I agree with John. Pain (or lack thereof) seems like the only way to judge if the prednisone is working. At 10mg. I would proceed very slowly. My dr. recommended reducing 1mg per month. She said if I experienced any joint pain try to bear with it for a few days to see if it decreased. If pain did not go away she said to increase prednisone to previous dosage for the next month. It all sounds like a seesaw ride to me but so far I have had no issues. I will say that anytime I feel the least little twinge in a joint, I start to envision the “old days” of not being able to get out of bed on my own😩. I like John’s idea of keeping a pain journal. It really helps to jog the memory. Good luck. Liz Ward. (9mg and counting!)