Hi, nkdonohue
Fifteen to 20 mg of prednisone is a common amount to start treating PMR. Actually, success in ridding one of the pain is part of the diagnosis for PMR, as there are no definitive tests for that purpose. Usually, the prednisone gives very fast relief - by which I mean 1, 2, or 3 days. If the steroids don't work, the doctor should keep looking for a different disease. Alternatively, if nsaids or pain killers DO work for him, that is also a clue that it is not PMR.