Hi, in regards to ever being pain free, it can happen. I know everyone has a different experience, but in my case, I am pain free and I swear it is due to the split dose. It only makes sense. Prednisone only stays in your system for 16-22 hours and then it wears off. So if you are taking it at 7am or 8 am, it is going to wear off in the middle of the night. In my case, that pain woke me up, some folks sleep through it I guess, but some wake up in the morning with the pain. You feel like you did on day one, (I know this because once I forgot to take my evening dose). It takes about 2 hrs for the morning dose of Prednisone to kick in, it is about midday until you feel great...and then the cycle repeats. That is why the split dose works for me.... I have Prednisone in my system around the clock, no breakthrough pain, sleep great, feel great (except the sweating side effect), lots of energy but no pain. So yes, you can be pain free, hopefully, maybe just need to find the right balance of how you are taking Prednisone.
I don't claim to know everything and I could be missing something but I don't understand why everyone is not prescribed a split dose, knowing that the half-life of prednisone is limited and it does not stay in the system a full 24 hrs, allowing it to wear off with return of the inflammatory symtoms. It seems like it is defeating the purpose. I know that the single dose does work for some people, everyone is different. Oh well, I am just glad I found something that worked for me.
Wishing you luck, hope you find comfort.
P.S. I took 20, split 10-10, then 15, split 10-5, now on 10, split 5-5, So far so good.....