You must remember the goal is to reduce only to where you feel little or no pain, not to reduce to 0 mgs Prednisone. You must also consider whether your adrenal glands have awoken enough to produce the cortisol that pred has taken the place of. PMR is unpredictable as to when it goes into remission or into a flare.
No doctor has told me not too drink alcohol. A question was asked on another forum about what their favorite alcoholic drink was and most responded. Because I also have an ulcer, I have stopped drinking wine but I do have a daily brandy coffee with honey.