A mum has revealed her harrowing battle with steroid withdrawal and eczema which almost made her call off her wedding day due to “yellow and oozing” skin.
When Emily Beatty began noticing dry, itchy skin around her eyes, top lip and neck during her second pregnancy, she assumed it was a common side effect.
But the 34-year-old, from Manchester, was left dealing with a life-altering ordeal that has caused her to become “unrecognisable” to her kids.
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The mum-of-two, who is suffering from topical steroid withdrawal (TSW), a type of skin inflammation, is sharing her harrowing journey in a bid to warn others suffering with eczema about the impact these types of medications can have.
And while it was touch-and-go for her wedding day in August 2022, she luckily found a solution that made her vows possible and gave her a “normal life” back.
“The pain and discomfort was unbearable,” Emily, a midwife, told Need To Know.
“I just couldn’t cope anymore, as the skin around my eyes was sore, wrinkly and panda-like.
“The eczema, and later TSW, had consumed my face, neck, chest and arms – and my entire body at one stage.
“I looked and felt sunburnt.
“Yellow liquid oozed from my body and would then dry on the skin creating a yellow crust – it was vile.
“I didn’t want to marry my husband in this condition and while he reassured me that it didn’t matter what I looked like, to me, it meant everything.
“I wouldn’t have been able to wear my wedding dress through the discomfort it would cause [either].”
Emily, who was rapidly losing her hair, came across cyclosporine, an immunosuppressant that can be used temporarily to reduce inflammation.
She said: “I couldn’t believe it, my skin was completely clear.
“With just 13 days until we were due to fly to Cyprus for our wedding, we were finally able to tell all our guests that it was absolutely going to happen.
“I understand that it’s not a long-term fix and may be seen as simply putting a plaster over the issues – but when you have a family, a mortgage, a job and you’re feeling at your lowest, you sometimes have no choice.
“I have zero regrets and I can honestly say our wedding day was the best day of my life.”
Emily, who began using steroid creams to help treat her condition in 2020, recalls finding out about TSW after searching for an answer to flare-ups after she stopped using treatment.
While she knew ceasing use completely was going to be tough, she was prepared to try anything in a bid to get better.
The mum of Martha, eight and Bodhi, three, said: “I knew that my body would have to get worse before it could get better – but nothing could have prepared me for the months of suffering I was about to endure.
“One month into withdrawal I was unrecognisable.
“I could not regulate my temperature at all and was cold all the time.
“I would often put the hair dryer on under the duvet until it would overheat to seek warmth.
“Two months in, I had to get pain relief from my GP because I was suffering so terribly with nerve pain.
“The steroid cream had damaged my nerves, and as they began to heal, I started experiencing ‘zappers’— almost like an electric shock through my body.
“I became bed bound, unable to care for my kids and unable to dress due to the discomfort clothes caused me.
“I was supposed to be enjoying my maternity leave, but instead I was trapped in a hellish nightmare.
“I would spend up to seven hours a night awake, pacing the bedroom, showering, having baths, anything I could do to find relief.
“I missed out on so much time with my children and had to cease breastfeeding my son.
While she still suffers regular, “debilitating” flare-ups, her skin has improved and she’s had the unwavering support of her husband, Stephen, 37.
She added: “I am so proud of myself for getting this far.
“I often look back on pictures of some of my worst days and wonder how on earth I got through it.
“Although I am still battling TSW, I am stronger than ever and know that I can continue to beat it because I have the most amazing support network of family and friends.
“Most of all, I have two beautiful children and an amazing husband who has given me every reason to live.
“This condition is not recognised enough in the medical world, and as a health professional myself, I find this a bitter pill to swallow.
“I don’t deny the use of steroids is needed in some instances, but I do believe more research needs to be done into the use and long-term effects of topical steroids.
“I know that more people are becoming aware of its dangers, but there is still a long way to go in terms of raising awareness.”
