Hi Kay,
Before I was diagnosed I was on 9 Advil a day just to get through the day. I would set my alarm at 3:00am to take my first dose so that I could get up to get ready for work. The pain was excruciating but the Advil helped. Once I was diagnosed, I started on Prednisone. 20 mg/ day for a month and then started my taper. That was a year ago Christmas. I am now on 6 mg/day and tried to reduce to 5mg/day but the pain came back so have prolonged the taper for now. It is upsetting to be on Prednisone for so long but continue to have hope for the future. I wish you well and continued success for a brighter future.