Maybe it’s eczema… but more urgently, it’s TSW

I treated the symptoms on my hands for YEARS with a topical steroid cream I was prescribed by a doctor in 2016 and again by a dermatologist in 2019 for atopic dermatitis and dyshydrotic eczema. I used it very sparingly , perhaps once a month when I’d get a flare up, and this year the symptoms became so bad that I used it more like 1-2x/week. I’m very much into natural health and healing, so this is the one allopathic prescription I used regularly because I couldn’t find the answers.

I thought it was just like any other topical medication that you can use sparingly and be ok.

But I was wrong. And I wish I had been properly educated on topical steroids.

I found out about Topical Steroid Withdrawal (TSW) in August when I came across a blog post about someone dealing with eczema. You can find that one here. I found it by searching #eczema on Instagram.

That post, in turn, led me to Eczema Conquerors’ Instagram .  I was so relieved to find that there was help and there were people healing from eczema. But as I learned more and more about TSW through reading their material and listening to the podcast, I realized… oh. That HAS to be what I have. It only makes sense. I had been using two different topical steroid creams on and off for 7 years. TS actually suppresses the immune system and manages the inflammation but doesn’t heal the issue. (I knew it was like a band-aid while I used it but I didn’t realize the side effects it causes).

This is after putting moisturizer on, so it doesnt look as dry as it normally is.

Once I realized this is what I most likely had, I changed perspectives a bit. The National Eczema Association’s website gave a typical Western, allopathic, band-aid approach, recommending to keep using the cream but sparingly!!! WTF!

They also said this was something you might deal with FOREVER (dun-dun-dunnnnnnnnn!!!) Cue the doom and gloom. 

That stressed me out severely for a second. But then I remembered that many of these entities don't have your best, holistic interest in mind and just want you reliant on them and the products they're funded by. I KNOW that God made the body to heal and it can heal from almost anything. 

The search for answers was to continue. In the meantime, I moisturized like crazy, trying to quell the itching and close the open micro cuts on my palms and fingers that made daily life miserable.