Georgia woman, 20, was bedridden and forced to be spoon-fed after her skin became scaly and red from an extreme reaction to eczema cream

A Georgia woman had a severe skin condition that left her bedridden for months and unable to support herself.

Natalie Merchant Wright suffers from a condition known as topical steroid withdrawal (TSW) which causes a “bone-deep” itch that can only be temporarily relieved by vigorous scratching, causing her skin to weep, bleed and hurt.

It started when she was just a baby and suffered from eczema, prompting her doctor to prescribe her a topical steroid cream.

But over time, her body got used to the steroid and it stopped working for her and even burned back, causing her symptoms that caused such excruciating pain that it was an unbearable burden to shower and even use the toilet to go to

Although she stopped using topical steroid cream in August 2017, her painful withdrawal rash continued and made her feel like a “leper” when she went out in public.

TSW has been extremely painful for Mrs Wright, who is often unwilling to leave the house for fear of attracting unwanted attention to her appearance.

TThe National Eczema Association (NEA) said the number of people with TSW is difficult to estimate.

She said: “I work in retail. They mean well, but will ask things like, “Oh my god, what’s wrong with your skin?” why do you look like that What happened, did you get burned or did you have an accident?”

“Half the time you feel awful, sick, like an outcast and a leper, and people kind of treat you like that whether they want to or not.”

She suffered from mild eczema from the age of two months and was prescribed topical steroids to reduce the inflammation caused by the skin condition.

He told his girlfriend “don’t look at me” after using eczema cream

Harry Dooner, 28, from the UK, said he used topical steroids for his eczema for more than a year before stopping, sending his body into painful withdrawal.

The 20-year-old newlywed said the lotion caused a series of flare-ups, mistaken for eczema, which she tried to cure with everything – including “hardcore” bone broth fasting and eating nothing but meat for six months.

But in August 2017, the store’s team leader discovered she was suffering from local steroid withdrawal, so she hasn’t touched the lotion since.

Ms Wright said she had endured ‘literal hell’ from the condition, which causes severe scratching and leaves the skin over her body red, rough and oozing.

She also struggles with simple tasks like opening doors and taking a shower, as the sensation of water touching her body is similar to lemon juice on a slice.

“The kind where you can’t scratch enough and you burn after you stop, so you want to scratch more.” It’s such a catch-22,” she said.

“I remember going to school and I couldn’t help but scream and cry because it hurt so much… There were times I would lie in bed praying for hours and then get up, give up and lay on my bathroom floor crying.”

In December, Natalie was forced to take a holiday due to the severity of her condition. She even wet the bed a few times because she didn’t have the strength to go to the bathroom.

She added: “It wasn’t unusual to wake up with bloody sheets and my own dead skin cells – it felt like waking up with crumbs in the bed.”

“There have been times in the last four months where things have been so bad that I’ve had to be spoon-fed, which is really embarrassing – you feel so helpless.”

TSW affects nerves, making Mrs Wright hypersensitive to temperature and texture. She said she was always too cold or too hot.

Natalie claims she is bombarded with hundreds of questions every day asking, “What happened?” and regarded it as a burnt offering.

These super insensitive questions, usually with good intentions, really hurt and sometimes 801 after 800 of these comments a day is enough to crack [you] and I would just burst into tears.’

Natalie said her symptoms weren’t as bad when she was younger, but she did have problem areas, especially her ears and elbow creases.

Because of her skin problems, Natalie said she had a hard time growing up because she wanted to feel as “pretty” as her peers and often struggled to tap and hold pencils at school.

There were times over the years when she didn’t want to leave the house, but had to “grin and bear it” because she had to go to school and work.

Natalie’s most recent flare-up, which began in December, was her longest and most severe to date, forcing her to retire from work.

She said: “I have been bedridden since December. I went out about every two weeks to get my nails done. I get super thick acrylic paint because it keeps me from doing as much damage when I scratch.

Natalie’s condition causes uncontrollable itching and leaves her with open, bleeding and oozing sores

Ms Wright, a swing dancer, said she had tried “anything and everything” to treat her skin, including visits to a set of health professionals trying various creams, medicines and dietary supplements.

She also changed her diet and went dairy and gluten free for five years to banish food allergies.

After years of feeling “helpless”, she discovered Cold Atmospheric Plasma Therapy (CAP), a treatment only available in the UK, Singapore and Thailand. This gave Natalie light at the end of the tunnel.

Natalie and her husband Matthew Wright (25) tied the knot on April 3 before leaving for Thailand for treatment four days later, and after just two sessions she is already noticing a big difference.

She has now set up GoFundMe to raise $30,000 to cover treatment costs as well as her flights, visas and living expenses during her stay. She has raised nearly $21,500 so far.

She said on her GoFundMe page: “I have suffered from this condition for over 20 years… long enough to drive me crazy enough to fly to Thailand for treatment. I am at the point of desperation where no benchmark is not too far. I want my life back.’

She said the results of the treatment, which is specifically designed for TSW, will be permanent and have little to no side effects. Although she may still have mild skin problems, more like eczema, these will be much more manageable.

She currently gets it once a week and how long it takes depends on how her skin reacts.

Natalie said: “The treatment was a light at the end of the tunnel. I’ve noticed a big difference, it’s very exciting.

“I see improvements between each treatment – ​​the redness decreases and the peeling increases which means your body is healing and regenerating skin cells.

The treatment significantly improved her sleep, enabling her to sleep nearly six hours a night.

“I think I’ll look like a new woman, I can’t wait.”

She and her husband plan to live there for a year, or at least until Natalie’s condition improves.