I was diagnosed with polymyalgia May 2017 my 73 birthday. I am very active and at first thought I had been over doing it. I started on 15 mg. of prednisone a day Unfortunately I was not given calcium tablets until a year after diagnosis and 18 months after diagnosis was given a bone scan that said I had osteoporosis in spine and hips by this time I was down to about 8or 9 mg pred. Can’t remember exactly. Any way I fell whilst barn dancing and broke my hip. I was then put on alendronic acid.
Shortly afterwards I was diagnosed with diabetes, apparently due to steroids. So I lowered my dose over the next few months to 2 mags, a day. None done with doctors advice as I was only called in for blood test. I expect gp.s are to busy and wait for patients to call them. Shortly afterwards I had what I call a flare up. My hands and wrist were badly swollen stiff and painful as well as my shoulders and neck. I went to my gp. Who thought pmr.Would not be in the hands. So sent me for xray and a rheumatologist app. I was better before the rheumatologist appointment arrived. Meanwhile I looked at web and discovered that it can come in the hand, I then increased my steroids to 6mgs. I am now going down fast as this was only a couple months ago. From 6 to 2 .1/2 mg. My question for advice is how quick can I get rid of the last lot of steroids as going down to 2 too quickly could have caused my flare up. The web says 10% at a time but that is difficult to do with tiny tabs. To break up. I found a YouTube video suggesting taking them 2 hours later each day until 24 hours have gone and so on. I don’t want another flare up. Or stay on too long and become diabetic again. Has anyone tried this.