My eczema steroid withdrawal was so horrific that trying to treat it cost me more than a mortgage. This is how I finally fixed it after years of hell... and it saved my life

A mum-of-two suffered horrifically painful, red and raw skin after she ditched her eczema creams for the first time in 35 years - and almost lost everything trying to treat it.

Christine Vyse, from Perth , was given various topical and oral steroid medication, as advised by doctors, to treat her dry sensitive skin from the young age of seven - after her parents noticed she was allergic to their dogs.

As her skin condition worsened she was progressively prescribed stronger creams until she noticed the highest potency no longer seemed to work.

After decades of relying heavily on the medication, she finally cut steroids out of her life in 2020 because she realised her eczema was not getting any better.

However, her decision came at an extremely painful cost.

She ended up suffering from topical steroid withdrawal (TSW) - a debilitating condition where the skin reacts after stopping the use of the creams.

The pain was so unbearable, she would find herself glued to her bedsheets every morning because of the 'ooze' and blood seeping from her skin.

In a desperate bid to soothe her crippling flared up face, the mum said her skin treatments were costing her more than a mortgage.

'My skin was constantly bleeding, red, scabbing and tearing. It was a truly horrendous time. I've always taken pride in my appearance and to constantly feel so ugly and uncomfortable, it was awful,' she told Daily Mail Australia.

'Waking up in the morning being stuck to my sheets from the ooze and blood, having my hair stuck to my face, splits around my lips and eyes... just facing each morning was an extreme challenge.

'I was very depressed and at one point, I had dark thoughts, but the mother's guilt kicked in, thankfully, and I could not have imagined leaving my children without their mother.'

Christine said her doctors began prescribing her topical steroid creams when she experienced a mild skin condition as a young child.

'For the next 35 years the strength went up as I became caught in a cycle of rebound flares from coming off the steroids which presented as more severe eczema each time,' she recalled.

Overtime, she noticed her symptoms would flare up uncontrollably.

Like many other eczema sufferers, she believes her skin issues were triggered by the the continuous use of topical steroids, prescribed by dermatologists and doctors.

Christine spent thousands on specialists, tests and skin treatments, including $3,000 on a red light therapy machine.

'Over the years, I tried everything. Wet wraps, a lot of dietary changes, several rounds of immunotherapy, allergy tests and even CBD oil,' she said.

'I stopped drinking alcohol, in particular wine had been a big trigger and avoided any known triggers that my testing indicated like gluten, pork, cats, horses, tree pollen and dust mites.

'Stress exacerbates it, and I'm mindful of what I'm eating. I might have a bit of cake at a birthday, but then I will avoid gluten like the plague.

'At home, we pulled out all the carpets, curtains, plants, trees, reducing the likelihood that I'd get an allergic reaction. Chemicals also flared me up, and when I got my hair bleached, it would burn any skin it touched within seconds.'

As a last resort, her doctor recommended an eczema treatment in 2020 called Dupixent, a targeted medicine that stops the body's immune system overreacting and producing more inflammation than is normal.

While there isn't a cure for eczema, Dupixent has been described as a 'life changing medicine' for Aussie sufferers struggling with severe atopic dermatitis.

The drug is injected once a fortnight for the rest of a person's life.

'It was $1,615 a month for a box of two injections, making it extremely unaffordable,' she recalled, adding that it was costing her more than $2,000 a month on her medication, moisturiser and specialist appointments.

Christine's skin condition was so severe, her husband started a FIFO job.

'I was so depressed, and when I got to breaking point, my husband said "there is no other choice" so he took a FIFO job to help pay for it. I felt incredibly guilty but was pushed to the brink,' she said.

Christine said she had to switch from working part-time to full-time just so she could afford to cover the ongoing costs of treating her eczema every month.

'It was costing us as much as taking out a second mortgage,' she said.

'But I got so desperate, if someone told me rubbing dog poo on my skin would help, I would have done it.'

As Christine managed to get her skin under control with the injections, she began using MooGoo cream .

'I found the cream hydrates my skin without any irritation. It's well priced and easily accessible so it became a part of my routine,' she said.

Within four months of using the drug along with the Australian natural skincare, she noticed her skin stopped tearing, bleeding and weeping.

'It took a lot of time, money and commitment, but the difference was incredible,' she said.

The mum had tears of relief when the Australian Government listed Dupixent on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) from March 2021 so the drug has been subsidised for all Aussies suffering from a severe form of eczema.

It now costs her just $41.30 per prescription on PBS.

'When it came on the PBS the following year, it was like winning the lotto as we were able to stop spending so much on medication,' she said.

Her skin has become 'stronger and stronger' over the last few years.

'My skin is so soft, it's been life changing. We don't panic now with a rare flare, and know it will pass with a bit of MooGoo, watching what I eat and not panicking about it,' she said.

'I wake up each day feeling happy and positive as I head off to my morning Pilates class where I can wear an outfit with my skin showing as I am no longer embarrassed or in despair with my skin.

'I have also lost weight as the steroids caused a lot of weight gain over the years and I am at the point now where people who haven't seen me for a few years don't even recognise me, which always makes me have a giggle.'

She's now spending less than $100 a month on her skincare routine.

'I still use Dupixent, which is just $41.30 per prescription,' she said.

'I now swear by three MooGoo creams - each of them under $25. They are the natural Double Cream with Ceramides, Soothing Natural Moisturiser and the Magnesium Moisturiser.

For those struggling with severe eczema or topical steroid withdrawal, Christine said: 'Push your doctors and specialists for answers and new treatments.

'I was lucky to come across some great people, like my holistic nutritionist, who sent me for some tests and supported me through this journey. They were expensive, but so worth it.

'If those tests ($400) were available through Medicare, it would help thousands more people who are struggling, especially with the rising cost of living.

'I would also encourage people to look for support groups online, such as Facebook as there are so many people suffering worldwide from suspected TSW and it really helps to know you are not alone.'

For confidential support, call Lifeline Australia on 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue at 1300 22 46 36