Healing Eczema and Cortisone Withdrawal Symptoms

2026-10-13T22:59:05.298-07:00

Dear TSW community,

We're 15 years on since Jake went through Topical Steroid Withdrawal.

This blog holds an important part of our story, but the years beyond these entries have brought a much deeper perspective on regulating the body after TSW—which I'm now sharing through a new archive — BEYOND SKIN .

I know many of you have arrived at this blog looking for reassurance. Some are in the thick of withdrawal, others have had long stretches of clear skin and feel frightened or confused when symptoms return.

My purpose is to arm you with knowledge and instil a knowing that you are not powerless in this healing process.

You're welcome to join me there as I slowly build the archive.

With love, Libby

THE END.

2013-04-04T01:48:00.001-07:00

If you are new to this blog please read carefully and follow the links. Look at the below green links then start Here and work your way through our story.

Featured in Daily Mail

A Current Affair - a short segment on Jake's withdrawal

Disclaimer: This blog is not a diagnosis, if you need medical advice please consult with a health practitioner.

Article & Evidance: Overuse of Topical Steroids in India
International Journal of Dermatology - Steroid Addiction 2008
Topical Corticosteroid Addiction Article 1993

Click here to view full Disclaimer

This below link will provide a world of information and also forums for support.

ITSAN - INTERNATIONAL TOPICAL STEROID ADDICTION NETWORK

NEW SKIN VS. STEROID INDUCED ECZEMA & STEROID WITHDRAWAL SYMPTOMS

I LOVE YOU SO MUCH JAKE!!!!!! WE DID IT!!! XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Jake and Josh (Josh went through the same withdrawal as Jake) Both healed.

4th May 2015 (Jake with his QLD tan xxx)

IT. IS. OVER.

My man, 3 years on <3 No Steroids, Eczema Free (11.01.15)

2.5 Years After Withdrawing from Topical Steroids...

2013-04-02T03:12:00.000-07:00

2.5 YEARS AFTER STOPPING STEROIDS

(this post says it is posted in 2013, I have moved it on the calendar just so it sits in the right spot on my blog, but today is the 18th June 2014)

So.. a lot has happened since I last posted..
We have stayed living an organic paddock to plate lifestyle, that will never change.

In short, we started a family (got a dog..a golden retriever.. her name is Rocket), moved interstate to the Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia. I add the photos and our most recent ones are at the bottom of this post (now Sept 2016).

I am so proud of everyone who has found us and gone through this struggle to live our better quality of life and health.

Nothing makes me happier then watching Jake stroll out of the house in a T-shirt and shorts..

I love you Jake!! X

Rocket when we first brought her home.

She's all grown up now, 1 year old

Best Golf Coach in the world xx

Jake's new tan line

I have no idea who dug up the sprinkler system mum

Jake and my dad

JUST ADDING THIS NOVEMBER 7, 3 YEARS FROM WITHDRAWAL

Jakes 30th - surprised him on a boat with his mates and chilled on an island for the afternoon.

Rocket's snout and Jake

Jake surprised me with a night at a lodge and horse riding

ADDING THIS XMAS 2014

Jake's terrible tan lines

A Current Affair filming in our home.. interviewing Jake on his journey with eczema.
from 20/01/15, Australia will know of this ever-growing issue.

Me and Josh (who is also healed from TSW and now lives in the Caribbean)... we're coming for you Josh!

At my brothers wedding

19.07.15

Engaged

Jake's life has completely changed for the better, forever.
This does not mean we don't have to work on health to keep it that way.

We have experienced stressful times since the withdrawal, which has brought on eczema and other inflammatory issues.

The key core things to keep in check are diet, stress management, and environment.

We will always strive for better health.

FOOD IS MEDICINE Xx

You Will Heal, We Have Proof

2013-01-11T18:29:00.000-08:00

If you are new to this blog, please see the post link Reflection which will lead you to the start of our journey.

If you're interested in our lifestyle and the food I make for Jake, here is my Facebook Page
Tone Up Your Lifestyle - Feel free to private message me through my page.

