An eczema sufferer has spoken of the misery she endured after she stopped using steroid creams and developed an excruciating skin condition,
Cara Ward, 28, had been using an anti-inflammatory steroid-based medication since she was diagnosed with eczema at six months old.
But when it stopped working so she came off the medication in 2013 which caused her skin to start burning and peel at the slightest touch.
She was diagnosed with topical steroid withdrawal - also known as Red Skin Syndrome - which is a severe reaction triggered after she stopped using the creams.
It left the aspiring author covered in scales and 'shedding skin all over the house'.
Cara Ward had been using steroid creams since she was a baby and suffered a severe reaction when she stopped (left). After two years, her skin has finally returned to normal (right)
Miss Ward spent two-years in unbearable pain and suffered sleepless nights caused by the extreme itching and oozing sores.
Now the withdrawal symptoms have stopped and her eczema is under control - she finally has clear skin and can lead a normal life.
'It was awful, I couldn't believe that stopping my steroid cream would cause such an extreme reaction,' she said.
'I was shedding so much skin it was all over the house, my mum was having to clean everywhere I had been.
'It didn't seem possible that my body was capable of producing that much skin. I lost so much that the sofas were always covered and my bed looked like it was full of sand.'
Miss Ward said the burning sensation left her with a deep itch that felt like it was going right down to the bone.
She said she could not sleep for more than an hour a night and and barely left the house other than to go to the doctors or the library.
'When I went outside people used to double take when they saw me and one guy who was sitting next to me on the tube moved carriages to get away from me, at times it was pretty awful.
'I couldn't believe the steroid creams had such a strong reaction to my skin, I was given the prescriptions as a teenager and I didn't realise that my skin was becoming more immune to them.
Miss Ward suffered Topical Steroid Withdrawal - also known as Red Skin Syndrome - which is a severe reaction triggered after she stopped using the creams
The painful reaction left her with red skin and scaling, which was caused by withdrawal from steroid creams
It eventually cleared up leaving Miss Ward celebrating it that her 'skin never looked this good in my entire life'
'It's been a long journey but now I've quit steroids my skin is better than it's been.
'I have lost more than two years of my life to this condition and so now I'm trying to make up for all of that lost time.'
Miss Ward started using steroid creams when she was young but was given progressively stronger prescriptions after she was 16.
Her skin built up a resistance to the medication and had stopped getting any better by April 2013.
She researched topical steroid withdrawal online and found that her skin was getting used to the treatment.
'I had cupboards filled with steroid creams, bags and bags of the stuff doctors had given me over the years.
'My skin had become addicted to steroid creams because of the constant use my skin wasn't getting benefit from the creams.
'It was a difficult decision because I had read about the side-effects of stopping treatment and that it could years before my skin would be normal.'
Within three weeks, she started suffering unusual symptoms, which forced to quit her job as a theatre usher, due to the debilitating side-effects.
'I was then stuck in the house for nearly two years only going out for short periods of time,' she said.
'My whole body felt so tender that I could barely wear clothing, I was in constant pain and had this horrid burn sensation.
'It looked like I had swollen sunburn and the dry skin that would come off me went everywhere.'
The aspiring author is relieved after her skin cleared up after spending two years virtually housebound by the painful condition, which meant she shed a lot of skin
Miss Ward documented her painful struggle with Red Skin Syndrome, which stopped her sleeping properly and forced her to give up her job
She had researched the condition but never thought she would develop such a severe case of topical steroid withdrawal after she stopped using her eczema creams
After more than two years of agony, Miss Ward started to notice her skin clearing up in August last year.
Since then she's been able to return to work and to her normal life, claiming she's never had better skin.
'When I look in the mirror it's such a shock I finally have clear skin, it's never looked this good in my entire life.'
Joey VanDyke, president for the International Topical Steroid Network (ITSAN) said people could experience painful symptoms and become covered in a full body rash or flushing for months.
'Work, school and family life will be disrupted by extreme fatigue, itching and burning skin, and an erratic sleep schedule or insomnia.
'The problem is that topical steroid addiction may exist for months to years while being called 'eczema' when in truth the drug itself induced the skin condition and you may not know you're in trouble until you stop the medication.'
Dr. Mototsugu Fukaya, dermatological specialist, said: 'Topical steroid addiction occurs after long continuous use and the symptoms of TSA resemble the flare of original dermatisis.
'There are good and bad aspects in topical steroids, one of the latter is topical steroid addiction which can lead to these symptoms.'
NHS England said they were unable to comment but encouraged anybody with concerns about their medications to contact their GP or pharmacist.
WHAT IS RED SKIN SYNDROME?
RSS is characterised by red, itchy, burning skin that can appear after ceasing topical steroid treatments, or even between treatments
RSS or Red Skin Syndrome, also known as Topical Steroid Addiction (TSA) or Topical Steroid Withdrawal (TSW), is a debilitating condition that can arise from the use of topical steroids to treat a skin problem, such as eczema.
RSS can also arise from topical steroid use in individuals with no prior skin condition - such as with cosmetic use for skin bleaching or to treat acne, or in the case of caregivers who neglect to wash their hands after applying topical steroids on someone else.
Topical steroids are also called topical corticosteroids, glucocorticosteroids, and cortisone.
They come in many different preparations including creams, ointments, oils, gels, and lotions. Some are sold over-the-counter; others require a doctor's prescription.
RSS is characterised by red, itchy, burning skin that can appear after ceasing topical steroid treatments, or even between treatments.
In RSS, topical steroids are effective for a period of time to treat the skin condition.
As time passes, however, applying topical steroids results in less and less clearing. The original problem escalates as it spreads to other areas of the body. In the case of eczema, this 'progression' is often mistaken for worsening eczema.
RSS is an iatrogenic condition, which means it is a condition caused inadvertently by a medical treatment.
Not everyone who uses topical steroids will develop RSS. It is unclear why some individuals experience RSS secondary to topical steroid therapy and why others do not.
Source: itsan.org
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