My pain and stiffness only subsides with pred. I never "warm" out of it. So you are already ahead of me there. I do not care for side effects, either and my glaucoma is worse in spite of eye doc's best efforts. But as my rheumy said yesterday, "It is what it is..." I am interested in your tapering schedule. My doc does 4 mg at a jump and I think it is too abrupt. I think it should be 2mg max. I am going to talk to him about that.

How old are you and is this your first encounter with PMR? I am 75 and have always been active. (Ride horses) I was first treated in my late 40s but was never given a diagnosis. Tapered to 5mg every other day then weaned off after about a year and a half. So when it returne in 2017 after being on steroids for a bad Crohn's flare, I didn't know what was happening. All I knew was, one week I could pick up my 35lb saddle and put on my horse's back and the next week, I couldn't becauses my muscles hurt. Legs were really stiff and weakend, too. First rheumy didn't have a clue and spent 4 yrs on him. Don't make that mistake. I did discover Low Dose Naltrexone, 'though. If you have pain when you aren't moving.(ie: trying to sleep) I really reccomend it. Also, good for immune system. Stay in touch on your journey. Much to learn and share, here.