Are you addicted to Topical Steroids for your eczema?

Posted on January 3, 2018 by Is Eczema Curable? So What Can Cure Eczema

If you’ve been using topical steroids for your eczema for many years and are worried about overuse, please read this. When you get a flare up of eczema do you find that nothing helps except more steroids?

Eczema on hand and wrist — Prurigo eczema on my hand a wrist. Shows how dry my skin is

Have your steroids stopped working and you get prescribed stronger and stronger creams and emollients? If the answer is yes, you may have a topical steroid addiction. And let me tell you now, coming off Topical Steroids is like something from hell.

Just google Topical Steroid Withdrawal or TSW and be prepared for the stuff of nightmares.

I have considered cutting out steroids and going through withdrawal myself but honestly? I’m not strong enough. I would not be able to work, I just know how hard it would be.

I was recently contacted by the ITSAN Red Skin Sydrome Support Group to ask me to complete this questionnaire to help them ascertain the size of the topical steroid overuse problem.

This is what they said, “Hi Ruth, I’m currently serving as the Executive Director of ITSAN and we are running a campaign to encourage members of our group to report their adverse effects from Topical Steroids to the FDA. It’s super easy and only takes a few minutes. If we get enough people to report, this will be a GAME CHANGER in the re-evaluation of Topical Steroids, future research, changes to drug labeling, educating Dr’s about TSW, prevention, and proper treatment for those suffering. Will you take a few minutes and fill it out? The link below will take you directly to the FDA’s reporting site. *You don’t need to live in the US to fie a report. Also, if you aren’t sure about the answer to every question, that’s okay. You can just fill in what you know. Thank you for your consideration!! And let me know if you do fill it out! “

Who should complete the ITSAN survey?

ITSAN logo

Do feel you are addicted to steroids which are not really helping heal your skin? Are you too scared to stop using them and go through withdrawal? Are you worried about the amount of topical steroids you use? Have you heard of ITSAN, researched TSW and don’t know what to do? Does your doctor or dermatologist just tell you not to worry and to keep using steroids?

If this applies to you, why not complete this short survey. You have nothing to lose and it might help the industry stop over prescribing and help us find other ways of healing our skin conditions.

Complete form as Consumer/Patient

You may also like to read this previous blog, Topical Steroid Addiction and Withdrawal and what it means here..

What other options are their besides TSW

There are other options to consider that do not involve Topical Steroid withdrawal, one of which is Dupixent so I shall be looking into that. However this also concerns me as it could just be fanning the flames with more drugs. I am terrified that I will have to go through TSW and through no fault of my own. I’ve followed medical advice and found steroids the only thing to relieve eczema and now I am faced with a truly horrendous journey of years of withdrawal. Personally I’m not going to even attempt it. If you think you would like to consider cutting out steroids please do not do so without consulting your Doctor and/or Dermatologist. You will need medical support and advice. This is serious stuff. Please also contact ITSAN as they have a support network out there who can help you.

Please share your stories of going through TSW, do you think your addicted? Did you manage to cut out and stop using your steroids? How long did it take?

I look forward to hearing from you all… and maybe this survey will help prevent over prescribing of steroids by the NHS in the future and research into safer medication and understanding of eczema.

talkhealth Blog

Combination topical appears effective for subclinical actinic keratosis treatment

Posted on November 25, 2017 by Is Eczema Curable? So What Can Cure Eczema

Combination of fluorouracil and salicylic acid may be an effective field treatment for subclinical actinic keratoses lesions.
Dermatology Times – Dermatology

Day 457 – Day 486: Month 16 Topical Steroid Withdrawal Redskin Syndrome

Posted on October 31, 2017 by Is Eczema Curable? So What Can Cure Eczema

Well, month 16 was interesting. I started using Eucerine Restoraderm on a regular basis, showers became quite enjoyable, and I visited Portland and loved it. I still have crap skin on a regular cycle, but the crap is becoming less severe and the good is becoming more predictable and regular. I feel like the restoraderm is helping heal the skin barrier.

