Newly diagnosed

@cwbf
Your taper drop maybe too big and too quick.
My Dr and experience lean to not more than 10% drop.
I would stay at that rate until no pain, then do the 10% decrease.
Good luck

@tweetypie13
Thank you for your help I am tapering down .5 mg --not 5 mg--every two weeks from 13.5 and am now at 12.5.
Isn't .5 less than 10%?

@cwbf
I think so, hope you are pain free when you do,it.

@tweetypie13
PS: if pain free should be ok….
has the Kevzara kicked in? It took me 60 days.

Thank you for your helpful reply. I am not pain free yet. Does that mean I should go back up on the dosage from 12.5 to something higher?

@cwbf
Best you talk to your Dr.
Note: pain level is key
In my personal experience and what I have read on this blog……
Were you PMR pain free when you tapered?
How long have you been at current dose?
I stayed at a dose until I was pain free for at least 2 weeks.
I have/had no other health issues with my body.
Again I say…… Best you talk to your Dr.

@tweetypie13
Thank you for your thoughtful and helpful comment. I have never been completely pain free when I have tapered. Perhaps I should be less eager to get off the prednisone....I am now on day 60 of Kevzara and while it has helped I am by no means pain free. Here's hoping the next 30 days will change that.

@cwbf
Hang in there. We are all different.
You are at a higher dose of Prednisone to begin with (I was at abt 8 ) when you started Kevzara.
“Patience “ with this disease is an oxymoron.
Goal is for pain free….i.e., freedom!

I am 74 years old and was diagnosed with PMR 6 years ago.
I was initially put on 15 mg prednisone daily and within 6 hours I was almost pain free. After a couple weeks I went to 10 mg a day and then decreased my dose by 1 mg every month until I was at 0. I also took Fosamax for a few months to prevent bone loss. I am now considered “cured” after being pain free with no symptoms and normal blood work for over 5 years. I had no side effects from the prednisone except having extra energy - it was a wonder drug for me.
I believe my PMR was triggered by emotional and physical stress. I had knee replacement surgery after which my mother became extremely ill so I had to deal with my physical recovery at the same time I was traveling back and forth to another state to care for my mother. Wishing you a speedy recovery.

Thank you for sharing your experience. My PMR was triggered by Covid booster shots, plus emotional stress related to passing of my father etc. You are the only one I knew who had experienced no side effects with prednisone. You are lucky 😊!