A woman was left bedbound with thick, “elephant-like” skin after a move to London saw her eczema rapidly worsen.
Rosemary Hook, 29, had used prescription steroid creams since she was three months old to treat the skin condition, and claims that the treatment triggered a dangerous reaction called a topical steroid withdrawal following a move to the capital to study.
Rosemary told PA Real Life that, while she had always had trouble with her skin, her symptoms got so bad that her entire body turned red, clumps of her hair fell out, and she could not even get out of bed.
After searching her symptoms on the web, the 29-year-old became convinced she was caught in a “vicious cycle” of topical steroid withdrawal, a painful condition caused by withdrawals from steroids that she felt she was becoming “dependent” on.
While living in London she described having “alien-looking” skin, as well as anxiety and depression.
Her GP, she says, was dismissive of her concerns, although did prescribe her with a cocktail of medications to manage the symptoms including a powerful drug used in chemotherapy.
“My skin became thickened in places, almost like an elephant skin texture, but at the same time incredibly fragile.
“I had deep cracks in areas, and even small movements could cause the skin to split or tear, so basic things like getting dressed were painful. “There was also large, constant flaking and shedding throughout the day, and I was dealing with ongoing irritation, including areas that would ooze or bleed, which made it physically exhausting to manage.
“It changed my appearance so much that I didn’t recognise my own face or body at times, and that made me incredibly anxious about leaving the house or being seen.”
Despite the meds, things only got worse for Rosemary, and the technician was forced to fork out a trip to Thailand in December last year in order to receive high-tech plasma therapy, which she describes as “life-changing”.
Plasma therapy treatment uses a patient’s own blood in order to accelerate healing, reduce pain, and stimulate tissue regeneration.
The treatment, which sets Rosemary back £200 a pop, is set to last five years, and so she has set up an online fundraiser to help her with the payments.
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