolone since early December 2024. I started at 20 mg and have done quite well all the way down to 2 mg. Methylpred only comes in 4 mg pills. I can successfully slice that pill into quarters (1mg). There is no way I can slice the pill smaller than 1mg and this is where my problem begins. I tried alternating 2mg, 1mg, 2mg, 1mg, 2mg, etc, but after that my PMR symptoms became noticeable in my neck and shoulders. At the same time, I have a bad torn meniscus in my right knee. That severe pain happened about 1 month prior to the beginning of PMR in December 2024. After starting the methylpred, my knee pain just about disappeared. Now, as I decreased the methylpred to those alternating days to try to achieve a 1.5mg dose, after 10 days, my knee pain spiked and and the PMR symptoms became noticeable again. I went back to 2mg daily dose and am doing better and so is my knee. I believe my knee pain (my knee gets very swollen when going below 2mg) is complicating or causing the PMR. On Jan 2, I will see a orthopedic doctor and 2 weeks later I will see my Rheumatologist who had advised me to return to a steady 2mg/day.