SLEEP: Sleep is better. I slept brilliantly in Portland because I was on an air mattress and it was 50’s at night. I didn’t sweat. Now, at home in hot Texas on my pillow mattress I sweat and wake up itching. On the whole, sleep is MUCH more consistent and regular. I don’t feel as exhausted all the time.

HIVES: Hives are popping up as of the end of this month. They are uniform bumps and are itchy initially and then just take a while to go away. They are only on the still damaged skin. The skin that’s really red after the shower. The skin that goes to hell when I flare. I’m assuming this is a good sign…?

BURING/STINGING: So, showers were moderately painful at the beginning of this month. The water initially was fine and then once my pores opened up, it stung unless I used VERY warm water. Then, once I got out, it stung for a good solid 15 minutes straight. Once I started using the restoraderm, it got better. The restoraderm STUNG when I used it for most of this month with decreasing intensity as the month went on. It would sting when I rubbed it on and then as soon as I used the water it stopped. Then using the lotion after caused the after sting time to shorten. By the end of the month, the wash didn’t burn and the after sting was minimal. So, definite improvement.

SWEATING: Dude. COME ON. Sweating still stings and burns and itches like hell. The surface area is definitely smaller! It’s now only my neck, face, and a little on the shoulders… whereas before it was my whole body that was under a fire ant attack. Living in the texas heat is hard.

CLOTHES: I’ve started wearing…wait for it… SHORT SLEEVES AND TANK TOPS! gasp.

Anyway… on with the pics.

Day 457

Day 458

TSHIRT!!!!

Day 460

First time in a tank top in a LONG time. Went to the mall with my big girl!

Day 462

I ate cookies at the mall. Gluten and dairy free… but a lot of them. Paid for it.

Day 463

Day 465

At the end of the day sometimes I have these flakes. Super hot.

Day 466

No makeup… mild skin… Lips are meh.

Day 468

Legs have been painful. Hurts to shave.

AFTER SHOWER

Few hours later.

Day 469
Ate gluten free pretzels on the plane and paid for it…

Day 470

Day 472

These kind of hives all the time.

Day 473

I ate an apple while shopping and the juice on my hand gave me hives. And irritated my lips.

Day 474

Day 475

Day 476

Dryness subsided a bit but the hot redness comes and goes.

Day 477

Spent the whole day outside and in a tank top! JOY!!

Day 482

My skin reacted crazy coming back home to the texas humidity, heat, and pollen…

Day 483

Day 484

Day 485

Day 486

Peace Out Eczema

Month 20 Topical Steroid Withdrawal

Posted on October 11, 2017 by Is Eczema Curable? So What Can Cure Eczema

Hey guys,

Of course everything has gone downhill again. As it always seemingly does with me.

OK, so as of last Friday (23rd Jan) I could feel the itchiness around my nose/ mouth returning. This of course then reared its ugly head and manifested itself as the infection of the previous 2 months. I have no idea why it always starts around my nose/mouth area. We’ve done countless swabs and there just isn’t any rhyme or reason for it to occur. One of those many mysteries. So yes, back on the god damn antibiotics.

However, I also feel there may be a connection between these infections and the Ciclosporin intake. When I took Ciclo in the past, in the very first stages of my withdrawal, I kept getting countless infections, including MRSA, which was never an issue prior to this. For that reason I decided to stop it once again in August 2013 to give my body a break. Yet even still, the infections never manifested the same way each time as they do now. Although when I moved to Leeds everything flared up again and so if you have been reading my blog for a while you’ll know I’ve been backwards and forwards with all this and had to go back onto it again for the billionth time.

Most recently I’ve noticed with these infections is that it seems to be a week in to taking the full dose of Ciclo that my skin will clear up nicely but days later these infections develop. I think it may be finally time to call it a day after this round, providing my skin is tolerable enough after this bout of infection to carry on without involvement, unlike these previous months where I have been left in a worsened state.

