To warn you about steroid cream?

[Chancewouldbeafinethlng]

I use steroid cream quite often for eczema flare ups etc, I had no idea your skin could suffer from withdrawal of it!
Here is an idea of what can happen if you consistently use steroid cream and then stop. This is called TSW.

I just wanted to put it out there as tbh I have never ever been told not to consistently use the creams. Doctors have always just prescribed it and assumed I know how to use.

PP who mentioned using it on eyelids, please please do not do this, it is potentially very dangerous. I speak from first hand experience of my DS suffering severe eczema on his face including eyelids. GP refused to refer us and prescribed strong steroid cream for his eyelids. I felt uneasy and paid for a private appointment with Dr Helen Cox at her Harley Street clinic, she's a leading specialist in children's eczema an allergies - she was horrified that GP had done this. Wrote it up in her notes how damaging this could be to the eyes. She put DS on a routine of emollients and steroids, decreasing in strength, then onto Protopic which is not a steroid, his skin cleared up in a matter of weeks. You really need someone who knows what they are talking about.

It's rare though. Dr and pharmacist should have told you about usage plus it will be in the pt leaflet.

I've used steroid cream on my eyelids, GP did give me lots of warnings about how careful I needed to be.

I've used steroid cream for two decades - always warned to use it sparingly and never on the face (I did but only when absolutely necessary).

@hullaballoonie I've just googled the specialist you refer to. Would you be willing to share how much her consultations and treatment costs? By pm if need be. I understand if you'd rather not.

I've used steroid ointment ( mostly betnovate,and hydrocortisone on my face) my entire life - less now because to a certain extent I've grown out of the eczema,but I can't control it fully without steroids.It will just gradually worsen and spread.I've spent the last 6 months trying to control an outbreak ( stress related ) on my face,and it was only when I finally saw the dermatologist and he advised regular use of the small amounts of ointment I was using that I got it sorted.And now I'm ok without again.But using for the 7 days only which I'd tried to do didn't work,I had to keep on using it until it had settled and restart the minute it started to flare again.
There are risks,we should know about them but they have their place.

Sorry but to my knowledge it is always on the leaflet inside the box with the cream/ointment. The Dr should definitely make you aware but we all should read those leaflets before starting any meds too. They are very potent medications. I hope you’re not experiencing too severe effects as in the picture

Steroids in any form - creams or medications - have side effects and are only ever meant for short term use to get on top of a flare up of whatever condition they are being used for. I've never known a doctor prescribe them without pointing out the issues, or a pharmacist either.

I was given it by the doctor for ds1 when he was a baby (3 months or so) and he had eczema on his face. Oy my mum warned me not to use it for to long as it could be dangerous and thins the skin? I was terrified to put it on his little face after that. I think I used it for a few days and couldn't take the worry anymore. It did clear it up but I didn't know it could to that!

And you are sharing an image of a woman with very bad and painful looking skin. Why have you done this? Don't you realise that the woman in that photo is a real person. She may share this with her instagram followers but it's not up to you to take her photo to a wider audience

@Absolutepowercorrupts the lady in question has asked people to share her story in order to raise awareness of TSW.

A physician who was my preceptor used to tell patients to use a steroid for I think it was 5 days (maybe 7), twice a day, then STOP. Steroids can thin the skin, making it more prone to breaking down. I suspect that may be part of TSW.

People can withdraw from systemic steroids, too. Basically what happens is that your body senses that you're getting steroid hormones from an outside source, so it shuts down your own steroid hormone production. It can take some time to turn the system back on when you go off steroids. This is why people on high-dose steroids are usually tapered off them rather than going cold turkey. It's also why high-dose steroids are sometimes prescribed to be taken every other day - this gives the body a day to produce it's own steroids to reduce the risk of a sudden withdrawal. If you have someone on high-dose systemic steroids and then go cold turkey, their blood sugar will drop, their sodium and water levels will drop, and their potassium will go sky-high. They can literally be dead within a week.

Interestingly, I read some time ago that they have now developed a somewhat standardized measurement for steroid creams. It's called a fingertip unit, or FTU. Basically, one FTU is defined as a thin line of cream that runs from your fingertip to the knuckle joint nearest your fingertip. I realize that people have different size hands, but there is an actual definition of how much surface area one FTU is supposed to cover. Consequently, a provider can determine how many FTUs are required to cover a given area of eczema.

I was prescribed steroid cream a few times and save from an occasional use, it's reading online that warned me of withdrawals!

@GrassIsntGreener We went several years ago and off the top of my head I can't remember her fees, I will dig out the paperwork later and see if I can find it. I would thoroughly recommend her if you can get to see her, she ended years of misery for DS where GPs had been unable to help us. She took one look at DS and said we can definitely get this sorted with the right combination of creams. I could have kissed her!

I’ve been advised by more than one doctor in dermatology that it’s safe to use hydrocortisone regularly, and that the main side effect is that my skin may be a bit more delicate when I’m a very old lady. This post is alarming as steroid cream is the only thing that settles my eczema down.

Yep this is a known side effect of any steroid. Its why reading the leaflet in the box is so important

Emilizz34

My dh and dd both use Elocon cream for eczema on either their hands or legs . Anytime , the prescription is collected , the pharmacist comes out to discuss the precautions . They only use it occasionally and potent ones like these can’t be used on the face.

We were prescribed elocon for mosquito bites. No guidance given by either the doctor or the pharmacist (we are overseas but the doctor does speak English). :( I researched it when we got home and labelled it up - we have lots of different itching creams! Is 0.1% quite strong? What do your DH and DD use?

I used hydrocortisone lots on DS2 as a child. I can’t remember any strong warnings.

Does withdrawal from steroid asthma inhalers cause problems? If DS2 misses a dose he seems to be worse for days.

my son has been having eczema till recently and we have been using steroid creams and all sort of chemical creams. it never had any effect. Then I decided to stop using all the chemicals once and for all and instead tried to focus in healing his eczema from within. It is not a quick process ,we started in Octbober 2018, but now there is a huge improvement and that is all without any single application of steroid cream (they are horrible and should never be used). I even put together some tips as I wanted to our experience battling with my sons eczema ,hoping that it will help all the other people who are also suffering from this condition. Its all about eliminating irritants and having a correct skincare and bathing routine with all the natural products along the way !!!
please do watch my video and hope it will help you :

www.youtube.com/watch?v=NrTY2A0Vi6M&t=114s

I used hydrocortisone cream and also steroid cream (the stronger option) for v bad eczema as a kid. Doc never told me to limit usage.

I never touch it now. They both give short term symptom relief, but in the long term you pay.

I still get eczema, but I manage it by avoiding harsh soaps and using Child's Farm moisturiser and raw coconut oil.

I'll still get a flare up if one of those dreadful people with half a bottle of perfume/aftershave on sits next to me on the bus, though. It's almost instant.