Again we just wanted to shout out to my parents for being... and still being so supportive, we love you and couldn't have gone through this without you both!
Jake still has the best skin he feels he has ever had. Not only does he have nice skin, he also has an immune system which is not suppressed, bowels, kidneys, a liver, a heart, and a gut that are now extremely healthy, functional, and not at risk of brewing diseases.

Below are articles worth reading for those who are still trying to find the answer to their worsening eczema. There are more links as you scroll through previous posts.

Indian Journal of Dermatology

Topical Steroid Addiction

Topical Steroid Abuse

Topical Corticosteroid Abuse on The Face

Investigations On Rebound After Using Topical Steroids

National Medical Association - TS Abuse

What Doctors Don't Know About The Drugs They Prescribe

PLEASE SIGN THESE PETITIONS

Petition #1

Petition #2

A very strong little girl suffered from Steroid Induced Eczema and Withdrawal.. but she is healing, this is her progress at 1 year.

REFLECTION

2013-01-11T02:47:00.000-08:00

IF YOU ARE NEW TO THIS BLOG
PLEASE VIEW THE BELOW PHOTO'S OF JAKE & CLICK ON THE BELOW LINK

WHICH WILL TAKE YOU TO THE START OF OUR STORY TO EXPLAIN WHY THIS HAS HAPPENED.

Link: Decision To Withdraw

Join in on the discussion: Support Forum

13.11.2011
DAY OF JAKE'S DECISION TO WITHDRAW FROM TOPICAL CORTICOSTEROIDS -
STEROID INDUCED ECZEMA

JAKE'S WITHDRAWAL SYMPTOMS

1 DAYS WORTH OF SHEDED SKIN

update.. OVER 1 YEAR

2012-12-16T03:27:00.003-08:00

So it has been over one year since Jake stopped using Topical Steroids.

Long story short, we came home from Hawaii, Jake's skin flared, he fell into deep depression, my mum and dad took him to their place again and looked after him for another 2 months. (Thank you mum and dad you are incredible xx).
Jake came home to me on he 25th of September, had another flare on the 5th of November but it was not as bad as the one before and lasted about 15 days (4 days of wetness, 4 days of dryness and then the skin came off).
For the past month Jake has felt and looked great. 60% of his body is better skin then he has ever had.
We are really happy.
We became good friends with Josh Josh's Blog , who is also going through TSW. Josh is 3 months into his withdrawal. We had a BBQ with him yesterday and made some footage together. Link below..

Josh, Jake & Lib Video

Merry Christmas to all the sufferers and carers, sending you some love x

Disclaimer

2012-11-10T21:30:00.000-08:00

Disclaimer: This blog has been designed to provide information to help educate the reader in regard to the subject matter covered. The author of this blog is not liable for the misconception or misuse of the information provided. It is not provided in order to diagnose, prescribe, or treat any disease, illness, or injured condition of the body. The authors and publisher shall have neither liability or responsibility to any person or entity with respect to any loss, damage or injury caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly by the information contained in this book. The information presented is in no way intended as a substitute for medical counseling. Persons suffering from any disease, illness, or injury should consult with a health practitioner.

HAWAII - We Made It

2012-07-01T23:57:00.000-07:00

1.07.2012

Jake played 6 rounds of golf in 28 degree heat over 7 days, not a bad effort!! It was hard, I mean actually it was really hard. The plane ride really dried out Jake's skin. We struggled the whole time, I have no idea how we did it. Jake was wearing layers on layers, and we put a smile on for the ladies we had on tour with us. My god, if only they knew.

A New Love For Life

2012-05-19T00:21:00.000-07:00

19.05.2012

Jake is going well, he started drinking L-Arginine to help the blood flow to his hands and feet.

I'm leaving this blog for a while, we feel that we need to live life now that we can.

I'm still here for those who contact me for support.

Ciao :)

Enjoying Life as Much As We Can

2012-05-14T02:01:00.000-07:00

14.05.2012 - Day 187 of Withdrawal

No news still. Happy, Healing, Resting.

Still so important to rest every day and eat good food.

