Can you cause more harm by not taking steroids to treat pmr? pmr is a miserable/painful condition but steroids definitely cause issues & i'm leery of taking them if i don't have to...however i don't want to do anything stupid by not taking them. thx?

Yes, steroids can be harmful at your age. There are steroid sparing regimens for this condition so you should see a rheumatologist if you have not seen one. I would rely on steroids as the last measure or only as a short course. However, if vasculitis is diagnosed steroid is required. Practice Tai Chi is also helpful for this condition.

Fortunately the steroid doses used in PMR are relatively low with significantly lower risks for side effects and the response is sometimes used in formulating a final diagnosis. Make sure you are established with a rheumatologist so that in case no benefits or intolerable side effects, alternatives can be discussed.