It's often very hard for AD patients to get out of under symptomatic therapy of corticosteroid ointments.
The first difficulty is the probable following serious aggravation of symptoms called as "withdrawal dermatitis" or "withdrawal syndrome".
The second one is to treat and live with AD minus corticosteroids help after this.
What is necessary to overcome these difficulties with less agony and avoid a setback to go back under protection of corticosteroids ?
I would like to present several prerequisites below for ones who want to leave corticosteroids.
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1) motivation
2) strong will
3) financial guarantee
4) helper
5) social problem
6) medical support
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1) motivation
-Why don't you want to use corticosteroid ointments?-
You must collect informations, think over and decide by yourself.
Your own clear motivation will be essential to hold on.
2) strong will
Natural healing process is not easy. This will be a thorny path.
Weak-willed person won't be able to endure.
Can you take the responsibility of your choice by yourself?
3) financial guarantee
4) helper
As you quit repressing symptoms, strong inflammation will occur.
It may prevent you from living and working as usual temporally or for quite a long time.
I suppose many AD patients cannot help choosing corticosteroids use because they feel the responsibility to live themselves or to work for their living.
But I dare ask you whether you really don't have another option.
Don't you think you may contrive if you want to realize it by all means?
It'll take a long time, but you will have better times as well as worse times. If you can manage today, tomorrow will come.
Maybe you are a gentle person who don't want to make a nuisance of yourself to others. But one cannnot live alone. It is the hard fact that you need other's help when you are in bad condition. Don't be too constrained. You may help them back when you become better.
About the helper, the most likely candidate will be your family member.
Maybe your parents will be the helper first. Considering they are much older than you, you'll agree that earlier practice will be preferable.
If you already have your spouse, this challenge will reveal whether each of you has a true respect to another or not.
You must be honest and considerate to the helper.
If your condition is not light, you will need plural helpers. Long-lasting hard days without recess will wear the helper out. You had better gaze around to find understanding relatives or friends.
Mental helpers are also important whom you can talk and confess difficulties.
5) social problem
During the term of withdrawal aggravation, or some more time, you won't be able to go to work or school.
So you'd better choose when to start. Times when have less influence to your career will be better. Generally, younger time will be fine.
Younger times are also profitable since you can get earlier recovery because of more physical strength and less complicated situation.
Generally, a fixed social position is considered quite important for an adult as a proof of being a valuable person in the society. So you may feel rather alienated and frustrated if you lose or have lost your position due to your absence for recuperation.
But don't be too discouraged.
Is it so important as usual people say? Isn't it natural there are several setbacks or intervals during long lifetime? -Don't be tied to the fixed idea. You go your own way.
6) medical support
In Japan there're a small number of physicians who ackowledge AD patients who quit corticosteroid so far. Though I don't know much, I suppose situations will be similar in other countries. Therapists of alternative medicines may be more preferable than usual dermatologists.
Medical support will be important in case of severe secondary infection( caused by staphylococcus, streptococcus, and herpes simplex virus), some decline in general condition or severe acute allergic state like anaphylaxis. If you have severe facial eruptions or history of patting your face due to itch, ophthalmologist's examination is essential for fear of complications like cataract or detachment of retina.
But supportive physician is valid for every case. He(She) will give you medical informations, some drugs or remedies, and above all, mental assistance to overcome this long predicament.
You should take it to heart that the leading role of this precess is you, not the doctor. You must not depend on your doctor too much. There's not a certain remedy for AD to cure. So the main force to cure is the power for spontaneous healing in you. Doctors cannot give you the healing without your effort.
It is also important that you should take proper care of yourself.
Restoration of injured inflammed skin itself will require lots of energy from you every day.
Unwholesome living will mar your power for spontaneous healing and may cause not only secondary infections, but also an attack of anaphilaxis.
Recovering phase is another point to care. Rapid widening of range of activity to get back the delay may cause anaphylaxis, too.
I respect your decision and hope your good result.
Good luck to you!