Jake is playing golf which he loves, he wears gloves on both hands for protection.

Going Steady

2012-05-11T02:54:00.002-07:00

11.05.2012 - Day 184 of Withdrawal

Over the past week...

At Sandown Racecource Being Taken On A Drive

Changes

2012-05-05T06:00:00.001-07:00

5.05.2012 - Day 178 of Withdrawal

Over the past week and a half autumn has suddenly set in and it has become really chilly here.
Jake's skin has changed over the past week again.

His skin suddenly started to sting when he was putting my home made cream on, so with his skin changing he has become sensitive to an ingredient I use. I made a different batch of cream last night, it has Neem oil, Sweet Almond Oil and a few others I can't remember. I made it a little more oily and thinker then usual. Jake is really comfortable with the new cream.

We also went to our homeopath yesterday, he gave Jake something for his itching, and it has definitely made a difference so far. It's called Psorinum, but this is specific to individuals.

Mum worked on Jake last night and did another test on him to find out his progress. Since his last test 8 weeks ago, Jake has lost a kilo of muscle, which makes sense as we stopped his protein shakes because he was getting congestion from my banana dairy free protein shakes. We have now got a different protein shake, which he like's so far.
We are really consistant with our meals, and every meal has a variety and good source of protein, but to sustain Jake's muscle, he is needing the extra protein as his body is still doing a lot of work to repair the insides.

Apart from the loss of muscle, EVERYTHING internally has improved majorly once again; quality of tissue, quality of cells, celular fluid, toxins etc.
Considering Jake's cells were the quality of an almost dead persons at the start of his withdrawal, I'd say his body has done an incredible job to reboot and repair this fast.

My mum has supported Jake unconditionally to the moon and back, and she is helping me help our 'skin friends' through topical steroid withdrawal now aswel. What a gem!! we could not be in better hands.

Focusing On Our Life Now

2012-04-29T16:07:00.001-07:00

29.04.2012 - Day 172 of Withdrawal

Jake is going steady, still not much news. We discussed him still scratching on the lower calve and forearm, as this seems to be whats holding him back.
He scratches when he is sitting down doing nothing, and he feels half of it is mental.
Jake feels very guilty after he has scratched his skin, even on top of his clothes because he can feel the damage afterwards, the skin gets more sensitive and he feels he falls into a cycle so we are going to focus on this.
Jake seems to be in snail progression externally now.
Internally Jake's body has taken a huge beating over the past 16 years from the use of Cortisone, and many positive changes are still occurring with the use of healthy food and supplements.
At some point I will gather all test results and scan them on here to show progression.

I will do a vitamin B shot today.

The past 5 months has been very consuming and exhausting. I feel that I need to step back from the internet and focus a little more on the quality of life that Jake and I had missed out on for those first 3 months. I keep forgetting to post on here, and i have realised this is because we don't think about 'Jake's progress' much anymore... Which my friend tells me is the best kind of progress.

I'm going to post on here maybe once a fortnight, as I really feel I need some space from this subject.

Jake has been and is still on an amazing journey of healing. The human body is not a one stop shop fix, and it's not a one size fits all. Everyone is different and many people react in different ways during this withdrawal.

I Forgot To Blog

2012-04-27T16:31:00.001-07:00

25.04.2012 - Day 168 of Withdrawal

This is a post for last Wednesday, we went to the Anzac Day rugby match. It was freezing!
I have nothing else to say, no news. Jake is still the same.

No News

2012-04-22T21:19:00.001-07:00

23.04.2012 - Day 166 of Withdrawal

No news to report, just having fun

Mmmm... Lamb shoulder

Garbage

2012-04-20T18:54:00.001-07:00

21.04.2012 - Day 164 of Withdrawal

The below photos of Jake are before he had a shower this morning. He looks and feels normal when he wakes up.

...and Dermatologists advise to put this garbage on your skin...

WHAT TOTAL RUBBISH!!!

