How to Stop Using Topical Steroid Cream or Get Control of Anabolic Steroid Use: Herbs, Supplements, and More
Important Update:
Recently, a client of ours had success at using Baking Soda Therapy to get rid of Sezary Syndrome, a condition that looks and feels identical to topical steroid cream withdrawal. This client used coconut oil and baking soda topically on the skin. They worked with other aspects of Baking Soda Therapy to cure lymphoma naturally. Read more here about Baking Soda Therapy here as a cure for cancer, but make special note that baking soda and coconut oil (administered in approximately a 50-50 ratio) can be used topically to get rid of the steroid cream withdrawal rash.NOTE: In addition to the herbs, amino acids, and supplements that we talk about below and in our book The Anti-Addiction Encyclopedia, for the treatment of steroid cream addiction, Lydi and I have also recently finished developing the DreamLight.app, an addiction guided meditation tool that uses brain entrainment strategies to create a powerful trance state. Trance states are healing states of mind and they are an important part of overcoming most diseases. The DreamLight.app uses metaphor (in the guided meditation), hypnotic music, and light patterns that mimic natural phenomena such as light passing through the leaves in the trees, or the flickering light of a fire to give users access to their subconscious minds during the withdrawal process. This tool used to be available only to healers and therapists for thousands of dollars, but we felt like something this safe and this effective should be available to non-healers and patients too. Whereas in many places of the world, there are sacred indigenous medicines like Iboga or Ayahuasca that can be used to overcome addictions, in many developed countries, these medicines have been made illegal. So our goal was to create a tech-based-Iboga-or-Ayahuasca-analogue that people struggling with addiction can use at home. The DreamLight.app was designed to be used in tandem with Mucuna pruriens and the other supplements we talk about below so that those who are struggling with addiction can create a powerful healing protocol to overcome addiction at home. UPDATE 2023: Though scientific studies have not confirmed that agmatine sulfate can be used to lessen steroid withdrawal symptoms, it's likely that this non-toxic, naturally occurring, non-addictive substance would be useful in some cases to reduce symptoms of withdrawal from steroid creams. Click here to learn more about how to use agmatine for drug withdrawals. Click here to learn more about agmatine sulfate in general, including dosing recommendations.
BulkSupplements.com Agmatine Sulfate Powder - Supplement for Nitric Oxide Production - Unflavored, Gluten Free - 1000mg per Serving, 250 Servings (250 Grams - 8.8 oz)
Not everyone who's addicted to steroids looks like this. Many people become addicted to steroid creams due to skin issues or as a treatment for inflammation. Few people who develop an addiction had any notion that the use of these creams would lead to addiction. Thankfully, there are powerful natural treatments for steroid cream addiction.Scientists believe that the L-Dopa in Mucuna stimulates growth hormone and the Safed Musli increases testosterone levels and sperm production.
Steroid Addiction Syndrome
Anabolic steroid use can lead to a number of undesirable effects including delayed puberty in adolescent boys, hormonal imbalance in men, breast cancer in both men and women, impotence, hypogonadism, osteoporosis (weakening of the bones), muscle loss, anemia, and endometriosis. If you take anabolic steroids or any type of over-the-counter steroids, you may develop Steroid Addiction Syndrome. To overcome these problems and create balance during withdrawals and detox from steroids, the following herbs and supplements are helpful:- Mucuna pruriens - Take 6000 mg per day (1500 mg in the morning, at noon, at 3:00 PM, and again before bed)
- B-Complex vitamin that contains at least 25 mg of vitamin B6
- Amino acid supplement (the Super Balanced Neurotransmitter Complex brand is a good choice)
- N-acetyl-cysteine (NAC) - Take 100-600mg every 4 hours. This supplement will help your brain and body rebalance so that you don’t feel as much like engaging in addictive behaviors.
- Tribulus terrestris - Tribulus contains steroidal saponins and it has effects that weakly mimic the natural testosterone in the body. Take 250 to 1500mg per day.
- Safed Musli (also known as both Chlorophytum bovilianum or Asparagus adscendens) - This herb is an immunomodulator which means that it can help keep some of the symptoms fo Steroid Addiction withdrawal under control. Take 1-2 tablespoons per day on an empty stomach. Be aware that it can be difficult to digest Safed Musli when it is taken at too high of a dose. Lower the dose if digestion becomes an issue for you.
