Hello Carrie @pmr2016, Welcome to Connect. I can't imagine how difficult it is to live in a remote area and have to deal with such terrible symptoms as those with PMR. You will notice that we removed your email address and personal information to protect your privacy. Members can share contact information securely using the private message function. Having spent a few weeks in Nome on a volunteer work assignment, I can relate to how difficult it is to get good health care and specifically see a specialist for treatments. Some of the folks I talked with mentioned having to fly to Anchorage for serious health problems.

My second round with PMR was in 2016 and fortunately I was able to taper off of prednisone after a year and half. You may also be interested in the tips shared in this similar discussion:
– Tapering off of Prednisone https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/prednisone/

I'm guessing because you live in a remote area you already lead a fairly healthy lifestyle. The following article has some foods to avoid and other tips you might find helpful - What to eat if you have polymyalgia rheumatica: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/321683

Have you tried making any changes to the different foods you eat to see if it might help reduce inflammation which may be one of the biggest factors in what's causing the pain?