#Otc corticosteroid cream skin
#Otc corticosteroid cream series

What they all shared: a condition they called topical steroid addiction.Ījdin remembers the first time she watched one of the videos, an explainer of topical steroid addiction by a dermatologist named Dr.

#Otc corticosteroid cream skin

For a while, her skin would get better, but then she’d rebound - both in terms of her eczema symptoms, and her mental health.Īfter looking around online, he began to find personal stories - documented in YouTube videos, blogs, and discussion boards - that mirrored Ajdin’s experiences. Every time she started a new course of oral prednisone, things would follow a pattern. And I guess that’s kind of what led to me thinking that I would be better off dead than having to live like that for the rest of my life.” Topical steroid addictionīut Ajdin’s dad had noticed something. “Because nobody had any idea what was going on in my mind at that time, if nobody knows what’s going on nobody can fix it. “I just didn’t see any light at the end of the tunnel,” she said. “But as soon as I got off prednisone I would rebound.”Ījdin estimates that, at her worst, she was taking prednisone almost every month.īy that time, Ajdin says her health problems had consumed her life. “The only thing that would work was prednisone,” she said. But by her early 20s, Ajdin says even the strongest topical steroids were no longer working. Over the next few years, Ajdin’s doctors prescribed stronger and stronger steroids to treat the painful, burning itch that covered her body. “It was starting to get from head to toe red and burning and really hard to describe - it’s like having acid poured on your skin.” Worst of all, her eczema went into overdrive. Shortly after losing her hair, Ajdin was also diagnosed with depression and anxiety, which led to a revolving door of psychotropic medications, each with their own side effects. Infections are listed as a side effect of both methotrexate and prednisone, thanks to their immune-suppressing functions.

#Otc corticosteroid cream series

It was the first in a series of infections that Ajdin contracted over the next few years. “My eyelid was completely swollen, it was just awful.” “I got a really bad eye infection, which necessitated me going to the emergency room,” she said. They prescribed a heavy-duty immunosuppressant called methotrexate, along with oral prednisone, a powerful steroid taken in pill form.Ījdin’s hair grew back, but she says after starting both drugs, her body started to go haywire.

“That’s when my life took a turn and I had to start living differently.” Worsening symptomsĪjdin’s doctors weren’t sure of the cause, but they finally settled on alopecia, an autoimmune disease that causes hair loss.

“I lost all of my hair suddenly,” Ajdin said. Ajdin says that’s what she did - until, at the age of 17, her health drastically changed. This leads to an immune response, which is expressed as inflammation.Ĭorticosteroids - the class of steroids that are used in topical creams, along with asthma medications, and other, stronger drugs - counter inflammation by short-circuiting the immune response.īut because of side effects, like thinning of the skin or easy bruising, they should only be used on a short-term basis. Topical steroids are among the most common treatments for eczema because of their ability to fight inflammation.Įczema is caused, in part, by an overactive immune system that perceives triggers - like stress, allergens, or fragrances - as a threat. Then it would spread somewhere else, and I’d have to go back to get steroids again to clear that up.”

“I would use steroids until it went away, and then stop them. At first, semi-regular applications were enough to deal with the recurring rash. It’s characterized by inflammation and itch, and is typically treated using a mix of over-the-counter and prescription topical creams.Ījdin’s doctor prescribed a topical steroid cream to deal with the itch. “They said it was eczema.”Įczema is a common, chronic skin condition that affects roughly 30 million Americans, including over 10 percent of children. “I had a small rash under my armpit, and my mom took me to the doctor,” Ajdin said, a dark-haired 28-year-old who lives just outside Chicago. Nina Ajdin’s battles with her skin began when she was 10.