Topical Corticosteroids withdrawal

Vinero

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After having used topical cortisone on my skin for 18 months, I decided to go cold turkey from it.
Eczema-like rashes spread all over my body. Very red, burning, itchy, weeping skin. It is assumed that the body produces large amounts of Nitric Oxide during the topical steroid withdrawal. The topical steroids constrict blood vessels and supress inflammation but causes massive skin thinning and other problems. When you stop applying the corticosteroids, the body reacts to make the blood vessels wide open and the skin turns red, itchy and fluid leaks out of the skin.

This condition is called "red skin syndrome" or "steroid induced eczema" and affects all people who decide to stop their topical corticosteroids. More information can be found on itsan.org

Anyone have any tips to help the body and skin heal faster from the damage that cortisone does? Any specific things that reduce nitric oxide maybe?
 

charlie

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I think cascara sagrada reduces nitric oxide but I am not sure if thats only in the intestines.
 

charlie

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Vinero

Vinero

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I have tried vitamin A but it doesn't seem to help. Sunlight makes my skin too hot, very uncomfortable.
 

Tashie

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Bumping this thread, has anyone who has stopped topical steroids had success preventing severe withdrawal symptoms?
 

metamorph

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Bumping this thread, has anyone who has stopped topical steroids had success preventing severe withdrawal symptoms?
It's very difficult or perhaps impossible to prevent severe withdrawal symptoms from TSW especially if one has used potent topicals for an extended period of time. Optimizing thyroid function is likely #1 as the constant discomfort/pain that results from TSW is so stressful that it would make one hypo if they weren't already to begin with.
 

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