And my continuing fight with addiction I’m an addict. There. I’ve said it. I’ve been addicted pretty much all my life. My parents got me my first hit and it was amazing. I couldn’t believe the high. Suddenly my skin was smooth, no eczema and I could enjoy life again. But over the years (probably 40+ years), it got to the point where I was so hooked I couldn’t go a week … [Read more...]
This is not eczema…
This is Topical Steroid Withdrawal!I've been wanting to write about my topical steroid withdrawal journey for some time because it's fascinating and it is improving... slowly. One step forwards, two steps back, that kind of improving. So sometimes it's infuriating but it's something I have to go through. I am now about 11-12 weeks into TSW and let's just say it's been … [Read more...]
A letter to the NHS… no more antihistamines?
This week I had a call from a lovely lady at my local doctors surgery to tell me that I would no longer be able to get anti-histamines on prescription. Why? Because I can get them over the counter. Well yes, technically, I CAN get antihistamines over the counter, but not the ones I am prescribed where I can get a box with lots in, and also stronger doses than the over the … [Read more...]
Are you addicted to Topical Steroids for your 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? 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. … [Read more...]
Topical steroid addiction and withdrawal and what it means…
I'm addicted. There, I said it. I'm an addict and it's all my fault. Well I didn't know that the drugs I was prescribed would cause any long term problems at the time but it would seem topical steroids are a ticking time bomb. At first the steroids worked but over time higher and higher doses were prescribed to keep the eczema at bay. It took years to understand the … [Read more...]