I thought that PMR responded well to prednisone (P). The fact that johannab did not respond to prednisone (P) makes me wonder if you do have PMR. As part of my history, about 35 years ago I had pain in my shoulder girdle and hip girdle for no reason and fatigue. When I went to the Rheumatologist (R) I apparently gave him a textbook defination of PMR. He Rx 10 mg P daily and within 6 hours I was a new man. No pain or fatigue. When the blood work was run I had normal SED rate and normal CRP. Now the problems begin. After a year the symptoms returned. I went on 10 mg of P and everything was fine and I reduced my P to 0. But then a year later PMR returned. This went on for 25 years. Then I went on 2.5 mg a day and was good for about 4-5 years. After 5 years I started to get pain again and 5 years later, now, I am on 5 mg of P with good results. During these 35 years I have seen 4 Rs. The first one then 20 years later the second one who thought I was doing so well that anything else he could give me would not be as helpful or have more side effects. The third R after the longest physical exam I have every had (1.6 hours, hard to believe) said "I do not think you have PMR, but I do not know what you have." The 4th R thought initally that I had something else since my original symptoms started at age 40 and most PMR is after 50.
He ran more test which were negative for what I think he thought was sarcodosis. So now I am on 5 mp of P daily, with a bone scan yearly to see if I get osteoporosis. My recent bone scan was normal or above normal probably due to the extensive amount of exercise I do.