PMR, prednisone and Poor Sleep or Insomnia

I was recently diagnosed with GCA. I was on 60 mg day of prednisone for 5 days and for the past week and a half have been on 40 mg day to be continued for at least 30 days. Anyone have any tips on sleep issues?
I am awake all night. Thank you.

I was recently diagnosed with GCA. I was on 60 mg day of prednisone for 5 days and for the past week and a half have been on 40 mg day to be continued for at least 30 days. Anyone have any tips on sleep issues?
I am awake all night. Thank you.

I was recently diagnosed with GCA. I was on 60 mg day of prednisone for 5 days and for the past week and a half have been on 40 mg day to be continued for at least 30 days. Anyone have any tips on sleep issues?
I am awake all night. Thank you.

Hello @pag1949, You will notice that we moved your post to an existing discussion on the same topic so that you can learn what others have shared. If you click the link below it will take you to the beginning of the discussion:
--- PMR, prednisone and Poor Sleep or Insomnia: https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/pmr-prednisone-and-valerian/.

I see that you have connected with @jnwwells. Have you talked with your doctor to see if they have any suggestions?

Not yet. I was planning on discussing it with the Rheumotologist at my first appointment. However, although my GCA has moved quickly from symptoms to testing to diagnosis to beginning the prednisone (Within one month), I am disappointed and discouraged that I cannot get a first appointment with a Rheumatologist until April 2024. My concern is that this will delay the possibility of trying tocilizumab or other options during the prednisone step down period. Plus, although my Primary Care doctor is good, he has only seen this one other time in all his years of practice. I would feel more comfortable having a Rheumatologist create my treatment plan. Thanks for your help.

Any chance the rheumatologist has a PA you could see. That's what I did to get my foot in the door so to speak. The day of my appt the PA wasn't there and I actually got to see the Dr. I only ever saw that Dr once, all the other times was the PA. I switched to another practice after that

Thanks for your comments on spacing ingestion of prednisone throughout the day. I've been spacing it evenly, with 20 mg at 9am, 20 mg at 6 pm, and 20 mg at 3 am.

I'm going change now and experiment with taking only 10 mg in the afternoon. I'll take at least 20 mg at 3 am, and the rest after the sun rises.

I do want to more closely the diurnal patterns that cortisol naturally takes in the body, as you suggest. I may go full blast as you did, and take ⅔ of my total dose at 3 am and ⅓ at 4 pm.

You are right, 60 mg is a "GCA dose", even though I "only" have PMR. Unfortunately, my inflammation levels are extraordinary for PMR (CRPs about 10x what most with PMR experience). The ER doctors and my rheumatologist say I have a "rare and unpredictable presentation". I've had more than my share of medical attention. The medical facilities and local expertise are quite good here in San Francisco. I think 60 mg is warranted for now.

Are you still on a high dose. My CRP was 160. I started at 60mg of Pred in May and now I am at 7mg.

My CRP is not at 8