‘I thought I was allergic to the gym – but it was eczema cream withdrawal’

A woman is sharing her harrowing ordeal after quitting “addiction” to steroid creams – and says she initially thought it was an allergic reaction to the gym.

As a child, Grace Beeby suffered with eczema on her elbows, behind the knees and above her top lip, where she was prescribed steroid creams to treat the affected areas.

In her teens, she began using the topical treatment daily, before developing a habit of applying it every hour – if not more.

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The 32-year-old quickly realised her “addiction” and her skin in a constant cycle of being irritated with no end in sight.

She quit using them immediately, but then began suffering from intense itching and burning sensations – which Grace initially assumed was an allergic reaction to the gym.

“I was going to a new gym and they were being very careful with cleaning – so I thought I was super allergic to something there,” the physiotherapy practice manager told What’s The Jam.

“I washed my face before and after getting into the shower straight as I got home.

“I tried everything I could.

“But my skin just kept getting worse and worse.

Grace, from Christchurch, New Zealand, was diagnosed with eczema at eight-years-old.

She claims that each time a cream appeared to be working, stronger ones were then prescribed – creating a “never-ending” cycle.

While neither her mum, nor herself, had any concerns at the time, as they trusted the doctors’ advice, she continued using them for the next 22 years.

She said: “Before I went into withdrawal, I had a chapstick container filled with medication, which I’d carry around with me wherever I went.

“It was mostly my face [that was affected], but I still had a bit of eczema on my arms.

“The upper lip and eyelids were the worst.

“But then, after quitting, this only got worse and it was coupled with an intense burning.

“I remember sitting at my desk and suddenly, my face was on fire.

“I ran to the staff kitchen and straight to the freezer just to find something cold.

“Then, the super bone-deep itchiness started, that I just couldn’t scratch.

“I wanted to rip my skin apart, but I knew it wouldn’t actually do anything.”

Grace also recalls having “extreme” bouts of fatigue and grew concerned about what was happening to her body.

She then came across someone on social media talking about their experience with topical steroid withdrawal and decided to research it for herself.

The 32-year-old said: “I wanted to know why nothing was getting any better and as soon as I started reading about it, I burst into tears,

“They were happy tears, because I’d finally found an answer.”

Grace, who consulted her doctor, claims she was prescribed another type of steroid cream to help treat the symptoms.

But as she didn’t want to go around in circles again, she decided to try and deal with the ordeal naturally in July 2020.

Luckily, she found support in her husband, [not named for privacy reasons], who took care of her each step of the way, as well as her friends and family.

She also found advice and like-minded sufferers on Facebook groups.

But there’s still been a fair share of “dark” days.

Grace said: “It’s been really hard and so awful.

“I wouldn’t wish it on anyone, as it’s mentally draining and constantly on your mind.

“It’s a continuous cycle of pain and I try not to talk about it, but I’ve had people bring it up.

“Once, in the office, someone asked: ‘Are you really hot?’ because my face was bright red.

“I didn’t want to bring it into my work life, but it’s difficult when it’s so obvious.”

In a bid to ease the symptoms, she uses ice packs, salt baths and swimming in the ocean, which has helped the most.

But now, nearly four years on, it’s still a daily battle.

Currently, she’s undergoing cap treatment which aims to speed up the process – knocking off five weeks of recovery each week.

The process involves using a machine to increase the production of skin cells, causing an increase in healing rate and skin thickness, costing £87 per hour.

She hopes to raise awareness for the condition and believes that doctors should be “more educated” before prescribing steroid creams – especially for children.

She added: “I want to spread the word to people so they don’t have to go through this.

“I talk about it alot, which sometimes I find quite boring and get quite sick of.

“But I’m still suffering and more education is needed toward doctors.

“It’s not a quick fix and finding the root cause is crucial, particularly in young children.

“Most adults grow out of eczema, but it’s because of these creams that we don’t.

“Our skin becomes lazy and addicted to steroids, so the cells don’t function properly anymore.

“I like to try and think of the positives – it’s made me more understanding of others.

“But this is hell and my biggest message is to never use these creams.

“It’ll save you a lifetime of heartache.”

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