From what my dr said, you need to be mostly pain-free before stepping down. I'm at about 90% so I'd like to try it now, but she's not convinced that I've given it enough time to totally calm down the flare--and the last thing I want is to have to start all over again so I'm trusting her. A lot of people on this site have talked about how their drs (rheum, neuro, GP) focus on getting off prednisone to the exclusion of almost everything else. I know it's a toxic drug, but to me, the worst thing would be taking just enough to lower the pain but not enough to actually eliminate the inflammation. (Almost like only taking enough antibiotics to alleviate the symptoms of an infection but not enough to eradicate the infection itself.) It's such a hit-and-miss. Some days I have very little PMR pain, then others smack me right back down. Like you say, not linear. I hope your rheumatologist is responsive to your concerns. This site has been amazing! I felt totally alone until I found it. Feel free to reach out anytime and take care. -Leigh