After "recovering" from PMR, still decreased strength/stamina

@bandorino I am very sympathetic and have been there w the overwhelming fatigue and a seeming inability to get off prednisone for me. It took two years to get off it and I was so afraid I was gonna have a flare that I really took it easy at the end I went down to 1 mg for probably 2 months then a half a milligram for over a month and then for two weeks I even did .25 mg and finally off. It seems to be holding. Don’t give up on exercising - though you may have to find what will be tolerable. Yin yoga was a life saver. Very passive stretching. Also pilates on a reformer was very good for me. Club Pilates are all over the Country and you can literally go every day - I went maybe 4/5 times a week beginner classes. It was manageable. Don’t give up on moving if you can - even short walks. Giving in to the pain just makes it all worse - that is, if you can get on the right meds that will help you control it. I really never thought I’d be able to get off prednisone. I mean I couldn’t imagine I couldn’t get off it but every time I tried I would get a flare. And then I did! They say my PMR morphed into a rheumatoid thing and maybe it has because I do have some weird joint issues but it’s not PMR anymore and that is a miracle.

Hi all, thanks for the very insightful comments, they have really helped me over last few months. Including one stating 'hard w/o health insurance' so I know I am not the only one. As well as 'we don't hear from the ones who recover quickly' So here goes my story about recovering quickly. Started pain early Dec 2025, (self) diagnosed PMR 4th January 2026. Read up on Prednisone side effects, refused to take this. Please, I am not a doctor, nor an expert, in any way. Instead I went 90% vegan, no SOS (salt, oils, sugar) no coffee, alcohol. Then mid January WOF (water only fast) 6 days. Then a 31 day WOF late January to early March. Yes, I was incredibly lucky to have location, support system and work (2 hours a day and remotely) to allow me to do this. ESR and CRP tests stayed high but BP reduced and cholesterol reacted as expected. A cholesterol spike from fasting as the body rids itself, then started lowering. Then we went on pre planned ski vacation with grandkids and had to start eating 2 weeks before. PMR was vicious over January/February/March and by March 19 I saw a doctor (significantly more reasonably priced outside the USA) got Prednisone and pain was gone in probably an hour or 2. Crazy how fast that happened. Started high at 30MG and tapered 5MG each 7 days. At 10MG re visited Doc and she said to keep tapering. By end April down to 5MG, then 2.5 and now 1.25MG Yes fatigued but NO pain. Working out and muscles coming back quickly. Yes, I realize PMR for me is incredibly short lived and lucky. I am NO doctor, but wondering if the fasting (and yes, suffering tremendous pain for 2 months) gave my body a head start to fight PMR. Or that the fasting allowed the BP and cholesterol to go down, making me healthier. Or that the shorter time on Prednisone meant that the adrenal glands never fully went to sleep and came back OK, more quickly than after long term Pred use. Now just hoping to stop Prednisone altogether.
The more challenging thing has been to read about those who have suffered for a much longer time and much more severely. With so many experiencing such different symptoms, side effects and results. Wishing you the very best of luck. There IS hope;-)