TSW (Topical Steroid Withdrawal)

[littlestar17]

Hi everyone,

I read this thread a couple of weeks ago and I thought I would share my story as a contribution to the community. I was diagnosed with psoriasis about 4 years ago, and was prescribed Dermol. At first my psoriasis was restricted to a small area on my wrist - a spot of skin aggaravated by a watch strap. Within a a couple of years my psoriasis spread to other areas - my elbows, ankles, and my scalp. I tried different treatments but Dermol seemed to be the most effective. 

Then a couple of years ago I started to get rashes flaring up around my eyes which I thought was just another psoriasis breakout. I started to apply Dermol around my eyes (against the label advice), and this seemed to manage okay.

A few weeks ago I was doing some reading on the web And stumbled on this forum, and this thread. I realised that there was a possibility the relentless spread of psoriasis to other parts of my body, and the constant rash around my eyes may in fact be partly due to my topical steroid addiction and that I had all the symptoms for Red Skin Syndrome. 

I decided then to go cold turkey and stop using topical steroids altogether. The first ten days were dramatic. My psoriasis didn't flare up too much - but the skin around my eyes became intensely red, itchy, and burning. At first I used coconut oil, but then changed over to a moisturising cream.

Now, just over two weeks later the red, itchy burning skin around my eyes has almost totally cleared up. For the first time in several years I am not using topical steroids, and I am not suffering from Red Skin Syndrome. My psoriasis is still a thing (of course) but I am so pleased to have put the topical steroid addiction past me. I hope this post helps to anyone else out there suffering similar symptoms. 

All the best,

A.

Hi, how much did you use? was it just on your eyes? i have been using steroids like betnovate and hydrocortisone for 15 years but only recently in the last 6 months started using them on my face. I am now going through TSW and going through hell and its only been 1 week. I had swollen and a red face which no longer burns but peels lots. Its difficult to know how far along i am, but did anyone else have the same? how long did it take before the redness/peeling stopped?