Eczema cream left a 31-year-old mom with oozing skin so painful she couldn’t even hold her child

A mother of one says the cream she was prescribed to treat her eczema left her skin oozing and hurt so much she couldn’t even hold her baby.

Kelsie Lorenz, 31, from Canada, has been rubbing Elocon steroid cream on her skin on and off for two decades to help treat her eczema, a condition that causes dry, itchy areas of the skin.

However, not only did she continue to suffer from constant flare-ups of eczema, but eventually her skin became so irritated and thin that it began to peel every time she put on clothes, and she had to bathe for hours to relieve the pain.

Ms Lorenz’s symptoms were a sign of topical steroid addiction, where withdrawal of a cream causes the skin to worsen, so she decided to stop using the treatment completely in 2020. However, this triggered withdrawal , which did not leave her in a better situation.

Now, Lorenz, who says she was “abandoned” by Western medicine, is using herbal remedies to relieve her symptoms and has been without cream for 1,000 days.

The images above show her face during a particularly bad breakout (left) and today (right) after she stopped the cream to start using herbal remedies. She is also using an antibody injection to curb inflammation.

Ms. Lorenz, pictured above showing a breakout, says she wishes she had stopped using Elocon cream sooner.

Lorenz, pictured above with her husband and son, said the eczema was so severe that at one point she was unable to hold her son.

Mrs Lorenz said: ‘I used my prescription as I was told and suffered as a result.

‘I couldn’t bathe my son, I couldn’t wash the dishes, I couldn’t go out.

“The physical contact was unbearable, and hugging or holding my son often brought on tears and itching attacks.”

He added: ‘I can’t believe he survived a few days.

“It was oozing and so cracked I couldn’t walk and would often stay in bed for a week trying not to move.

‘When I was very sick people often looked at me.

‘I was in so much pain that my personality changed dramatically and that was hard for everyone. I trusted 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 exposure to sunlight.”

Lorenz was diagnosed with mild atopic dermatitis (the medical term for eczema) at a young age after doctors detected the condition in his elbow.

He was prescribed the steroid cream in 2003 and continued to use it regularly for years to relieve his symptoms.

However, Elocon’s instructions suggest that those using the cream for more than two weeks talk to their doctor.

Lorenz said that after using the cream her skin thinned and her blood vessels enlarged.

In March 2020, she said she 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 sick that her menstrual cycle stopped and her skin was so itchy that she had to stay in bed for up to a week at a time.

About 16.5 million Americans suffer from atopic dermatitis (or eczema), and many use creams to treat the condition.

However, doctors say patients risk becoming addicted to the creams when 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 sore skin, breakouts, and sleepless nights, as well as dry, peeling skin.

Elocon, made by Merck, says on the label to consult health care providers if your skin does not improve after two weeks of using the cream.

DailyMail.com has contacted Merck for comment.

The images above show eczema flare-ups on Ms. Lorenz’s skin. She started using the cream when she had a mild case of the elbow condition.

Elocon, made by Merck, says on the label to consult health care providers if your skin does not improve after two weeks of using the cream.

Ms. Lorenz is pictured above with rashes caused by her eczema. They got better after she changed treatments.

Ms. Lorenz has been off topical steroids for almost 1,000 days and has switched to a combination of holistic Chinese 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 if I had been advised to eliminate allergens, eat more whole foods and change household cleaning products rather than being prescribed steroids.

“My eczema was so mild that I wouldn’t have considered it a problem and could have easily been treated holistically.”

He currently uses Dupixent, a monoclonal antibody that helps reduce inflammation.

She said the medication had caused facial breakouts, but these have reduced over time and her symptoms are improving.