A young mother has revealed how a doctor’s mistake left her covered in a oozing rash that was so painful she couldn’t leave the house or care for her children.
Bryony Brew, 30, said her skin condition was “more painful than giving birth” and made her feel like her life was over.
Her nightmare started when her eczema, which she had been battling for years, got worse during her pregnancy.
She told FEMAIL that her doctor prescribed her a steroid cream that solved the problem, so she continued to take it.
She used the cream for 13 years, with doctors never warning her about the potential long-term damage.
So when a friend told her about the dangerous effects of steroid creams, Bryony stopped using them – but what followed hurt her so much that she couldn’t leave the house.
She began to suffer a severe bout of topical steroid withdrawal that left her feeling “like a lobster” with foul-smelling leaky sores.
Bryony explained that at her worst, she could barely leave her bed — and had to carry hot water bottles to help regulate her body temperature.
The condition got so bad that she was forced to move back in with her parents, until she discovered a $19.50 miracle cream made by MooGoo, made in Australia.
Bryony Brew, 30, is experiencing devastating physical pain due to local steroid withdrawal — also known as TWS — after she stopped using a cream she had applied to her face every day for 13 years to treat her eczema
The mother of four, who was first prescribed a steroid cream when she was pregnant, stopped taking the cream when a friend warned her about the side effects – but soon suffered horrific withdrawal symptoms
“I had to take time off from work and couldn’t take care of my kids, which was very annoying for them,” Bryony said.
“I went into a completely depressed state and couldn’t sleep. It was horrible.
“I went cold turkey. It went well for a few weeks, and then my whole body started to get used to it. It was scary,” said Bryony, who is from the Isle of Man.
After discontinuing use, Bryony’s skin quickly became inflamed, weeping and raw, leaving her bedridden and unable to walk, work or even care for her children, pictured with TSW on the left and right after she took it had healed
Bryony said she “didn’t know” that “steroids are only meant to be used thin” and not for more than two weeks at a time.
“I had them on repeat prescription and would use them almost daily. I did this for 13 years,” she said.
“I was put on steroids when I was pregnant. My skin was itchy and dry so I was prescribed steroids and would use them to relieve my symptoms.
‘I also had an undiagnosed gluten intolerance, which I think may have been a factor in causing my eczema, but this was not investigated. I was just prescribed steroid cream. It happened so fast,” she explained.
The mother of four didn’t realize she had to stop until a friend started trying to stop taking steroids.
“My friends said to me, ‘Bryony, you don’t realize how much damage long-term use of steroids does to you? It affects your nerve endings, blood vessels, so many things’.
“I hadn’t even thought about it. I’d just get my monthly prescription and use it on my skin.”
Bryony, from the Isle of Man, had to carry two hot water bottles to regulate her body temperature and only ventured out twice a year out of fear.
Her whole body was red and raw and covered with dry, blotchy skin after using steroid cream
But after she stopped taking the cream, the horrific consequences began.
“I had to put a towel on my pillow because my skin was crying so much. My skin smelled really disgusting, like rotten flesh,” she explained.
“Plus, I couldn’t regulate my body temperature at all and had to use two hot water bottles to avoid shivering in the summer.
“I’d rather give birth ten times than go through the pain of my skin in that state.”
With no end in sight and unable to find relief from other treatments, Bryony found solace in a natural baby moisturizer called MooGoo.
After initially being hesitant to use the $19.50 cream, she was relieved to see her skin slowly heal and regain its natural moisture.
She says the cream saved her skin and hopes her story will help people avoid the same pain and suffering she went through.
“I posted on a Facebook support group and people kept telling me to try a cream called MooGoo,” she said.
“I was too scared to use it at first. I couldn’t use anything on my skin, I couldn’t even touch the tube of steroid cream in my bedroom drawer because my skin was so sensitive and it would react. I first tried using only aloe vera, but it didn’t help.
“I was scanning every ingredient in products because I was terrified of putting anything that might contain steroids on my skin.”
Bryony said she ‘didn’t know’ that ‘steroids are only meant to be used thin’ and not for more than two weeks at a time
“I anxiously started using the MooGoo Soothing Baby Moisturizer and it immediately took away the flaky skin on my face, but it was still red at the bottom.
“I kept applying it morning and night and after a few days my skin started to get better. I couldn’t believe it, I was so relieved.
With no end in sight and unable to find relief from other treatments, Bryony found comfort in a natural baby moisturizer called MooGoo
‘I was in a different world during my steroids withdrawal. It took my life away and affected the whole family.
As a mother, it was heartbreaking that I couldn’t do anything for anyone. It was absolutely shocking what my body was going through.”
MooGoo Soothing Baby Moisturizer contains all natural ingredients such as honey and aloe vera.
MooGoo has built a reputation for revolutionizing skin care for people with sensitive skin. With over 18 years of experience, the brand has a wealth of success stories that demonstrate the effectiveness of their products.
It all started in Australia when founder Craig Jones created the MooGoo Skin Milk Udder Cream for his mother, who suffered from psoriasis.
The cream was so successful that it paved the way for a slew of products designed to soothe and nourish sensitive skin.