I have no decent photos to show you of my most recent episode but I can assure you it has been just like the others, weeping yellow crusts, pain, soreness, extreme itching and all that jazz.

I do however have this picture I took today where you can see I have some more hair growth. This always makes me happy. One day I may even restore my hair to its thickness I had when I was 12, but I would be equally pleased with having my hair circa 2009.

You can see that the antibiotics are doing their job and beating the infection. I am now left with areas of redness mimicking that of a rash, but this is the healing skin before the peeling stage. I love that stage even if it is messy and means I have to watch what I wear and the trail I leave behind me.

In other news, I received a phone call from my derm nurse whilst I was initially typing out this post to see how I was getting on. I decided to enquire about my blood test results that I had taken nearly a fortnight ago. My iron levels were low but still in normal range – I had a reading of 10 and the normal ranges are 5-300 so it could probably do with some boosting. She couldn’t however find the Vitamin D test so I might have to have that done again.

Now, with my IgE testing this is where it gets somewhat interesting. She said my results fell into the bracket of “weak positive” but couldn’t tell me much more than that. Last time I had my levels tested I was well above the 5000 range but I have no idea how that even equates and what the unit of measurement for that is?

I did however find a site that stated a grading system for allergen ige levels:
0 being negative at a reading of <0.35KUA/L
1 being weak positive at a reading of 0.35-0.7KUA/L
all the way up to the highest at grade 6.

This kind of makes sense to me because when I was very first tested in 2009 I was giving ratings – 5/6 dust mites and 4/6 for cat dander which seems to reflect the graded system. I want to know how my new reading equates to the “thousandth” measurement and what it would be now if I’m now a ‘weak positive’.

I can only evaluate from this set of results that my IgE levels have diminished since going into steroid withdrawal and for that I am ecstatic!

Sorry it’s a long winded one today and I must say, I thank each and every one of you for your kind advice and words. Maybe one day I will see the light but for now I plod on and get through this how I can.

Happy healing!

P.S. my blog is 2 years old now!
I Have Eczema

Day 518- Day 548: Month 18 Topical Steroid Withdrawal

Posted on September 17, 2017 by Is Eczema Curable? So What Can Cure Eczema

(August 2015)

Lots of food flares this month. I experimented with different foods that are on my list. Some of them didn’t give me hell until eating them for 2-3 days. The last day was a reaction to a beef stew I made. It did me IN. A lot of the pictures where I am REALLY red are just after a shower. I take VERY hot showers because it burns the itch away. Feels amazing and doesn’t scratch the skin. I’ve heard it’s “not good for your skin” but I don’t care haha

519

520

So itchy and painful… But NOTHING compared to early months.

521

522

The later part of flares are always really really flakey.

524

525

526

527

Right after shower

Skin feels super thick and inflamed

528

529

530

532

More of the hot bumpy rash

535

537

538

539

542

MY EAR… Been having trouble with this one…. Falls the eff apart when I flare.

544

No matter the flare, I can typicall get cleaned up pretty well…

546

547

548

The stew DID ME IN. SOOOOO itchy. SO annoying.

Right after shower, but the inflammation from the stew is quite bad.

Peace Out Eczema

Natural Topical Creams For Dry Skin – 3 Things You Need to Know About Them

Posted on September 10, 2017 by Is Eczema Curable? So What Can Cure Eczema

If you’re suffering from dry skin, you have probably gone through quite a few natural topical creams for dry skin, and most of them were probably not as effective as you would have hoped.

Most of the regular dry skin creams are unsuitable for your skin, they may give you some relief for a moment, but can be harmful to your skin when using them for long time. Yes, even the natural ones. But hang in there, the information you’re about to receive can help you to find the right natural topical cream for you.

