BRITS who use a common skin cream could be at risk of a life-threatening complication, experts have warned. Patients who lather on topical steroids to treat conditions like eczema and psoriasis are at risk of adrenal suppression, according to UK medicine's watchdog. The condition, also called Addison's disease , happens when the gland responsible for producing the essential hormones cortisol and aldosterone get damaged.
It can arise from "overuse of topical steroids [...
] is life-threatening" and "needs urgent treatment”, the Medicines Healthcare and Regulatory Agency (MHRA) About 10.5million tubes of topical steroids - at varying degrees of strength - are prescribed yearly to patients with different skin ailments. The new warning, published this week, comes after 267 people reported reactions similar to topical steroid withdrawal ( TSW ) over the last two years via the Government's Yellow Card Scheme.
TSW refers to a combination of symptoms that may emerge days, weeks, and months after a person stops using certain medications. Typical signs include skin redness, burning, stinging, intense itching, peeling of the skin or oozing open sore. They happen because the body becomes reliant or addicted over a long period.
Addison's disease is a rare illness affecting the adrenal glands, which produce the essential hormones cortisol and aldosterone. The disease is usually a result of problems with the immune system. It damages the gland and prevents it from producing enough of eithe.
