Hi @christi48, I started on 40 mg of prednisone in late May, 2021 for Giiant Cell Arteritis, tapering down by 5 mg every two weeks until the taper became more gradual. I am currently down to .5mg every other day which will end this week. I had a moon face and rosy cheeks from the prednisone, but I looked healthier because GCA and PMR made me anorexic and I lost about 15 lbs. The prednisone stimulated my appetite, and I returned to my former eating habits so didn't have problems with blood sugar, diabetes, etc. There was some thinning of my skin. My energy increased, and I was extremely talkative, but unable to sleep more than a couple of hours a night without "startling" awake. It was most helpful to get up, read for a couple of hours and drink lemon balm and/ or valerian tea (don't take melatonin, it stimulates the immune system). For a while, on the higher dosage, I felt like a hepped up zombie. As the dosage decreased, I was able to sleep better.
I was diagnosed with osteoporosis two months after starting prdnisone. I don't know if it would work that fast to thin the bones. The year I spent on the couch with PMR, unable to move, probably did not help.
My mother-in-law was diagnosed with GCA in her 80s. She took prednisone, reluctantly. She also had osteoporosis, but lived to be nearly 100 and had a full life up to the end.
Unfortunately, prednisone is not a perfect drug, but in the case of GCA and PMR, it reduces pain and can prevent more serious symptoms of GCA. The key is to have a good physician who monitors symptoms and decreases the dosage gradually. I hope this helps.