#1 Chemicals
Most natural skin care lines still include chemicals and other harmful ingredients in their products, shocking, but true. That is because they have longer shelf life and cost less than the completely natural ingredients. All of this results in a skin cream that is not going to help you in the long run, it may even cause damage to your skin like premature wrinkles, acne and drier skin.

#2 High quality ingredients
If you’re looking for natural topical skin creams for dry skin that will be truly effective, just look for ingredients that have been scientifically proven beneficial and effective. Phytessence wakame, cynergyTK, active manuka honey and grapeseed oil are all ingredients to look for, as they have shown to be successful in beating dry and irritated skin.

#3 High quantities
Have you already found the right ingredients for your skin? Great. Now be sure to check that they are not only in there, but in there in high quantities. Because if the effective ingredient is just a drop in an ocean of useless ingredients, the product is not going to help you. Many companies just use insignificant amounts of the best ingredients as marketing ploys, as they want to sell and make you think it is high quality, but do not want to invest in making highly efficient products.

So, keep away from the half way natural topical creams for dry skin, and look for the completely natural ones with proved effective ingredients in high quantities. Your dry skin will be just a distant memory in no time, and look even younger and more radiant than before.

Do you want to learn more about the best creams for dry skin, and harmful ingredients to avoid in skincare? Find out what products I use for fast and effective results, feel free to my website today.

Find More Atopic Dermatitis Articles

Month 21 Topical Steroid Withdrawal

Posted on July 27, 2017 by Is Eczema Curable? So What Can Cure Eczema

Hi guys,

I didn’t mean to go so long without updating. Here is something I meant to tell you about. A day or so after writing my previous post, I developed pompholyx/ dyshidrotic eczema on my hands and feet. I’ve had it on my hands once in the past, to which the GP misdiagnosed it and told me I had scabies (lolwot?) and of course it wasn’t, though that’s a story for another day… It was this bubbly eczema stuff which went away with steroids, but of course that was before my steroid withdrawal so I panicked a bit this time knowing I might be in a bit of a pickle.

I’ve had to really up the contrast for you to see as it is ridiculously difficult to photograph.

Basically I was given antibiotics, which did their job of clearing up the infection and was told to restart my Ciclosporin to control the rest of my skin and to help the pompholyx and that was that… Although of course it’s never that. The pompholyx buggered off but the infection came back a few days after finishing the course. Urgh!!!

I rang up my dermatology nurse on Friday just to let her know it had come back and she wanted me to see someone, however there was no one available to see me and I didn’t want to resume the antibiotics so decided to try something different. For the first day or so I did what I normally do and let my skin dry out to cease the infection from spreading. However it was so unbearably painful that I needed to try something. I filled the sink up with water, epsom salts and a few drops of tea tree oil and used a face cloth and just planted it over my whole face. It was fine until it all dried out again.

Later on I tried just putting tea tree oil straight onto a damp face cloth. Never again. Oh my good God! The pain! It’s definitely one that needs diluting.

I then came up with the idea of mixing a few drops of tea tree oil in with my white soft paraffin, and sparingly applied it to the infected areas. It left my face a bit red but a bit later it had calmed down my face significantly and I was starting to peel all over. I repeated this all weekend, mass shedding occurred, and low and behold the infection has gone! Hurrah!! I’m still left with some spots and redness and stuff but as it isn’t a systematic treatment, I do expect it to take a bit longer. I’m so chuffed though.

From now on I’m going to be adding drops of tea tree oil to my emollient when I need to use it.

Three cheers for tea tree oil!

Also apologies for those who have emailed me and gotten no reply, I’ve been pretty much AWOL and moping around feeling sorry for myself. Hopefully I shall be back on form soon.

