Day 30 More People are Learning About TSW

It feels great to have a month of steroid withdrawal under my belt, even though I am currently in my second flare, with sticky discharge on my face and red, leathery skin on my arms and legs! I got a day of complete bed rest yesterday, which helped a lot, as the withdrawal takes a huge toll on the body. In addition to the bad skin, I have very little energy and I am also having shivering episodes and sweating episodes. As a rather odd side effect, I have also noticed that my eyesight seems to have deteriorated, though I am not sure what the reasons are for this and whether it is connected to the steroid withdrawal, although I did read an interesting article by a Japanese doctor, warning that those going through withdrawal should have regular eye exams because of risk of cataracts forming.

I have been following the Google support group closely, as "the cause" seems to be gaining momentum, with a push for more publicity about topical steroid withdrawal. Countries like Japan have been aware of the bad effects of topical steroids since the mid 90's, and many other Asian countries take topical steroid addiction seriously, as women in these countries often use topical steroids to lighten the skin and then become addicted with constant use, leading to the well known symptoms of atrophy,skin thinning, pustules and prominent blood vessels on the skin surface. Consequently, these countries are way ahead of the Western world when it comes to recognising and treating topical steroid addiction, or Red Skin Syndrome.

Every day, the group seems to gain new members, as people realise that topical steroids are harming their skin. Of course, when they try to stop using steroid creams, the rebound effect is burning, painful skin, and the group can be a lifeline, encouraging patients that these symptoms are normal and will pass with time. The most important message is that this is not eczema, it is Red Skin Syndrome, which mimics dermatitis, but differs from true eczema as it burns and causes a red spongy rash that spreads to cover most of the body, whereas real eczema is usually confined to small patches in specific areas, such as behind the knees or in the elbow creases.