Topical Steroid Syndrome and Steroid Addiction Syndrome
Patients who have been applying topical steroids in the form of creams, gels, solutions, tapes, aerosols, or lotions to treat itching or inflammation or a variety of other dermatological issues may develop Topical Steroid Withdrawal Syndrome. Most doctors won’t recognize the problem or associate it with the use or discontinuation of topical steroids. The withdrawal effects may occur even if the patient has been using steroid-containing creams or lotions for two weeks or less. Often the disease that is being treated with topical steroids looks and feels very similar to the side effects caused by withdrawal from topical steroids.Topical steroid withdrawal symptoms may include any of the following:
- Red skin
- Burning skin
- Peeling skin
- Suppression of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis
- Cushing’s Syndrome
- Growth retardation in children
- Glaucoma
- Death of bone tissue, particularly in the hip joint
- Severe cytomegalovirus infection resulting in the death of infants
- Adrenal gland shrinkage/atrophy (recovery from shrinkage of the adrenal gland may take 5-6 months)
- High blood pressure
- Diabetes
- Buffalo hump (a fatty bump at the base of the neck)
- Facio-Troncular obesity
- Skin depigmentation
- Excessive bodily hair growth in girls and women
- Excessive growth of the clitoris in girls and women (the development of male sexual characteristics)
- Early appearance of pubic hair
- Acne in children
- Stretch marks
- Cancer of the adrenal glands (in adults and children)
- Thin and fragile skin
- Death
According to some sources, patients who have been using topical steroid creams to treat atopic dermatitis are the ones most at risk of developing these problems, but often, patients with skin problems have a hard time distinguishing between the original skin health problem and the side effects caused by prolonged steroid use. For example, topical steroid use by psoriasis sufferers or urticaria sufferers may originally alleviate the problem, but with repeated use even over a short period of time, the side effects of not using the steroid cream may mimic symptoms of skin disorders which can lead to increased use of the topical steroid cream, a correspondingly increased dosage of the drug, and increased withdrawal symptoms when the topical steroid cream is discontinued.
The withdrawal effects from steroid creams are even more pronounced in children and the elderly. The duration of withdrawal effects from using topical steroids can last months or even years without palliative herbal treatment, diet changes, and supplements.
Below are medical conditions for which topical steroids are commonly prescribed:
- Anal itching
- Recurrent aphthous stomatitis
- Aphthous ulcers
- Dermatitis (including atopic dermatitis and seborrheic dermatitis)
- Skin lesions
- Skin disorders of various kinds
- Eczema
- Gingivitis
- Hemorrhoids
- Granuloma Annulare
- Intertrigo
- Lichen planus
- Lichen Sclerosus
- Psoriasis
- Proctitis
- Pruritus
- Skin rash (also known as urticaria)
- Stomatitis
- Ulcerative colitis
- Vaginal yeast infection
- Thrush (yeast infection of the mouth)
Below are common steroids and corticosteroids that cause Topical Steroid Syndrome and Steroid Addiction Syndrome. Please remember that new drugs are constantly being developed so this is not an exhaustive list. Do a Google search to find out whether a drug you’re taking or using topically belongs to the steroid or corticosteroid class of medications:
- Mometasone
- Clobetasol
- Triamcinolone
- Fluocinonide
- Fluradrenolide
- Halobetasol
- Desoximetasone
- Dexamethasone
- Ketoconazole
- Fluconazole
- Desonide
- Clocortolone
- Clotrimazole
- Econazole
- Hydrocortisone
- Betamethasone
- Fluticasone
- Halcinonide
- Prednicarbate
- Desoximetasone
- DIflorasone
- Alclometasone
To treat Topical Steroid Syndrome, the use of the topical steroids must be discontinued either suddenly or slowly over time.
