What is the treatment for polymyalgia rheumatica?
A steroid medicine such as prednisolone is the usual treatment. Steroids work by reducing inflammation. Treatment usually works quickly, within a few days. After starting treatment, the improvement in symptoms over 2-3 days is often quite dramatic. In fact, if symptoms do not greatly ease and go within a week or so of treatment, then the diagnosis of PMR may not be correct. Tell your doctor if symptoms do not go with steroids as the symptoms may be due to another disease. Treatment is usually started with a medium dose – usually about 15 mg per day. This is then reduced gradually to a lower ‘maintenance’ dose. It may take several months to gradually reduce the dose. The maintenance dose needed to keep symptoms away varies from person to person. Usually it is between 5 and 8 mg per day. You are likely to need treatment for at least two years. In some people the condition goes away, so the steroids can be stopped after 2-3 years. However, many people need treatment for several years, som
