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About the Film
Skin on Fire is a documentary short film about Topical Steroid Addiction (TSA) and Topical Steroid Withdrawal Syndrome (TSWS).
Through the heartbreaking, inspiring stories of diverse individuals who have suffered from TSWS, the film shows their suffering is undoubtedly from a legitimate condition, and the respected medical experts who weigh in offer viewers a better understanding of why someone may develop TSWS, what can be done to prevent it, and what new treatments may be on the horizon.
What is Topical Steroid WITHDRAWAL SYNDROME?
Topical Steroid Withdrawal Syndrome (TSWS), also known as Topical Steroid Addiction (TSA), is a debilitating condition that can arise from the use of topical steroids to treat a skin problem, such as eczema. This condition can also arise from topical steroid use in individuals with no prior skin condition; such as with cosmetic use for skin bleaching or to treat acne, or in the case of caregivers who neglect to wash their hands after applying topical steroids on someone else.
Topical Steroid Withdrawal Syndrome is characterized by red, itchy, burning skin that can appear after ceasing topical steroid treatments, or even between treatments. Topical steroids are effective for a period of time to treat the skin condition. As time passes, however, applying topical steroids results in less and less clearing. The original problem escalates as it spreads to other areas of the body. In the case of eczema, This “progression” is often mistaken for worsening eczema, contact dermatitis, an infection, or an allergic reaction. However, a cluster of non-skin-related symptoms also emerge, constituting a syndrome — not solely a skin condition. TSWS comes with severe secondary complications, requiring multiple daily interventions for a protracted period of time. Many sufferers are bedridden and housebound for months to years before symptoms abate.
TSWS is an iatrogenic condition, which means it is a condition caused inadvertently by medical treatment. Not everyone who uses topical steroids will develop TSWS. It is unclear why some individuals experience TSWS secondary to topical steroid therapy and why others do not.
Source: ITSAN
DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT
I first became aware of TSA / TSW while playing golf with Dr. Marvin Rapaport. I was surprised to learn from Marvin that topical steroids had caused some of the worst suffering he had seen in his decades of medical practice, yet to his great frustration, the condition of TSA was unrecognized in the medical community.
Wanting to learn more, I began reading about the condition and was stunned to learn it was brought on by a common medical treatment. The topical steroids I had used on and off to treat poison oak were terribly dangerous if used incorrectly, yet there was no warning and no awareness for long-term steroid users of steroids’ hazardous side effects.
It got me thinking about how many people, including in my own family, had quit smoking after the Surgeon General’s warning came out. Yet why were steroids being sold over the counter, and commonly prescribed in medical offices, without adequate warning about their possible dangers?
It was when I began interviewing TSW sufferers that I knew I had a film. It’s my belief that awareness will bring hope for those going through TSW that there is light at the end of the tunnel, and promising new treatments on the horizon. Further, I believe this film will raise awareness of TSW in the medical community so that they can adequately warn patients of steroids’ dangers, and offer alternate treatments for sufferers of eczema and other chronic skin conditions.
- James Keach, Director/Producer, Skin on Fire
WHAT IS IT LIKE TO LIVE WITH TOPICAL STEROID WITHDRAWAL SYNDROME?
"I kept having to get stronger and stronger prescriptions, so I just decided to stop using them. I didn't know about topical steroid withdrawal... All hell broke loose."
"The irritation kept coming back but I didn't learn until later that the reason it kept coming back wasn't the eczema -- it was the addiction to topical steroids."
"And whether you're having a good skin day or not, someone will remind you that you have a skin condition. And so it's never something that you can just put away."