Elimination Diet

2012-04-20T02:42:00.002-07:00

If You Have Eczema - BE SERIOUS ABOUT A FOOD ELIMINATION TEST- It's Worth It

I go into detail about the info on the below video on my first post Decision To Withdraw

Getting Creative In The Kitchen

2012-04-20T02:20:00.001-07:00

20.04.2012 - Day 163 of Withdrawal

Take a look at this Manage Your Eczema Without The Use Of Steroid Creams

No news to report for Jake, other then he is enjoying the variety of food he is eating now.

At first I was struggling to find things to cook with such a strict diet, but now I can't stop cooking 100% healthy meals.

Herb Buns made with Almond Meal

Banana Muffins made with Walnuts and Almond Meal

Nut and Herb coated Chicken

Healthy Living

2012-04-18T07:28:00.000-07:00

19.04.2012

Jake is going great, life just got extremely busy for us.. and we are loving every minute of it!

We could not be any happier, we are living the life we want now.

So, to recap -

Our diet consists of;

Organic Nuts, Meat, Seafood, Vegetables, Fruit, Bone Broth.

Strictly No;

Alcohol, Sugar, Gluten, Wheat, Dairy, Coffee, Preservatives.

It sounds dull, but it allows you to get creative in the kitchen! Tonight I made banana and walnut muffins with almond meal, and they taste delicious!

Also, going out for a meal is never all that fun when you're trying to order... but the fun side is the chef comes out to talk to you about what you need, and you are given 'special attention' by the staff.

Also Thai food is not a problem to alter, so we are lucky there!

We are loving exploring new things :)

I like this haha...

Simple Guidelines:

No processed foods – fast food, those things in boxes that have a long list of stuff we don’t know, anything that is not REAL food.
No refined, artificial & added sugars – or really any sugar that isn’t already naturally in foods (honey & maple syrup can be used if needed)
No grains – gluten = bad. If you want to bake opt for coconut flour and almond flour. Plenty in the visual recipe index.
No legumes (yes that includes peanuts & anything soy)
No white potatoes – they spike your insulin, but sweet potatoes are okay. Sweet Potatoes are NOT potatoes, they don’t even come from the same plant family! Interesting, right?
No dairy – use fermented or raw grass-fed dairy if needed
No alcohol – although if you absolutely have to there are some “better” ones to consume
No vegetable oils (that includes canola, peanut, soybean, corn, etc…)
Yes to healthy fats – animal fat, coconut oil, olive oil, avocado oil, tallow, nut oils, etc…
Yes to grass fed meats, pastured free-range chicken/eggs, wild fish and fresh organic produce (find your local farmer’s market)
Sleep! That’s important.
Exercise!

He's A Happy Boy

2012-04-17T06:22:00.001-07:00

17.04.2012 - Day 160 of Withdrawal

Jake played 18 holes with the boys today, he sent me the below photo.
Jake is happy doing what he loves. Enough said :)

Constant Improvement

2012-04-15T23:29:00.001-07:00

16.04.2012 - Day 159 of Withdrawal

Jake's hands are still healing, he uses them every day at work so it's hard to give them a rest.

This is the worst of him, and this photo is when his hands are really dry, so we are pretty happy with that!

Love Our Life

2012-04-15T02:44:00.001-07:00

15.04.2012 - Day 158 of Withdrawal

Prahran Market, we bought all our organic meat for the week and had lunch.

Jake washed his beloved car

CATS VS KANGAROOS - Cats lost :(

Relaxing

2012-04-12T22:42:00.001-07:00

13.04.2012 - Day 156 of Withdrawal

Jake played 18 holes this morning, then brought me to the beach for fish and chips (gluten free) and a relaxing afternoon laying here... With me giving him the longest head rub in history...He has fallen asleep... Snoring coming from our part of the sand.
(it's great having the blogger app to post whenever you want!)
Jake is still covering up in the sun, it's still really important to look after the new skin.

