@maryft, It can definitely be confusing and you have asked some really good questions. I think you will probably get the best answer from your rheumatologist. I had some of the same questions my first time around with PMR and my rheumatologist gave me some valuable insight when I was 3 years into PMR and having trouble tapering off of 1 mg prednisone. He told me about a younger professional athlete he had for a patient that spent 1 year trying to taper off of prednisone and suggested I try what he did - split my 1 mg tablet in half to taper down to 1/2 g. I did that and went back and forth between 1 and 1/2 mg doses until I was finally able to taper off with only a minor ache in the mornings. Sometimes our bodies don't give us the choice of being on prednisone long term. You are right about the varied dosages and time frames. I think our individual pain thresholds and tolerances play a part in how soon we can get off of prednisone because we are all affected a little different. I'm hoping other folks with PMR experience can provide their thoughts and suggestions also.

Are you able to discuss your concerns with your doctor or rheumatologist?