Shar
Hi Mary, You sound like me, and you are young, too! I never heard of PMR, until I was diagnosed with it in January of this year, and put on 20 mg of Prednisone. I was in a hurry to get the Prednisone dose down to 5 mg, too, but after almost 3 weeks at the 5 mg level, my symptoms reurned with a vengeance, so I was forced to go back up to 7.5 mg, or suffer from extreme fatigue, depression, and bad shoulder pain and stiffness. I am feeling much better on the 7.5 mg dose, practically symptome free, but I do find myself to be extra tired most mornings. By the afternoon, I am feeling more energetic. I assume my morning tiredness is a symptom of the PMR, because my doctor always asks how is my energy level when I give him an update on how I am doing. I think we should be pretty comfortable with the 7.5 mg and not worry too much, because my doctor said that this dose is quite safe, and that there isn't a big difference between this level and the 5 mg dose as far as side effects go. He said that 7.5 mg and below is quite safe for long term use. Next time, I would like to taper more slowly, as some people have suggested. I plan to talk to my doctor about it the next time I see him. Maybe, you could try that, too. Mary, do you have days where you are extremely tired and depressed? Do you work? I had to quit my job because of this PMR. I just couldn't depend on feeling well enough to keep working. I am still not 100%, with fatigue being a frequent problem, so it's best that I am able to baby myself by being home. Let me know how you are doing, Mary. I am very pleased that we can share our concerns about PMR. I find it to be a real comfort just to be able to exchange information with others who have Polymyalgia. Take care and I hope you feel better everyday! Shar