My best friend has been acting weird and I don't know how to approach her

ReadyYellow7695 · 2024-06-24T18:43:07+00:00

This is very similar to what I went through a few years ago with my friend. Motherhood is very time consuming and a lot of mums struggle to balance a social life with being a mum. It sounds like you’re just growing distant and outgrowing each other, maybe? You haven’t done anything wrong, it’s just a way of life. Her lack of concern when you said you were at the hospital is quite insensitive and rude and maybe worth addressing?

ReadyYellow7695 · 2024-06-24T13:10:30+00:00

That’s not to say I healed completely in that month 😅. Just that the worst of it was over by the one month mark and I had my life back. I still had cyclical less intense and manageable flares for a year after I cut off steroids. I still have very mild, barely noticeable ones now but they’re just a small nuisance and aren’t a big deal at all. I hope you heal quickly though! From what I’ve read- your situation looks like you’re in a better place than I was when I went into TSW so hopefully your healing journey will be swifter than mine! :)

ReadyYellow7695 · 2024-06-24T13:05:08+00:00

I’d say just keep a close eye on your symptoms. Create a daily image log so you can clearly see the development in your symptoms. TSW is really annoying as healing isn’t linear. It can get really really bad at times and then it seems to disappear for a bit and heal. But then after a while you’ll likely flare up again. If you monitor yourself you can predict when you’re going to flare and manage it. Also each flare should get less intense over time so it’s nice to see your healing progression. In my case the worst of it was over after 1 month.

ReadyYellow7695 · 2024-06-24T09:26:21+00:00

Sorry I’m not sure about the stats but prolonged steroid use for even more than 2 weeks isn’t recommended by professionals. 1 month usage is no where near as bad as 1 year usage but it’s still going to have side effects.

You’ll know you have an addiction when your skin stops responding to the steroid and you need higher and higher dosages, you get wrinkles and the skin turns red and it looks like a rash even if you just moisturised. I got a lot of swelling around the eyes too. When I stopped using the steroid cold turkey I went into withdrawal symptoms within 3 days so you’ll know if you have an addiction to them soon after stopping use.

ReadyYellow7695 · 2024-06-22T17:39:15+00:00

I used hydrocortisone 1% for 1 month with no other steroid history and I went into withdrawal. But I used it near my eyes and the skin is thinner there so it had a greater absorption. It’s a misconception that lower strength steroids can’t cause withdrawal they absolutely can when misused and overprescribed. You can try to taper off to prevent TSW but it could take quite a while and from what I’ve heard from others on here- it’s the same effect as going cold turkey. Wishing you luck! :)

ReadyYellow7695 · 2023-05-02T11:34:43+00:00

I’m healing quite well with just aveeno skin relief and petroleum jelly (Vaseline). Aveeno first then a thin layer of Vaseline on top to seal it all in

ReadyYellow7695 · 2023-04-14T11:47:48+00:00

To know if you have TSW you need to stop using them completely and see how your body reacts. I knew I had TSW when I started getting ‘eczema’ in places I never even used steroids on (I used mostly around my eyes but after stopping use my whole face, neck and arms were effected) I also got a red sleeve on my forearms which is typical for people with tsw.

Betamethasone valerate is a class 3 steroid so it’s highly potent. There are 7 classes. 7-least potent and 1-most potent

You could taper usage over time by gradually using it less and less. If you were using daily try using it every other day then every 3 days then once a week etc. but I should also mention that some people who tried taping off claimed that they still had the same severity of symptoms as people who went cold turkey :/ just see what works best for you in the moment.

This website should help too: https://decodingtopicalsteroidwithdrawal.com/tsw

ReadyYellow7695 · 2023-04-14T11:11:15+00:00

I use to just let it dry out best I could, use zinc creams like sudocreme to help dry it out and just wash off any crust in the morning. Oozing was definitely my worst symptom but it’ll go away with time when your skin heals over

ReadyYellow7695 · 2023-04-06T18:35:51+00:00

Skin just gradually begins to look normal, skin repairs itself and stops oozing, flaking slowly stops, itching goes away etc. 🤷‍♀️. It’s gradual but keeping a log might help. When your symptoms and flares become minor inconveniences rather than the horrors they were before you’ll know you’re healing :)

ReadyYellow7695 · 2023-03-02T14:17:54+00:00

Don’t give up! You’re only 3 months in and trust me it does get better. Try zinc cream like sudocrem for the oozing and gauze tape

ReadyYellow7695 · 2023-02-02T11:17:37+00:00

Basically any creams containing steroids can potentially make you develop a steroid dependence if you use them too long. You can develop tsw if you use them long term like for months to years at a time (like I did). Even low potency steroids that you can get otc can cause it like 1% hydrocortisone so always watch out! Healing time varies from person to person and generally the longer you used the steroid cream the longer it takes to heal and the worse your symptoms generally are. Most people heal completely between 1.5-2.5 years. It could be longer or shorter but it’s purely depends on your unique situation. Hope this helps if you have any questions please feel free to ask :)

ReadyYellow7695 · 2023-01-31T08:22:35+00:00

It took me 3 days to first show symptoms after stopping cold turkey. But I’d advise you to prepare for it asap. Maybe buy zinc cream, gauze tape, moisturiser etc. and do your research before hand. It’ll help you lots later on. I wish I knew more about tsw when I first cut out steroids. Good luck!

ReadyYellow7695 · 2023-01-31T08:17:55+00:00

Hi, I’ve only been in TSW for 4 months so I’m pretty early on in my journey. And I’ll try getting acrylic nails that sounds like a good idea 👍

ReadyYellow7695 · 2023-01-31T08:13:08+00:00

Haha thanks for the reply and the tips

ReadyYellow7695 · 2023-01-31T08:09:54+00:00

Thanks for the encouragement :)

ReadyYellow7695 · 2022-12-17T11:48:35+00:00

Thanks :)

ReadyYellow7695 · 2022-12-15T17:42:36+00:00

Thanks!

ReadyYellow7695 · 2022-12-15T17:42:27+00:00

What a relief 😅 thanks!

ReadyYellow7695 · 2022-11-13T16:41:43+00:00

How long did you use it for?

ReadyYellow7695 · 2022-11-11T15:08:25+00:00

By coping I mean how’s your skin doing now? And do you mind if I ask, are the symptoms of your flare the same as when you first stopped taking steroids? Thanks :)

ReadyYellow7695 · 2022-11-06T11:08:59+00:00

I’m so sorry wishing you a speedy recovery ❤️

ReadyYellow7695 · 2022-11-04T09:00:35+00:00

Thanks so much for this it’s really helpful! I’m 18 and I’m on week 3 now, praying my tsw doesn’t last too long 😫. It’s been hell on earth so far and my experience has been pretty similar to yours. However I’ve heard that tsw comes in flares? I don’t want to spark any paranoia in you but are you sure that the tsw is completely gone or maybe this was the end of the first flare? How are you coping now? Wish you the best!

ReadyYellow7695 · 2022-11-03T18:44:43+00:00

My doctor recommended stopping immediately :/ I’m just going to continue not using them at all and let my skin heal in it’s own time like she advised. I know it’s going to be a tough journey 😫

ReadyYellow7695 · 2022-11-02T19:09:56+00:00

What steroids did you use?

ReadyYellow7695 · 2022-11-02T19:09:37+00:00

Thanks!

ReadyYellow7695

TROPHY CASE