Well told by rheumy to lower pred from 4 to 3 so nervous about it.

Marilyn, yes your ESR result is fine and your CRP is only slightly raised - normal CRP is considered to be anything from 0-5.

I followed advice to drop 1mg a month from 10mg.  At first everything was fine but I became aware of returning symptoms when I reached 5mg.  However, knowing no better at the time (it was some years ago) I continued as advised, dropping from 5 to 4 then 4 to 3, and then hit a brick wall necessitating an increase back up to 10mg.  When I reached 5mg again I was kept there for some 5-6 months to ensure the inflammation was completely under control before attempting to go any lower.  Although I was then advised that I could start reducing 1mg a month again, I decided that this time I would only do it in half mg steps and tapering over a much longer period.  This was after reading Ragnar's post on this site following his experience of being unable to reduce below 5mg until he hit on the idea of only reducing on a couple of days during the first and second weeks, gradually increasing the number of days at the new dose.  It may be easier for you as you are taking Methotrexate as well, but I'm not so sure, especially as your CRP is still a little high..  Plus you say you have had PMR for just one year - that is a very fast time to reduce down to as low as 4, especially as flares in the inflammation can be quite common in the first 12-18 months of treatment.   

I've been on pred for a little over a year now, and am now down to 2 mg.  I found that it was a more difficult transition from 5 to 4 than 4 to 3.  The doctor told me that our bodies make steroids similar to pred at about the level of 5, and at that point, the body needs to start making some to make up for the lowering.  It took about a week for my body to get the hang of it from 5 to 4, and also from 3 to 2 for some reason,  the jump from 4 to 3 for some reason didn't bother me.  I don't know if that helps you at all.  Just plan to spend a few days, or a week recovering after the drop I think.  

Margaret: 1mg every two weeks below 10mg is still too fast - you need at least a month at each dose to be sure it is still enough. Below 7mg you need to be even more careful since as cindy says your body has to start making its own corticosteroid again.

Marilyn: I'm in the process of trying 4 to 3 again, it didn't work the last twice, aches came back. I'm (obviously) using the same reduction as I always do. The slow reduction I recommend helps smooth the drops as no reduction should be more than 10% of the current dose - that is 1mg at 10mg but by the time you get down to 5mg it is only 1/2mg so really each drop is better done as 1/2mg steps. It is posts 4 and 5 of this thread

https://patient.info/forums/discuss/pmr-gca-and-other-website-addresses-35316

Your bloods are fine - but that is most likely because your dose of pred is enough to manage the inflammation. Unfortunately some doctors appear to think that means the PMR has gone! Not necessarily so so be very careful and watchful with the reduction.