What is Topical Steroid Withdrawal? (TSW)

Should have really posted this a long time ago to be honest. Was at a loose end the other day and decided to type up this rather simple but detailed description for the blog for you or other people who might not be entirely up to speed with what TSW actually is, or what to expect whilst going through withdrawal.

“Topical Steroid Withdrawal” or “Red Skin Syndrome” is a condition that is caused by applying corticosteroids on to areas of the body and or also, ingesting oral steroids such as Prednisolone. However, not everyone who uses the steroid creams will have an adverse reaction or get addicted. For instance, my father who had really bad eczema symptoms when he was younger, used various amounts and different strengths of TS over the years, “grew out of it” as time went on. He doesn’t require any sort of skin care regime now, as his symptoms no longer persist. This has been the case for a good number of years, thankfully & luckily for him.

From what we know already, all the evidence gathered regarding the length of withdrawal in which one can expect to go through depends on the potency, the area of skin in which the creams were applied too and the time period in which the user had applied the creams for.

The duration or time period of withdrawal is a real mystery. Sadly, as of yet, no one can predict how long it’s going to require to fully recover & be completely healed. There have been several cases in which children and adults alike have had mixed results after ceasing the usage of TS.

For example, a child aged six, who used a moderate strength of TS, applying the cream on their body (from a caregiver in this case) to such areas as behind the knees & the creases of the elbows for, let’s just say around roughly 18 months could take about three and a half years to fully recover.

Now, and adult aged 24, who used the TS creams at different potency’s ranging from low, moderate to high for over 13 years and applying it all over their body could “only” require two years to get over the finish line and be completely free from all TSW/RSS symptoms.

What I am trying to say is, you would expect that the child’s recovery duration would be a lot quicker than that of the adults, due to the age difference and the period of time that the creams were used. This oddly, as suggested isn’t always the case.

These are just some short, simple examples of the obscure nature in which TSW/RSS can be a total mind-boggling phenomenon.

Frustratingly, TSW/RSS is a condition, that at this present moment in time, is not yet fully recognized as a genuine medical condition from within the medical community, including General Practitioners and Dermatologists.

As of now, there is more and more awareness of the condition being brought to the public's attention with tools such as social media and the Internet playing a huge part  in getting the information out there.

What are the symptoms of TSW/RSS?

Some of the typical but by no means the least amount of symptoms that one could expect from entering withdrawal can include;

• Persistent itchy, red and burning skin

• Skin cycling between swelling, oozing, burning, drying and flaking

• “Red sleeves” (arms & legs become red and inflamed, sparing only the palms & soles)

• Enlarged lymph nodes

• Swelling of body parts – Edema (or Oedema)

• Changes with body temperature (feeling too hot or too cold)

• Appetite fluctuation

• Insomnia, fatigue and mood changes such as depression and anxiety
  
  
  
  
  
  

Please visit the following sites;

ITSAN (International Topical Steroid Addiction Network)

Link: https://itsan.org/

Dr. Rapaport who is also a pioneer with all things related to TSW/RSS

Link: http://www.red-skin-syndrome.com/


Facebook, Twitter and Instagram have various helpful and imformative support groups, also. Just have a search for them.

I hope this article made some sense to you and gave you a brief insight in to what someone going through TSW/RSS might be dealing with & suffering from.

All the best out there,

Gary