Julie Ramsey Says Stopping Steroid Creams Left Her Skin in Agony for Nine Months

Julie Ramsey says a decision to stop using steroid creams after decades of treatment for eczema led to months of severe skin problems. The 48-year-old Scottish content creator told The Looker that she had used the medication since infancy, but changed course after watching a YouTube video about possible risks. Ramsey described the reaction that followed as a frightening ordeal. “My whole body was just burning, like peeling off and oozing off and weeping and bleeding, and it was itchy,” she said. Symptoms also appeared on parts of her body where she had never previously experienced eczema, she told the publication. The problems continued for about nine months. Ramsey said the experience left her feeling like a “burn victim” and made it difficult to manage basic needs. She credited her husband, Chris, with supporting and caring for her during the worst of it. “When you go through that condition, you really need a good support network,” she said. The reaction is known as topical steroid withdrawal, described as a severe response that may follow the discontinuation of prolonged topical corticosteroid use. The article notes that research on the condition remains limited. It was first documented in the late 1970s and formally designated as a potential side effect in 2022. Ramsey said she viewed her long-term treatment as a cycle: the cream eased inflammation temporarily, but symptoms returned, leading her to use it again. When she sought medical advice after developing open wounds and worrying about infection, she said her doctor recommended resuming steroid creams. Ramsey chose not to follow that advice. Dr. Mona Foad, a board-certified dermatologist cited by The Looker, said most dermatologists no longer prescribe the strongest class I or II topical steroids for long-term use. The article describes those medicines as powerful treatments generally reserved for severe eczema. Ramsey’s account highlights both the distress she says she experienced and the uncertainty surrounding a condition for which evidence is still limited.