In January this year, Sharon Shute, 55, from Essex in the UK, went to the doctor with symptoms of a urinary tract infection.
When she was on her way to pick up the prescription at the pharmacy, she also asked the pharmacist if they had anything that could help treat the 55-year-old woman’s rash on her neck and back, the British newspaper wrote. The Independent.
Schott explains that she recommended over-the-counter hydrocortisone cream.
It got worse
But the rash did not go away, but became worse. In March, Schott went to the doctor, where she was given a stronger cortisone cream to apply to her eyelids, neck and chest.
The new cream did not help either, and the rash continued to spread, according to the Briton.
In April, the 55-year-old received a new ointment to use on the rest of his body. She must also have been prescribed cortisone tablets.
The British newspaper wrote that when Schott tried to reduce the dose, everything became worse.
– My hands and feet turned purple and swollen. My ears were completely blocked, and there were days when I couldn’t hear anything. I struggled with sleep and could stay awake for several nights. My skin itched,” she told news agency South West News Service (SWNS).
Topical steroid withdrawal
She explained that in July, the situation became so bad that the 55-year-old had to be hospitalized.
-The skin was so dry and tight that I could barely move my head. The Briton says: My eyes became so dry that I found it difficult to blink.
Sharon Schott was found to be suffering from topical steroid withdrawal (TSW), which translates in Norwegian as topical steroid withdrawal.
Found the secret of the previous owner
TSW according to the British National Eczema Association It is a condition that can be used in combination with topical steroids to treat a skin problem, for example eczema.
A cortisone reaction can in some cases lead to a rash that is more serious and painful than the original eczema.
– I felt as if my body was burning. “I was at my worst when I smiled at a baby in the hospital, but the baby turned away because of my face,” says Schott, who also lost his hair.
He was dependent on cortisone cream
If you have used steroids for several weeks or months, the amount of medication should be reduced slightly over weeks to months. If you start getting close to the time when you should stop completely, your doctor can do a blood test to make sure the body has started producing its own steroid, he writes. Norwegian health informatics (National Institute of Health).
– change my life
Shute now wants to warn others against using cortisone creams and tablets.
-If I had never used cortisone, the original rash would probably have gone away long ago. “This has changed my whole life,” she says.
Andrea, 32, got ‘elephant skin’ from the cream
The disease has greatly affected the 55-year-old’s daily life. Now she is struggling physically, mentally and financially.
Schott had to quit his job as a kindergarten teacher and now lives on sick pay. You get £109 a week, which is equivalent to NOK 1,455 at today’s exchange rate.
warning
She is now worried about losing her sick pay, as her nursery contract expires in October.
– It’s hard for me to see a future where I don’t feel sick, to be completely honest. But I’m hopeful that my new drug, methotrexate, will improve the condition I’m in now, says Schott.
Methotrexate according to Common catalog Tablets used to treat active rheumatoid arthritis (chronic inflammation of the body’s connective tissues) in adults or in cases of chronic, widespread psoriasis where other treatments have not worked.
Amidst all the misery, Schott shared a warning x/twitterIt reminds of the consequences that can come after using cortisone.
-I can’t stand the thought of other adults and children getting TSW.
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