Week One - My Topical Steroid Withdrawal experience (Timeline)

So today 20/08/2015 is my first Official day of going "Cold Turkey" from using my Steroid creams. I have been using Advantan ointment Fatty ointment which is a 0.1% and is categorized as a potent Steroid.

i have been a Eczema suffer since i was a baby, and as most children do i grew out of it. My eczema came back when i was around 16 years old, and Hormones where the explanation i was giving from my doctor along with a steroid cream to clear it up. For me the eczema was on my eye lids meaning i could only use a weak steroid cream and only apply i when the eczema was at its worst. This would lead to my skin thinning and cracking which made blinking a difficult experience at times.

Eventually by 18 it had cleared and after 2 years on/off steroid cream use i thought i was finally free. Eczema rarely made an appearance for the next 4 years with moisturizers clearing up any random outbreaks in my elbow creases and knees.

When i turned 23 i work up with a eczema outbreak, this was down to a stressful time (a bad break up) I went to my doctors who gave me a Steroid cream. I have now on and off (my largest time not using a Steroid cream has been about 1 month in this time) used steroid creams for my Eczema for the past 5 years, i found washing powders, aftershave and other perfumed products i have used for years i am now allergic to which i always found strange.

It started in the regular places the creases of joints and then back of my knees and elbows but with cream it went away. I stopped the creams after it seemed to clear up, and then the old patches plus a new random patch appeared. This has been happening like i say for the past 5 years. I am now at a stage where i have red, inflamed, itchy circles over the majority of my back, Shoulders, Arms which only Steroid creams can soothe. The creams used to give me almost a week or two of itch free skin, but as time has gone on that relief has grown shorter and shorter and now i barely get a few hours without the red inflamed skin coming back.

I recently ran out of my Steroid creams and between getting a repeat prescription it had spread to my legs and chest, and like everyone else to me this was the Eczema getting worse. So i applied more creams to more of my body hoping it will help.
From reading the symptoms of RSS (Red Skin Syndrome) i wonder could i have it, and Eczema isn't the cause, 

i have been given fungal oral tablets as the doctors believe i had a fungal skin infection which is why my skin between applications of Steroid cream would become flaky and never ending stream of snow as it would seem would occur.

I am now getting to the point where its spreading to my scalp and its slow driving me mental, and i am getting to a stage where i don't go 5 minutes without itching, with a comb being the only way i can get some relief.

So here is how it looks on day one.

Back:

Chest:

Legs:

Steroid creams take from 24 hours up to a week to leave the system so right now on day one there is a good chance i still have the steroid cream in my system. I am itching and feel uncomfortable currently experiencing random areas in need of a good scratch. 

My plan is to use (Dermeze) and oatmeal baths to try and calm the itching and the dryness down.
Lotion i am currently using

So having been using Steroid creams on and off since i was 16 i have a feeling my recovery is going to be a slow one, but i feel this is something we should all be made aware about and have that choice to deny Steroid creams should the doctor offer them to us with an alternative available.

Current happiness/comfort level 8/10 :)

Until Next time


James
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What is Topical Steroid Withdrawal (TSW)

Hi

I have recently been researching and getting a understanding into RSS (Red Skin Syndrome) or TSW (Topical Steroid Withdrawal) for those of you that have never heard about this or are trying to learn and get a greater understanding about TSW it in a nut shell is when a person has Eczema and has used Topical Steroid creams as prescribed and instructed by their doctor.

The steroid cream is absorbed not only to the area applied but absorbed by the skin/body and effect the whole body the rule is the Steroid cream effects from 2-6 inches of the surrounding area. After a length of time your skin becomes addicted to these creams. This can create a Steroid Induce Eczema.

Now steroid induced Eczema can occur when you are as instructed by your doctor, apply your steroid cream sparingly and only when need. And its in between those breaks of applying the cream a new random unrelated never had eczema before there patch appears. 

So you apply your cream to that new patch as well as your existing patches of Eczema. Again it clears you stop applying the cream and slowly but surely the eczema appears again, with another brand new patch of dry , red itchy skin. And so your cycle continues.

Eventually you run out of cream and go for another visit to the Doctor who sees the eczema spreading and prescribes you a slightly strong steroid cream. With excitement of this being the answer you apply and it clears! Days pass and your itch free. Slowly but surely the eczema comes back and its now worse than before you went to the doctors. This continues until your cream runs out, or it doesn't have much of an effect and you feel you need something stronger to help relieve you symptoms

Your getting red, inflamed, itchy, flaky patches of dry skin, you see eczema in places you have never had eczema before, and the flare ups you see are not eczema getting worse but you still treat them with more Steroid cream because its what your Doctor ordered and that is now only going to make this worse. This is TSW, your skin is crying out for steroid creams and you are now a victim of Red Skin Syndrome.

To get a greater understanding of this ITSAN (International Topical Steroid Awareness Network, http://itsan.org/) have the following video which explains this really well:



As you can see from their video this is often missed or ignored by Dermatologist's and Doctors who either don't believe that TSW/RSS is real or it could be what you have.

Now there is a way to cure Steroid Induced Eczema, and from what i have research it isn't easy, but as the video above says the cure is well..... Stop taking the creams.

Below is a interview of DR Marvin J. Rapaport who has a strong believe and proof that TSW/RSS is real! He answers a series of questions which either as a person experiencing TSW/RSS or as a supportive partner, family or friend it is worth watching just to get an understanding of what the person is going through or going to be going through.

I hope this helps you on your way to either curing the Steroid Induced Eczema you have or helping someone through what is only ever described as Hell!

I myself as i am just discovering from all my research could be a sufferer of TSW/RSS and i aim to blog once a week (Maybe more) about my experiences so i can help others with tips of moisturizers to use or not use, what stages i go through with Pictures and just to share my experience.

I really feel the word on Steroid Induces Eczema should be spread and everyone made aware that when the doctor wants to give you a Steroid for a rash you could end up down a very tough and challenging path.

As an example of what i mean please watch the below video, in this videos she explains her experiences and difficulties going through TSW. 





Thanks for you support and i hope i too can overcome this, but for me this is just the beginning.

James

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