Eczema Sufferers Warn Of Withdrawal From Popular Skin Treatment

Eczema – which is an extremely uncomfortable, itchy and painful skin condition at the best of times – is being made worse in some cases by the use of the topical steroid creams that are being prescribed to help treat it.

Eczema sufferers on TikTok are sharing their tales of dealing with head-to-toe scabby, peeling and inflamed skin, after going through what's known as topical steroid withdrawal (TSW).

There's no known cure for atopic eczema at the moment, but topical steroid creams and lotions are the most commonly prescribed treatment to help with symptoms, along with emollient creams.

They’ve been used for the past 50 years to help reduce inflammation in the skin.

When a person stops using topical steroids, they might suffer a reaction as a result – which in some cases can be worse than the eczema itself.

There is growing evidence of topical steroid withdrawal reactions if they are used continually for a long time, a government report says.

The National Eczema Association says it's not yet known what amount of steroid use causes TSW, how many people have the condition and what percentage of people using topical steroids may develop it.

The government's report warns that if used continuously for prolonged periods, a withdrawal reaction may occur on stopping treatment of topical steroids with some or all of the following features:

Other symptoms can include:

It's been reported that the signs and symptoms occur within days to weeks after discontinuation of long-term topical steroid treatment.

The UK government's report says topical steroid withdrawal reactions are thought to result from prolonged, frequent, and inappropriate use of moderate to high-potency topical corticosteroids.

"To date, they have not been reported with normal use, such as treating certain skin conditions for short periods of time, or with short breaks in treatment over an extended period," it says.

In cases where people have experienced immediate reactions or reactions while using the steroids, this may be down to an allergy, it suggests.

One TikTok creator shared clips of her skin, which, even four months down the line after stopping using topical steroid treatments, looked raw and painful.

She said she felt "absolutely horrendous" and that she was bed-bound for three days prior to making the video due to how bad she felt.

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Topical steroid withdrawal isn't widely understood, and it's only recently that many people have started speaking out about living with it.

Some steps that are said to help ease the symptoms include:

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