Hydrocortisone for skin: a steroid medicine for treating eczema, psoriasis and insect bites

Most people only need to use hydrocortisone skin treatments for a short time. I took myself off steroid creams when I was 24 and actually managed to keep the side effects ‘at bay,’ but I was completely moisture-addicted. It may also mean that you’re familiar with hydrocortisone products.

When an infection is also present with mild inflammation, you can use the combination of hydrocortisone with fusidic acid, called Fucidin H cream.
Topical corticosteroids are used on adults, children and young people.
GPs will typically prescribe very mild to moderate TCS creams for short periods (up to around 2-4 weeks) but refer your child to a consultant if stronger or more prolonged treatments are needed.
If you are concerned you may have TSW make sure you speak to your doctor,’ explains Dr Vyas.

He currently supports our clinical team by providing robust clinical governance review of our internal processes and information. Hydrocortisone for skin does not affect any types of contraception, including the combined pill or the emergency contraception. Using hydrocortisone where to buy anabolic steroids online forum for a long time without stopping can mean some of the medicine gets into your blood. If this happens, there’s a very small chance it can cause serious side effects, such as adrenal gland problems, high blood sugar (hyperglycaemia), or problems with your eyesight.

Topical corticosteroids

Topical corticosteroids are creams, gels or ointments containing corticosteroids. Corticosteroids are hormones that can reduce inflammation (redness and swelling), suppress the immune system and narrow the blood vessels in the skin. Topical corticosteroid (topical steroid) preparations are used in the management of inflammatory skin conditions other than those due to an infection. They are not curative, and should be used with other measures, such as irritant avoidance and use of regular emollients.

However, it is always sensible to follow the manufacturer’s instructions when using a topical corticosteroid to ensure that a minimal amount is absorbed into the bloodstream.
A medical survey in Italy discovered that 81 per cent of parents feared topical corticosteroids.
That said, sometimes, these creams are prescribed by doctors for use on the complexion.
According to an advice leaflet issued by the NHS, ‘A number of studies have been done to look at the benefit of using topical steroids in eczema versus the potential harm from side effects.
Topical corticosteroids include hydrocortisone, alclometasone, beclometasone, clobetasone, diflucortolone, fludroxycortide, fluocinolone, fluocinonide, fluocortolone, fluticasone, mometasone and triamcinolone.
For insect bites and stings, nappy rash or contact dermatitis you’ll probably only need to use a skin cream for up to 1 week.

Pulsing is a term used when a steroid is used for four weeks, with four weeks’ rest or more if the skin is clear. This use of topical steroids allows the skin to recover between courses of treatment and the individual should be reviewed every three months. If allergic contact dermatitis occurs with topical steroids, then patch testing is required and patients should be switched to another steroid in the same potency group. If tachyphylaxis (decrease in the response to a drug) occurs then it is best to change to another product using a different molecule.

What are the different strengths of topical steroids?

This is because the skin is thinner in certain parts of the body and more sensitive to the effects of corticosteroids. Your doctor will only prescribe hydrocortisone butyrate for you while you’re pregnant or breastfeeding if the benefits of the medicine outweigh the risks. Hydrocortisone creams that you buy from a pharmacy can be used in pregnancy or while you’re breastfeeding.

In each case, your doctor will advise how and when to use your prescribed product and for how long. It’s important to follow this advice and to not follow what someone else with the same cream may be doing. South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust would like your feedback.

Please take time to read the patient information leaflet that comes with your medicine. The recommended course of treatment largely depends on weighing up the benefits of corticosteroids against the side effects. Steroid tablets may be recommended if you’re pregnant and have severe asthma.

Are steroids bad for eczema?

If you’re using a treatment you’ve bought from a pharmacy or shop, speak to your doctor if you still have symptoms after 1 week, or if your skin gets worse at any time. It’s very unlikely that other medicines – either prescribed or ones you buy from a pharmacy or shop – will affect the way hydrocortisone works. In rare cases, using hydrocortisone for a long time can slow down the normal growth of children and teenagers. Sometimes hydrocortisone is mixed with antimicrobials (chemicals that kill germs).

This is based on the whole area being treated therefore if only a proportion of the area is affected the number of FTU should be adjusted accordingly. Squeeze the topical steroid in a line from the last finger crease to the fingertip. Many of these products are cheap to buy and are readily available OTC along with advice from pharmacies.

What Are the Possible Side Effects of Hydrocortisone Cream?

Topical corticosteroids are medicines applied directly to the skin to treat conditions such as eczema or psoriasis. Patients can experience topical steroid withdrawal reactions after using these products at least daily for long periods of time. It is not unusual for skin conditions to flare up or return shortly after stopping topical corticosteroids. However, very infrequently, a severe type of topical steroid withdrawal reaction can occur, which may also be known as red skin syndrome or topical steroid addiction.

It’s run by the medicines safety watchdog called the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). If there is a significant flare and the skin is infected then antibiotics may be used in addition to the emollients and topical steroids. However, when a flare-up occurs, emollients by themselves are often not enough to control the itch that is characteristic of eczema.

Suitable quantities of corticosteroid preparations

This is unlikely to be permanent if you follow the usage instructions closely. That said, sometimes, these creams are prescribed by doctors for use on the complexion. But this can only be done under the supervision of a doctor, in certain circumstances (usually when other treatments have failed to work) and only for short periods of time such as seven to 14 days.