I contacted him about the dosage and he didn't suggest splitting it. I do tolerate the morning pain pretty well, esp. since I know it will ease up by 1 pm! The rheumatologist did say that I should expect to have PMR for 1.5 years - this is probably an average, right? I have read that the tapering should be about one mg. per month, but your experience was faster on the 1 or 2 week schedule, right?
I also want to say I am so glad I found this forum. PMR is such a strange and unknown disease -- so much so that it can go undiagnosed in some of us for months. Thank you for all you do here.