A mother-of-one says the cream she was prescribed to treat her eczema left her with oozing skin so painful she couldn’t even hold her infant.
Kelsie Lorenz, 31, from Canada, was rubbing the steroid cream Elocon onto her skin on and off for two decades to help treat her eczema, a condition that causes dry and itchy patches of skin.
However, not only did she continue to suffer from constant flare-ups of her eczema, eventually her skin became so irritated and thin it would start peeling whenever she put clothes on and she was left needing to bathe for hours to soothe her pain.
Ms Lorenz’s symptoms were a sign of topical steroid addiction, when withdrawal of a cream leads the skin to worsen, so she decided to stop using the treatment altogether in 2020. However, this triggered withdrawal, which left her no better off.
Now, Ms Lorenz, who says she was ‘abandoned’ by Western medicine, is using herbal remedies to ease her symptoms and has been cream-free for 1,000 days.
Kelsie Lorenz, 31, from Canada, said her skin was constantly erupting in painful flare-ups while using the Elocon cream
The above pictures show her face during a particularly bad flare-up (left) and today (right) after dropping the cream to start using herbal remedies. She is also using an antibody injection to curb inflammation
Ms Lorenz, pictured above showing a flare-up, says she wishes she had stopped using the Elocon cream sooner
Ms Lorenz, pictured above with her husband and son, said the eczema was so bad at one point she was not able to hold her child
Ms Lorenz, said: ‘I used my prescription as I was told and, as a result, I suffered.
‘I could not bathe my child, I could not do dishes, I could not go outside.
‘Physical touch was excruciating, and cuddling or carrying my son often left me in tears and itch fits.’
She added: ‘I cannot believe that I survived some days.
‘I was oozing and cracked so badly that I could not walk and would often lay in bed for a week at a time trying not to move.
‘When I was really sick people would often stare.
‘I was in so much pain that my personality shifted dramatically and that was hard on everyone. I relied on my husband and family to take care of me.
‘I also lost my menstrual cycle, had severe adrenal fatigue and epinephrine spikes and struggled with any sunlight exposure.’
Ms Lorenz was diagnosed with mild atopic dermatitis — the medical term for eczema — at an early age after doctors spotted the condition on her elbow.
She was prescribed the steroid cream in 2003 and continued to use it regularly for years to ease her symptoms.
Instructions for Elocon, however, suggest those using the cream for longer than two weeks speak to their doctor.
Ms Lorenz said after using the cream her skin became thin and her blood vessels became enlarged.
In March 2020, she said could only treat her agonizing burning and itching by soaking in the bath.
The following month she stopped using the medication — but quickly became so ill her menstrual cycle stopped while her skin became so itchy she would have to stay in bed for up to a week at a time.
About 16.5million Americans have atopic dermatitis — or eczema — with many using creams to treat the condition.
However, doctors say patients run the risk of becoming addicted to creams when they are used regularly.
Elocon works by reducing the activity of chemicals in the body that cause inflammation, and is taken as a cream, lotion, ointment or solution. It can also be used for allergic reactions and psoriasis.
When people withdraw, this causes symptoms including painful skin, flare-ups and sleepless nights, as well as dry and peeling skin.
Elocon — which is made by Merck — says on the label that healthcare providers should be asked for advice if skin does not improve after two weeks of using the cream.
DailyMail.com has contacted Merck for comment.
The above images show eczema flare-ups on Ms Lorenz’s skin. She started using the cream when she had just a mild case of the condition on her elbow
Elocon — which is made by Merck — says on the label that healthcare providers should be asked for advice if skin does not improve after two weeks of using the cream.
Ms Lorenz is pictured above with rashes that were caused by her eczema. They eased after she switched treatments
Ms Lorenz has now been off topical steroids for almost 1,000 days and has swapped them for a combination of Chinese holistic medicines and anti-inflammatory injections.
‘I felt completely abandoned by western medicine,’ Ms Lorenz said.
‘I have allergies to animal dander and environmental allergies that have had an impact on my skin since I was little.
‘Looking back I know I would be in a much better position had I been advised to remove allergens, eat more whole foods, and change household cleaning products in our home rather than being prescribed steroids.
‘My eczema was so mild that I would not have considered it a problem, and it could have easily been managed holistically.’
She is currently using Dupixent — a monoclonal antibody that helps to reduce inflammation.
She said the drug had given her facial flare-ups, but these were reducing with time and her symptoms are improving.