INFURIATED

2012-04-12T11:25:00.002-07:00

13.04.2012

I can't sleep because I'm furious that our Doctors, Dermatologists, Drug Companies and the Government are getting away with MURDER!!!
I am furious that Topical Steroids are being promoted in a good light and are ruining thousands of lives because of our narrow minded medical model.
Take a look at the below links

Topical Cortcosteroids Safe To Treat Eczema In Children

Steroid Creams Won't Thin The Skin of Kids With Eczema

Desperate For A Cure
This poor little girl has been slathered in Topical Steroids and CLEARLY IT IS MAKING HER WORSE

Another Horrifying Withdrawal Story
'In October 2011, I found out he had been arrested after an infant developed drug-induced cushing's syndrome. The authorities found corticosteroids in the cream he was distributing (which I was still using) and arrested him.'

Topical Corticosteroid Overuse

Making Skin Friends

2012-04-12T04:38:00.001-07:00

12.04.2012- Day 155 of Withdrawal

We have made so many friends through this process, and they are all enduring Topical Steroid withdrawal.

I Skype with many of them weekly, and some have also taken on some of our ideas for healing.
Below is the story of one of our friends Susan, she has kindly let me share her story with you.

Jake is feeling great today, looking great and enjoying getting up for a days work.

Jake Love's golf... he never stops
I love him so much for his passion

Thank-you Susan for letting me post your story xx

SUSAN’S ECZEMA & HEALING STORY:

I currently live in California, I’m 59 years old, and I’m in good health besides my skin problems.

1. My steroid & allergy history:

I never had allergies that I was aware of until I lived in Central America from 1977-1979. During that time, I developed allergic rhinitis and I often had a stuffy, runny nose, couldn’t breathe, etc., probably due to the tropical foliage and lots of dust and chemicals I was working with in a small town of weavers.

When I returned home to New York, my allergies decreased but continued somewhat.

In about 1984, I started having itchy, scaly eyelids and I went to my uncle, an ophthalmologist. He gave me a tube of cream without telling me what it was, and I used it and it magically made my eyelids improve. It was betamethasone valerate, a steroid. I used it on and off for a few years, but not that often.

In 1987, I moved to California & my allergies went wild again. When I was pregnant with my first child in 1989, I could hardly breathe because my sinuses were so clogged, and I was having some asthma-type wheezing. I went to an allergy doctor who gave me a steroid inhaler for my allergies, called Beconase. He told me it was perfectly safe and I could use it forever with no side effects. It worked miraculously well and my allergy symptoms all cleared up. My son was born in 1990, and I’ve been using similar types of steroid inhalers for allergies, daily since then.

I went through a course of allergy shots from 1995-1997, but they didn’t improve my allergies at all.

I continued to have itchy eyelids and, in about 1998, I went to my local ophthalmologist and she gave me FML - a steroid ointment made specially for the eyes. I don’t know how strong it is compared to other steroids.

She also gave me non-steroidal eyedrops called Patanol, which I’ve used continually since then.

I used the steroid cream it for a few months, then I went back to her and she told me I shouldn’t use it so long, but gave me no other recommendations other than that I should see a dermatologist. She acted as if using it for a few weeks should be enough to make it go away permanently, which of course it wasn’t.

I went to see the derm. she recommended and all she did was offer more steroid creams & ointments. I rejected her suggestions and kept using the opthalmologist’s ointment on and off, as well as the Patanol.

Also in about 1998, I started feeling itchy in other parts of my body. At that point, I avoided using steroids on my skin apart from my eyelids and the itchiness came & went. I can’t remember what I did for it, other than scratching and maybe moisturizing.

At the end of the summer in 2006, I suddenly became torturously itchy (maybe from the heat and sweat) all over my back and I scratched myself so much that it became very red and scary-looking (nothing compared to what I’m experiencing now, though).

I couldn’t take it and I went to my dermatologist (who, up until then, I had been going to only for skin cancer checks, and ignoring her steroid advice). She prescribed some strong type of steroid cream, which I used for about a week and it didn’t work.

