54pontiac, you nailed it in a minimum number of words. The other absolute from everything I've seen and read is that prednisone is the only proven drug that can control PMR pain and inflammation. We all get to weigh the side effects versus pain. For me, the option of being an invalid instead of a hard working guy who loved his work wasn't an option. I've had to deal with some side effects from prednisone that aren't nice but I freely made that trade to end up with a decent quality of life over the 7 years I've had PMR. Nothing wrong with occasionally mourning the life we used to have before PMR, but I choose to focus on celebrating what I'm still able to do thanks to prednisone and in spite of PMR.