6. Treatment for Polymyalgia Rheumatica
Currently, the only treatment that is provided for people who are suffering from polymyalgia rheumatica is to use prednisolone. Prednisolone is a steroid medication. It will typically begin to work within just a few days. In fact, prednisolone is so effective at treating polymyalgia rheumatica that if a person does not see some improvement in their symptoms after the first week of using the medication, the diagnosis of polymyalgia rheumatica may be questioned.
Typically, a person who is thought to have polymyalgia rheumatica will be started on a dose of 15 mg per day. This is often lowered through the next couple of months. Most of the time a dose between five to eight mg per day will be maintained. Treatment may be able to end after two or three years. However, there are some people who have to use the treatment for a lot longer and at times for life.