How to Overcome Steroid Withdrawal Symptoms:
Addictive behaviors are caused by low levels of dopamine and the Mucuna pruriens bean can help restore dopamine levels quickly (usually within 4-8 hours). But Mucuna also helps balance the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis through negative feedback mechanisms. Essentially, when you raise dopamine levels in the brain and in the body, cortisol levels naturally go down. Cortisol is the “stress hormone” and it is released in larger bursts by the outer layers of the adrenal gland (known as the adrenal cortex) when a person experiences stress. High cortisol levels in the body signal a cascade of responses that can perpetuate steroid withdrawal symptoms, including feelings of exhaustion, symptoms of Cushing’s Syndrome, high blood pressure, diabetes, etc. Dopamine and cortisol have an inverse relationship so when dopamine levels go down cortisol levels go up. And when dopamine levels go up, cortisol levels go down. So, one of the most important ways to restore the health of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis is to keep dopamine levels high. When cortisol levels go down (in response to high levels of dopamine), the body will respond by balancing other aspects of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis.Below are symptoms of Topical Steroid Syndrome:
- Red skin
- Burning skin
- An uncontrollable itch that feels like it goes all the way to the bone
- Hot skin
- Inflammation
- Hives or oozing skin
Below is the most important herb and supplement protocol that will help you overcome a steroid addiction of any kind as well as symptoms of Steroid Withdrawals or Topical Steroid Syndrome:
- Mucuna pruriens - Take 6000 mg per day (1500 mg in the morning, at noon, at 3:00 PM, and again before bed)
- B-Complex vitamin that contains at least 25 mg of vitamin B6
- N-acetyl-cysteine (NAC) - NAC can help with a variety of dermatological issues. Unfortunately, this incredible medicine is currently under the gun by the FDA because it is a cure for COVID and Big Pharma doesn't want anyone to know about it. Take 100-600mg every 4 hours for topical steroid addiction. This supplement will help your brain and body rebalance so that you don’t feel as much like engaging in addictive behaviors (for example, many alcoholics drink at specific times of the day or in specific situations, and NAC helps reduce the need to drink at these times). It will also help your skin detoxify and rebalance more quickly. It isn't possible to buy this product through Amazon, but you can still buy it directly through NOW Foods at the time of this writing.
In addition to the above supplements and herbs, consider taking 5-HTP and St. John’s Wort to prevent depression during the initial withdrawal period:
- 5-HTP - Begin by taking 100 mg of 5-HTP daily, but be aware that this drug could increase skin redness and itching. Discontinue use of 5-HTP if this occurs.
- St. John’s Wort - Begin with a low dose of St. John’s Wort and increase the dose slowly. This herb can also increase skin redness and itching during withdrawals from topical steroid creams. Discontinue use of St. John’s Wort if this occurs.
- Ox Bile - can be taken at a dose of 1000 mg per day. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, bile acids are even applied topically to the skin as an “artificial skin” to protect the skin from infection and inflammation. It is applied as a dressing to cover areas of the skin that are ailing.
- Taurine - Taking a daily taurine supplement can help the body manufacture more of its own natural bile salts.
To reduce skin itching, burning, and inflammation, consider taking Thundergod Vine (Tripterygium wilfordii) with Licorice Root (Glycyrrhiza glabra). Thundergod Vine modulates the immune system and inflammatory response and combining it with licorice root will improve its effectiveness.
- Thundergod Vine - Take up to 380 mg per day of ethanol/ethyl acetate Thundergod Vine root extract. Start with a lower dose of 120 mg per day and work up to a maximum dose of 380 mg per day. Take the lowest dose possible of Thundergod Vine to reduce Topical Steroid Syndrome symptoms during the detox and withdrawal period.
- Licorice Root - Combine Thundergod Vine extracts with licorice root extracts (at 760 mg per day to 15 g per day) to reduce the amount of Thundergod Vine that you need to take in order to achieve the desired effects.
Below are two herbs that can be used to rebalance testosterone levels in the body during the initial stages of detox and withdrawal from steroids.
- Tribulus terrestris - Tribulus contains steroids and it has an effect that weakly mimisc the natural testosterone available in the body. Take 250 to 1500mg per day.
- Safed Musli (also known as both Chlorophytum bovilianum or Asparagus adscendens) - This is an herb that works as an immunomodulator which means that it can help keep some of the symptoms of Steroid withdrawal under control. For women with a white vaginal discharge, take Safed Musli in the evening with kali musli, ashwagandha, shatavari, and salep in equal quantities. Take 1-2 tablespoons per day on an empty stomach and be aware that it can be hard to digest when taken at too high of a dose. Lower the dose if digestion is an issue for you.
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