I then went to a new allergist recommended by a friend. To make a long story short, he convinced me low-strength steroid creams were totally harmless and I started using 1% hydrocortisone ointment regularly. After a couple of weeks, my back stopped itching and I switched from steroids to Aveeno moisturizer every day. That problem didn’t come back. But I continued to have problems with my eyelids, wrists, a couple of places between my fingers, sometimes under my breasts or on my shoulders. Since my allergist assured me it was safe, I was using the hydrocortisone ointment almost every day on my eyelids, wrists or some other little area on my face or shoulders. I alternated between .5% OTC, 1% OTC & a prescription 2 ½%. I used these every 2 or 3 days for the past 5 years.

About 2 years ago, I started having more asthma symptoms & yet another allergist put me on Asmanex, a cortico-steroid inhaler for asthma, which I’ve been using regularly since then.

After that, I went through another 2-year course of allergy shots, which ended approximately last July. I didn’t see any improvement at all to my allergies, eczema or asthma, $2,000.00+ later.

This past summer, the eczema was getting worse, and I was using the 2 ½% more and more. I also occasionally used some Betamethasone Valerate that I had left over from years ago from my uncle or Betamethasone Propionate that my allergist gave me. Although my allergy doctor always recommended that I hit it hard with strong enough stuff to make it totally go away, I was always somewhat afraid of the steroids and never used it enough for it to totally go away.

My allergy symptoms were also getting worse, even after the 2 years of allergy shots. I was still on the steroid inhalers but had a lot of breakthrough symptoms such as sinus problems, sneezing, etc.

2. Getting Off Steroids

At the beginning of October, 2011, I stopped using steroid cream. It was actually accidental, not really planned. My skin had been getting worse and I decided to try using aloe and some other products, so I wasn't using the steroid creams for a few days. Suddenly my skin got much worse and it spread all over my arms. My arms became totally red. I thought it was too large an area to use steroid cream on, so I kept trying other stuff with no improvement. After about a week, I realized the worsening had coincided with the stopping of the cream. I thought maybe it was a rebound effect, so I googled steroid rebound and I found an Australian website written by a guy name Peter about his wife in Australia. I found out about steroid withdrawal and I listened to Dr. Rappaport’s teleconference and read his articles.

I was heartened to understand what was happening to me and I made an appointment to see Dr. R in Beverly Hills on October 31^st,at which time he confirmed my diagnosis.

This is not to say that the skin stuff has not become an all-encompassing horror.

On October 10^th, I went to consult with a homeopathic MD here in LA. He suggested I take a food-allergy blood test to see if that would help. In order to do this, I had to stay off my allergy & asthma steroid inhalers for 3 days. I didn’t think I could do it. Any time in the past that I had tried it, I immediately developed terrible allergy symptoms. I thought I’d be very sick after the 3 days, but decided to do it in order to be able to take the blood test. Shockingly, nothing happened! I was off the steroid inhalers for 3 days, 6 days, 9 days and was barely having any breathing problems! I couldn’t believe it! After 22 years! My homeopathic MD calls the skin “the lungs inside out”. He thinks the suppression of skin symptoms with topical steroids caused the problem to go inside and affect my lungs. Being off the topicals might be the cause of my improved asthma.

Towards the end of the 9 days, my allergy symptoms were bothering me again. I went back on the nasal inhaler, but not the asthma. As of today, I’ve been off the asthma steroids for almost 6 months with no asthma! I went back on the nasal but found I only need to use it once a week now, instead of every day.

3. My symptoms after 2 months of TSW (written in December, 2012):

Meanwhile, my skin is getting worse and worse, like everybody else’s. It itches A LOT, especially at night, and I can't sleep without some kind of sleeping pill. I have to fight so hard to keep from scratching my arms off, and they are terribly red, puffy & all cut up from my nails. Sometimes I feel depressed and anxious. The redness & itchiness is staring on my back and legs, areas that were not effected at first. My skin is so sensitive that I can barely wear a long-sleeve shirt even when it is quite cold. Luckily, I live in California. My husband likes to use flannel sheets in the winter (it does get somewhat cold here), but to me, soft cotton flannel feels like the roughest wool sweater. For the first few weeks, I couldn’t tolerate anything at all on my skin. At 2 months, I could use Vaseline and sometimes Aveeno Eczema Therapy. I also got a cream called Prean from Dr. Rappaport that works pretty well. My homeopathic doctor told me to mix it with 2 Essential Oils that are anti-inflammatory & I think they make it more tolerable. They are German Chamomile & Heliochrysum Italicum.

