Sores from sensitive skin due to steroids

[Cynthgob]

Anyone have a way to close these sores from steroid usage? Every time my husband bumps or scratches himself he gets a new scab and they don’t heal easily. Tried neosporin and other creams. Thoughts? I can’t let him swim until he’s healed!

[tallguy2]

Thanks for your post and question. How do you know that the sores are from steroid use? What dose is he taking? I am taking 2.5 mg/day and continue to have sores on my chest. Never thought it could be from the steroid use.

I still swim laps but wear a t-shirt until I enter the water so as to not gross out fellow swimmers. Same on return to the locker room. Please have your husband get back to the pool!

[Cynthgob in reply to tallguy2]

I was told by several drs that the tears in the skin were due to steroids. The cardiologist is the one that didn’t think he could go in pool with the sores open. I don’t want him to get mrsa or something else?

[Hidden]

I have the exact same problem and was wondering if it was from the steroids. Seems like I just bump something and have a cut and bleeding. Some spots seem like they never completely heal although lately there have been less of them.

[Cynthgob in reply to Hidden]

You have described it better than me. This is exactly what is happening!

[Hidden in reply to Cynthgob]

Here's an article on the subject. They are saying that systemic long term use is a bigger factor than short duration, higher doses.

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/237...

[marlins1 in reply to Hidden]

Steroids and getting older thin the skin, reduce collagen in our connective tissue. Use of thinners make bruising a problem. Try to use some hydrating creams like hyaluronic acid or collagen .

[michael00]

I get bruises and cuts but only on arms so far. I use an OTC cream, gold bond ultimate healing. