‘Pure hell': Eczema sufferer's battle with steroid cream
Most common in children and adolescents, eczema advocates have in recent years increased calls for a national strategy to deal with the condition, which according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics affects 1.6 per cent of all Australians.
Eczema Support Australia claims that puts it in the top 10 chronic conditions, affecting 2.8 million people.
The condition not only impacts people's skin, but adult sufferers are three times more likely to experience depression and one in five report they've contemplated suicide.
Once the mainstay of eczema treatment, steroid creams can lead to a severe and often debilitating condition called topical steroid withdrawal for some people.
For Tyrah Spencer, who was born with eczema, her skin flared up in 2020 when her body suddenly stopped responding to the steroid creams she had depended on for most of her life.
The 24-year-old said it felt like there was 'no light at the end of the tunnel' when her skin worsened. Tyrah Spencer's skin when the topical steroids she used were no longer working for her eczema. Credit: Supplied Tyrah Spencer's skin when the topical steroids she used were no longer working for her eczema. Credit: Supplied
'Over time, I kept being prescribed stronger steroids. I would have to do these horrible wet wraps where you would put steroid creams on, then put a layer of Dermeze on and then cover myself like a mummy, head to toe in hot bandages,' she said.
'It was eight months of pure hell every single day. My skin would shed top to bottom, I would wake up and my eyes were almost completely closed because they were that swollen.
'I'm a very confident, extroverted person but I completely lost sense of who I was during that experience.'
The only relief came when her dermatologist prescribed Cyclosporin, a short-term immunosuppressant, and later Dupixent, an injectable biologic medication.
She now takes the medication Rinvoq to calm her eczema.
Ms Spencer said she was happy to take medications to ease her symptoms but called for dermatologists and doctors to take a more holistic approach to healing the painful condition.
'My experience wasn't acknowledged. It was just like this medicine is not working let's give you another one and really not addressing the root cause,' she said.
'I would love my dermatologist to take a more holistic approach to my well-being.
'If I'm going to be a regular customer I want to know how to heal rather than just put a bandaid over it.'
Melody Livingstone, Australian skin care brand MooGoo chief executive, said topical steroid withdrawal was increasingly being discussed among her customers.
'Sufferers say symptoms include redness, itching, flaking and dryness that just won't seem to go away, even when using the topical steroids,' she said.
'They tell us it can be frustrating, debilitating and disheartening for those experiencing it, as the symptoms can sometimes be even worse than the eczema itself.' Ms Spencer said she was happy to take medications to ease her symptoms but called for dermatologists and doctors to take a more holistic approach to healing the painful condition. Credit: Ross Swanborough / The West Australian
Calls for more doctors to be aware of topical steroid withdrawal comes off the back of a recent report revealing more than 88 per cent of UK dermatologists agree withdrawal needs urgent study.
But Australian dermatology and doctors groups have urged that topical steroid withdrawal was a very rare reaction and patients suffering from eczema should not be scared to try topical steroids.
Dermatologist and Fellow of the Australasian College of Dermatologists Li Chuen Wong said topical steroids were still an effective mainstay treatment for most people with eczema.
'Steroid creams are safe and effective when used until the eczema has resolved, and re-started when there is a flare,' she said.
'If however your condition is severe and not improving with just topical treatments, discuss this with your dermatologist as there are a range of treatments available that are customised to the patient.'
