Are you on a DMD yet, Leggz? The goal of using one of them is to hopefully reduce the number of relapses (and perhaps disease progression), and that is mainstream approach to proactive management of this disease.

Steroids are an "after the fact" approach, for when relapses happen in spite of disease modifying drugs (or before their usefulness has ramped up in your system). Many people use them to get through a relapse quicker, but they apparently do not change the outcome of the relapse or disease progression in the longer run. They also come with some side-effects and risks . . . but "life must go on", so they are sometimes necessary.

Steroids are pretty much the only option for reducing inflammation activity that is already underway. If you don't want to do steroids (or even if you do), there are also symptom management drugs (like the pain killers you are taking) to make things more bearable. They don't influence disease "activity" in any way though.

Cherie