Hundreds of people have sought medical advice for a poorly understood but severe skin condition known as Topical Steroid Withdrawal (TSW), which affects users of corticosteroid creams. The condition, induced by the sudden cessation of these anti-inflammatory treatments, can cause intense itching, burning, and redness, often worse than the original eczema, psoriasis, or dermatitis the creams were meant to treat.
Among those affected is Bethany Norman, 36, who described screaming in pain and being hospitalised. She told the BBC she has vowed never to give corticosteroid creams to her baby son, after believing they caused her condition. 'I've been told by countless medics that all I have is a severe flare up of eczema and steroid creams will sort it. They just made it worse,' she said.
Another sufferer, Jenna Crosbie, a trainee GP in north Wales, initially struggled to understand patients who refused steroid treatment. She recalled seeing a patient in A&E with what looked like 'the most severe full-body eczema' and questioned their refusal. However, after experiencing her own skin changes, she stopped using the creams and now understands the condition.
Dr Dean Eggit, a Doncaster GP, warned that early TSW can resemble the original eczema rash, leading GPs to continue prescribing creams that may be causing the problem. 'Unfortunately the beginnings of TSW can look like the original eczema rash in the first place,' he said.
Bethany said she saw up to 30 different doctors, none of whom believed her when she said the creams had stopped working. 'I was being prescribed the strongest potency, I was rubbing it on the affected areas but within minutes the inflammation was back,' she added. TSW is now acknowledged as a real condition, with experts urging caution in corticosteroid prescribing.