My eyes are totally puffy, red & irritated & sometimes other parts of my face are, too. I have cuts on my eyelids and around my eyes and mouth from scratching & rubbing.

My symptoms are:
Very swollen eyes
Lots of itching
Can't sleep because of the itching
Skin sometimes radiates heat/Sometimes I shiver with cold for no apparent reason
Skin is very sensitive - sometimes even cotton shirts feel like sandpaper
Skin is leathery in a lot of areas - neck & arms mainly
Skin is very dry and flakes all over the place
Face and arms are sometimes red, but not always
Lots of cuts all over wrists & arms from insane scratching
Definite line where red stops between wrists & palms
Bad spots behind knees
Red spots on legs & little bumps
Totally preoccupied with my skin lately.

So, when I showed Dr. Rapaport & told him this, he basically said "YOU HAVE STEROID WITHDRAWAL! STOP TRYING TO DIFFERENTIATE BETWEEN ONE SYMPTOM AND ANOTHER! Not everyone is exactly the same and you just have to be patient & get through it, and we're here to help you and hold your hand."

Right now I dread going to bed. It's so uncertain what will happen.

You never know what's going to happen next. For example, one day I had a pretty good day without being too itchy and then, as soon as the sun went down, I started to itch and it continued all night.

I haven't had the leaking of fluid, but many other people have written about it, so this is also common. I can't keep myself from scratching myself bloody. I try not to, but it's an uncontrollable impulse.

The steroids do so much more damage to our bodies than I ever realized.

I also noticed that my urine is darker and stronger than ever.I always drank a lot of water & my urine was usually clear. I think maybe the heat in my body is absorbing the water and so the urine is more concentrated. When I wake up in the morning, unlike in my normal past, I hardly have any pee waiting to come out.

I've been taking Ambien or Melatonin to sleep. They each have their pros & cons. I hate to use sleeping medication, but my nights are just too torturous without them. When I've taken Benadryl or Atarax, either they don't work, or I wake up feeling emotionally weird (anxious).
I've been trying a few things like Ambien & Anti-histamines, and I find that when I take them I wake up depressed. Also, just looking into the black hole of how long this will take is quite depressing. Sometimes I don't itch during the day and I start feeling almost normal, and then suddenly the itching starts again and I plunge into despair. We have to keep in mind that this WILL end eventually and we will go back to normal.

My legs and back were unaffected at first and then suddenly they got all bumpy and sandpapery, also with some red blotches.

I also agree about the intense itching. I keep myself from scratching all day sometimes, feeling happy that my skin is starting to heal, and then in 1/2 hour fit of itching I destroy it all over again and end up with new wounds and have to start all the healing from square one. (I was going to say "from scratch" but that was a painful metaphor I chose to avoid).

I've thought about itching and scratching a lot. It's really like an addiction. You tell yourself for hours that you're not going to scratch, and then suddenly you're itching and nothing in the world matters except SCRATCHING! You forget all your resolutions and even tell yourself excuses about why it's acceptable, even at the same time as you're aware of the damage you're doing to your skin. Also, if it's not inappropriate to say this, the feeling of scratching is sometimes almost orgasmically intense - as is the feeling of super hot water, I've noticed. But I stay away from the hot water because I know it's too drying to the skin. I bet if we could all refrain from scratching, our skin would heal so much faster.

The back of my right knee (along with both wrists) is my worst area. I keep tearing it apart over and over, can't help myself.

4. My Symptoms at 6 months (April, 2012):
My back, torso & most of my legs have normal skin now. The back of my knees, arms from elbow down, top of hands, eyes, chin, neck & upper chest are still red, itchy and very sensitive. My temperature and energy levels are now normal. I can exercise and do all activities except sitting still. I can't sit still because I get too itchy. I still dread bedtime, never knowing how my sleep will be. I can usually get about 6 hours if I stay in bed until noon. I usually don't go to bed until about 3 am.