It depends on the dose you are taking as well.

I would ask your doctor, it is a valid question and he should have the best answer.

When I was a teenager I had a very stubborn illness that was treated by Prednisone. I was on high doses (highest was 120mg/day) and kept tapering off and everytime I got down to about 20/15 mg per day the illness would come back and I'd have to go up to a high dose again.

I was doing this for over three years before I was able to get off of without the illness reoccuring.

I rarely need it now, but on the occasion that I do, my doc usually prescribes about 40mg and I am usually tapered down to nothing in several weeks.

"Long term" can have lots of side effects, like water retention, rash, voracious appetite, etc but these all go away completely when you stop taking it. Any damage from long term you should talk to your doc about, if for nothing else to keep from worrying about it.