I have to take it daily, but we have worked it down from the original heavy doses I started on to only 2mg a day, to supplement some other heavy meds. It has definitely been helpful in reducing pain and inflammation. I have never had any serious side effects from it. I do not like having to stay on it but my doctors want me to stay on it.
How large a dose were you taking to have those kinds of serious side effects?

I have to have very regular blood work done because most of the meds I am on can affect various organs.

I had to take this is not a typo 60mgs a day last year. It was an attempt to restore my hearing loss. I was surprisingly able to tolerate the Preds quite well but the tapering off was murder. I had to lengthen the taper to twice as long. I must say my skin and hair never looked better though. My doctor gave me diuretics to take at the same time. They helped keep the moon face down but unfortunately gave me terrible leg cramps so I had to stop them.

DMIL was on Preds for years. She had a beautiful complexion and her hair never went gray. She said it was the meds.

I too had to go slower on the taper down I don't remember the highest level I was on, fairly high, but it was needed and I was very happy to take it since it made such a difference. Even the small amount I now take daily makes a difference.

I was on 60mg last winter and summer....then, after a passing lung function test in early spring, I was able to taper off during the summer and fall.
I actually lost weight, lost hair, and couldn't get more than 2-3 hours sleep at a time.

Now i'm on Orenica - it's the only RA medication that I can take that is strong enough to give me any protection from flare-ups.

My hair has finally grown back, I have not gained weight, and I can sleep my normal 6-8 hrs a night.

However, if a flare occurs, the only drug I can take is Pred - I can never again take any of the other drugs like Remicade, Emberel or Humera - too dangerous, and ibuprofin gives me no relief.

My mother also had polymyalgia rheumatica. It usually runs a 2 to 5 year course, and she had it for about 4 years. During that time my mom had a lot of shoulder and upper body pain and very little mobility above the waist, so she was put on Prednisone. I don't recall what dosage she was on, but it had an adverse affect on her lungs and the doctors had to take her off of it. She somehow managed to endure the last 2 years of her bout with PMR without prednisone, but when it finally ran its course, my mom had no lingering symptoms, so I wish you a speedy and full recovery!

i only took one course of pred for a bee sting but nothing like what you've described...

did take another type every 3 days before chemo...it was supposed to be 50-100% stronger than pred...my skin was great, (of course had no hair to worry about, lol) and the constant patch of dermatitus on my leg finally left...(only to return, sigh)

so very sorry you're having such a rough time..i often wonder when those golden years are supposed to kick in??

oh when i went into temp kidney failure, advil was the first thing i cleared out of the medicine cabinet for me...

This seems like a case where you have to weigh the benefits vs. the risks.
I hope you find some relief soon.

I was diagnosed with pmr two years ago but had two bouts of it before I saw a Doctor thinking I was just sick some kind of a bug, and hate going to the Dr. Mine came on with flu like symptoms, fever chills then extreme joint body pain. It was bad then but the third time I couldn't move. I could not even reach my face to take off my glasses. Had to be helped up and down when sitting in a chair. Forget anything else like getting dressed or undressed. Couldn't brush my teeth. Just looked at my last refill for prednesone and it was for 30 mg. I had been on 100 mg.for 8 days..then 60 for a month...down to thirty for a month when they said it was time to wean me off so I was to take 20mg then 10. I stopped on my own as he said he wouldnt up the dose again after 20 mgs gave me no relief whatsoever. I loved relief that it gave but the side effects were horrible. For the first time in 20 years I had a decent sleep at night and felt real in the day time. I had totally forgot how to live without constant pain. I could not stop wanting to eat for the life of me. It was like air hunger when you cannot catch your breath, I had a constant gnawing inside me. I was told that many patients had the same, one woman told the dr she was going to rent her husband out if people would pay in food. She couldn't afford to keep him. I watched my diet and calorie intake like a hawk but still gained weight ...a lot of weight. It has taken almost a year to get off 25 lbs. I had the "moon face" too and lost my eyebrows and a lot of hair, thank goodness it is thick and it wasn't obvious to many. I am diabetic, and have thyroid problems and fibromyalgia so I think the medications do not all go well with each other. My daughter was diagnosed with the same within weeks of me. Different doctors, and different symptoms she actually lost weight, she has thyroid problems but not a diabetic.

Thank You all for your input.
I feel rather hummbled now, after reading your
threads.
I am quite sure that I will have to go back on
this med. I am dreading it, but I am so sore
all over I'll have to give in.
Hugs to all of you!
Dolly

I was on mega-doses of Prednisone when I had sarcoidosis and am on a permanent low dose now that I have Addison's Disease. IME, doctors don't usually prescribe Prednisone if there's another good alternative or if the issue is minor, because of possible side effects. As Carol-in-California says, it's a risk-benefit analysis.

FYI, the eye blurriness usually clears up pretty quickly.

I have a prescription waiting to be filled after I get the results of some blood work, I am not crazy about taking it but my PMR is getting worse.

I radically changed my diet and added supplements to get off my medications and am so happy I made this change. It is a very difficult transition but no longer having my blood monitored each month for risk of liver and kidney damage is so worth it. I found the achy touch to the skin disappeared within days, it took longer for my inflammation and pain to go away (about a week or so for pain and month for inflammation). Google information on it and food intolerances. I truly hated the diet at first but now that it is habit I love what the end results are - medication free, family if better fed, high energy, no weight gain and body balance. Good luck to you either way, it's not a fun place to be and sorry you are going through it.

I have had pmr for about 5 years. Had to go on prednisone. Was on 50 mgs for 7 days, during which time I developed Atrial Fibrilaion. This was for diagnostic purposes. When they were sure that was what I had, I was put on 20 mgs. It was eventually lowered to 2 and I had a flare up. I've had 2 flareups and I have been on 5 mgs daily for the last 4 years. I was on special weekly meds to keep the calcium level up in the bones. I have regular bone scans and so far, so good. I too, got a moon face and gained, gained. I managed to get 44 pounds off since being on 5 mgs but it has taken a lot of work.
In my opinion prepisone is a horible drug on one hand and a very wonderful one on the other hand.

all the best