I Have Eczema

Topical Dermatitis – A Cream Is Your Remedy

Posted on July 21, 2017 by Is Eczema Curable? So What Can Cure Eczema

Topical creams are the most accessible eczema treatments. Most of them don’t require prescriptions and can therefore be bought over-the-counter. With the right choice of a topical dermatitis cream and its proper application, it is almost guaranteed that you will be relieved of your eczema symptoms. But there are numerous types of eczema – ten of them, to be exact. And no single cream can effectively relieve the symptoms associated with these ten types of eczema. If you want to get rid of your eczema rash, you have to be able to assess your symptoms so you can make a good choice as to what topical dermatitis cream works best for you.

It may come to your attention that a topical dermatitis cream doesn’t seem like a treatment that’s appropriate for eczema. It sounds more like it belongs to a line of dermatitis treatments. But is there really a difference between dermatitis and eczema?

Our skin has three layers. The innermost layer is called the adipose which is comprised of adipose tissue which is made up of fat cells. On top of that is the dermis where the skin’s appendages can be found. Then, serving as a protective barrier against infection and water is the epidermis – the skin’s outermost layer. Just by the term dermatitis – with derma meaning “skin” and itis meaning “inflammation” or “infection” – it is easy to tell that it is a condition that can affect any or all of the skin’s three layers. Simply stated, it is the inflammation of any of the skin’s three main layers.

On the contrary, it’s hard to tell what eczema means especially since it has no root word like that of dermatitis. Although eczema is medically defined as any skin condition which involves the inflammation of the epidermal layer. In conclusion, eczema is a type of dermatitis that is limited to the skin’s protective layer and so dermatitis treatments like topical creams can therefore treat eczema. Of course, not all of these dermatitis creams work their magic on all ten types of eczema. Considerations have to be made about what type of eczema you have and what symptoms you manifest.

The common eczema rash is characterized by itching bumps on the skin. These bumps are usually red, indicating that there is inflammation underneath the skin. However, only two out of the ten types of eczema have these symptoms and these are contact dermatitis, and xerotic eczema. Contact dermatitis or eczema allergies result from exposure to allergens like food and environmental factors (animal fur, dander, pollen, and the like). Often, symptoms appear right after exposure to an allergen. Xerotic eczema is unique because it is the only one that’s triggered by the weather – particularly, the cold winter. Elderly patients with this condition are the ones who usually manifest red itchy pimples.

For red bumps that itch, topical dermatitis creams that have anti-inflammatory properties are the most appropriate. These treatments counteract the inflammatory process as soon as they are applied to the skin to be absorbed, resulting in the reduction of swelling and itchiness in the area. Basically, topical creams may or may not contain steroids. Steroidal creams are not advisable for long-term use though because they have negative effects on the body. Infants and children with eczema are also should not use these steroidal creams.

Two more types of eczema – dyshidrosis eczema and dermatitis herpetiformis – present the most unsightly symptoms. It is only with these two kinds of eczema that there is blistering. For eczema dyshidrotic, topical dermatitis creams that have steroids are not advisable. Creams that contain zinc oxide are preferred because of the relief that they provide without the disadvantages of topical steroids. Dermatitis herpetiformis, which causes chronic blistering throughout the body is practically treated with oral medicines. The same goes with autoeczematization or atrophic dermatitis, as well as with neurodermatitis in which there is a chronic recurrence of body rashes and itching.

The remaining four types of eczema which are atopic, stasis, nummular, and sebaceous dermatitis share almost the same symptoms involving the appearance of patches of dry skin. People other than the elderly who have xerotic eczema also have this symptom. Dry itching skin from these types of eczema is best treated with mild topical creams that relieve dry skin. These creams usually have moisturizers in them as well as anti-inflammatory ingredients to fight off the inflammation caused by eczema.

Charles Perkins is a dermatitis expert. For more information related to eczema and dermatitis, visit http://www.GoodbyeEczema.com

Topical cannabinoids may help to treat skin diseases

Posted on June 17, 2017 by Is Eczema Curable? So What Can Cure Eczema

From a review of existing studies, researchers say that the active chemicals in cannabis – called cannabinoids – may help to treat various skin diseases.
Eczema / Psoriasis News From Medical News Today