Lifeline: 13 11 14
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
9 News
10 minutes ago
- 9 News
More Aussies are becoming solo mums by choice. Claire had no other option
Your web browser is no longer supported. To improve your experience update it here Single mothers now they make up more than 12 per cent of the nation's families. A growing number are solo mums by choice, like Claire Steinke, who decided to have children on her own after being diagnosed with cancer at 29. But 20 years after welcoming her first, there's still a lack of transparency around assisted reproductive technology (ART) options and the lived experience of solo motherhood. Claire Steinke decided to have children on her own after being diagnosed with cancer at 29. (Supplied/Claire Steinke) "I always found it so secretive," Steinke told "There are so many options, so many different treatments ... different procedures, different tests, all those sorts of things, but I feel like it's not openly shared." And she's concern it could be holding some women back. There were were almost 1 million single mother families in Australia in June 2024 according to the ABS, up from 864,000 in 2021. It's unclear how many are solo mums by choice. ART has become more accessible to single women and they're one of the largest groups of recipient parents at clinics across the country. More than 700 single women underwent IVF in Victoria in 2022 alone. Australians are also marrying less and later – the marriage rate is down and the average age of an Aussie bride has risen from 21 in 1975 to 30 in 2023 – prompting some women to embark on motherhood before marriage. Being a single mum has become more socially acceptable, making space for women who want to have kids without any intention of ever 'settling down'. And some women, like Stienke, find that solo motherhood may be their only choice. Steinke was diagnosed with endometrial cancer when she was 29 and single. She'd gone to her GP suspecting ovarian cysts but a laparoscopy revealed cancer in her uterus. "My biggest fear was that I wouldn't be able to have children," Steinke said. "Having that diagnosis in particular, right the place where you have your babies, it was my biggest fear coming true." Initially, doctors suggested a hysterectomy but Steinke opted for nine months of hormone therapy instead, hoping to preserve her fertility. At 29, Steinke was told she had endometrial cancer and her fertility was at risk. (Supplied/Claire Steinke) Giving up her dream of being a mum was not an option so during cancer treatment, she researched her options to have a child solo. Unwilling to date solely to find a father for potential children, she pursued intrauterine insemination (IUI), a procedure in which donor sperm is placed directly into the uterus around the time of ovulation in the hopes of a pregnancy. Doctors warned she had less than 20 per cent chance of getting pregnant but she started trying as soon as treatment ended. Steinke fell pregnant on her third round of IUI and welcomed her son prematurely just 26 weeks later. He spent the first weeks of his life in the NICU and Steinke broke down a few weeks into it. Steinke admits her pregnancy was often lonely and it was hard not having someone to share it with, especially when her son was in NICU. "All of that emotion had caught up with me after 18 months of stress from a cancer diagnosis, cancer treatment, fertility treatment, horrible pregnancy, and a premature baby," Steinke said. "I'd been holding all this emotion in and just putting one foot in front of the other to keep going, and it just hit me." Steinke admits her pregnancy was often lonely, especially when her son was in NICU. (Supplied/Claire Steinke) But she wouldn't change her decision to have a child solo. In fact, she did it again five years later and welcomed a daughter through IUI. Her children have brought her so much joy and she can't imagine her life without them. But solo motherhood is not without its challenges, though data on their specific experiences are limited. A Council of Single Mothers and their Children (CSMC) survey found that 87 per cent of single mothers are concerned about their long-term financial circumstances. Housing prices and insecurity are significant challenges and respondents experienced homelessness and marginal housing at almost four times the national average. The latest annual Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia ( HILDA ) survey also revealed that poor mental health among single mothers has risen from 22 per cent in 2011 to 38 per cent in 2022, compared to 18 per cent for partnered mothers in 2022. "Sometimes it would be really good to sit down and talk to someone who's got the same level of vested interest as you do and make a joint [parenting] decision, but I had to do those things on my own," she said. Five years after having her son via IUI, Steinke welcomed a baby girl using the same donor sperm. (Supplied/Claire Steinke) Becoming a solo mum has changed a lot since Steinke had her kids, who are now 20 and 15. ART is more accessible for single women, society has become more accepting of solo motherhood, and online communities have helped solo mums connect. And Steinke herself shares her story with other women through her maternity and breastfeeding business, Soul Mothers . Becoming a solo mum has changed a lot since Steinke had her kids, who are now 20 and 15. (Supplied/Claire Steinke) But there are still barriers she said need addressing. Single women deserve more comprehensive information about ART, including IUI, as well as opportunities to speak honestly about their lived experiences without fear of backlash or discrimination. "It's not someone else's decision to make, some pen pusher in an office saying, 'no, just because you're a single you can't have it,' or some religious person going, 'it's not what god wanted,'" she said. "I would have been gutted to not be able to have children." national parenting family mums fertility CONTACT US
Sydney Morning Herald
2 hours ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
Seven in 10 new NDIS participants have autism
Seven in 10 people who joined the National Disability Insurance Scheme in the past year had a primary diagnosis of autism, and most were children, in a fresh sign of the challenges facing Health and Disability Minister Mark Butler as he seeks to secure the future of the $46 billion scheme. An analysis of government data by this masthead reveals that 56,000 of the 78,600 participants who signed up to the NDIS between June 2024 and June 2025 had autism as their main diagnosis. It brings the total number of people using the NDIS for autism support to 295,000 – about 40 per cent of the scheme's 740,000 participants. The next most common reason that participants joined the NDIS last financial year was for developmental delays, with 5500 being children. At the same time, there were 4405 new participants with intellectual disability, 1618 people with hearing impairment, 1077 people with multiple sclerosis, 870 people with acquired brain injuries and 829 who joined after suffering strokes. As Butler prepares to give a national address on the future of the NDIS on Wednesday – his first speech since taking over the portfolio in May – the figures are a stark indication of how a scheme designed to support Australians with the most profound lifelong disabilities has become a de facto support system for struggling children. Families' reliance on the NDIS for early intervention is a key reason the scheme is on track to become the federal government's third-biggest budget item. It grew by more than 10 per cent last year, even as the government clamped down on spending and delivered the program at $520 million less than forecast. Loading The chief executive of Autism Awareness Australia, Nicole Rogerson, said the Albanese government needed to make difficult decisions when it came to NDIS eligibility, or else 'the Australian people are going to start losing faith in this system'. 'We have a number of Australian children who are not thriving. Their parents have concerns about their development, and those kids need support. Was the NDIS designed to support those children? No, it wasn't. But you can't blame their families for seeking an autism diagnosis that gets them the support they think they need,' she said. 'We are encouraging the government to make brave choices here, and show leadership ... [They are] going to have to tighten the criteria.
Perth Now
2 hours ago
- Perth Now
How much the tooth fairy is paying Aussie kids
New survey reveals concerning dental hygiene habits among Australian children, with low rates of daily brushing and flossing. Times are tight but the tooth fairy is forking out big. Aussie kids peering under the pillow are finding an average of $6.20 for every lost tooth, a new survey has revealed. WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Australian children failing to maintain proper dental hygiene. That figure is well up on 25 years ago when the going rate per lost chomper was just $2. While most will receive $5, some children are scoring as much as $50 for a single baby tooth, the Australian Dental Association (ADA) found. The lowest amount given was 50 cents. The tooth fairy is most generous in the ACT, where kids score $7.90. At the other end of the scale, in the NT, children are given an average of $5.05. The transactions stack up, with more than two million Australians in the 'tooth losing stage' visited in 2022 alone, according to the Bureau of Statistics. Research out of the US shows kids there receive about $7.69 for every milk tooth, a decline of more than a dollar from the same time last year. Children in the UK get an average of $8.74, with some receiving more than $20, according to one study. The tooth fairy's 'going rate', and how much children should receive, has been a source of debate for Australian parents. '(In) my house, $2, and $5 if the tooth fairy is out of gold coins. But have heard some fairies pay up to $20-$50 per tooth,' said one parent on social platform Reddit, prompting a reply that the latter amount is 'unhinged'. Another said 'a rich friend in my circle ruined the market for us' by offering her kids 50 bucks. 'We only do 10 (dollars) per tooth. But more than once my daughter asked 'how come Madison gets 50?'. I replied 'her tooth must've been cleaner than yours',' they said. 'Win-win?' A third parent said it is $5 for the first tooth, together with a note from the tooth fairy saying that the additional 'thank you' payment was to cover the cost of setting up an account which catalogues every lost gnasher. 'It also said all other teeth would be a standard $2 cost,' they said. Forty-three per cent of parents regularly struggle to get kids to clean their teeth. Credit: Astrakan Images / Getty Images The ADA's survey of 25,000 Australians also revealed how more than four in 10 parents are struggling to get their kids to clean their teeth. One if four entertain their children or brush with them, while 21 per cent offer a reward to keep them enthused. Twenty per cent of parents threaten to remove privileges, and the same amount turns to discipline to get their kids to pick up a brush. Nine per cent admitted they just 'gave up'. Parents should be helping children brush from the moment their first tooth breaks through the gum until they are about six years' old. While most kids remain in the bathroom to brush and floss, some roam around the house. 'This presents a choking hazard with young children and they won't be getting the job done properly without a mirror or adult assistance,' ADA oral health promoter Monica Farrelly said. 'Keep the bathroom as the only place kids do the brushing and flossing — and perhaps offer rewards for staying put.' Not cleaning properly can have serious health impacts. Farrelly told that one of her four-year-old patients had been drinking milk before bed and was comforted in the middle of the night if she woke up with another drink and a biscuit. She was not brushing afterwards and has now been left with serious decay that will require treatment, including fillings and potentially extractions. Former ADA president Stephen Liew previously revealed he was forced to remove all 20 teeth from the heavily infected mouth of a two-year-old girl bottle-fed cola from birth. The ADA recommends Australians choose a toothbrush with soft bristles, because medium and hard options are abrasive and can damage the teeth and gums. 'Most people don't know that they don't need to scrub — it's just gentle pressure in circular motions that flicks out the plaque and gets the toothpaste onto the teeth,' Farrelly told 'We don't recommend washing your mouth out with water once you've finished, to keep that fluoride on the teeth.' People should brush for a full two minutes, morning and night. Farrelly said it was down to personal preference if you floss before or after brushing, and whether it is done at night before bed or in the morning, if you are only doing it once a day. 'The most important thing is (brushing and flossing) in front of a mirror to make sure you're doing it correctly and covering all the gums and teeth,' Farrelly said. The dentist added that scraping the tongue with a toothbrush can remove bacteria that contributes to bad breath and tooth decay.
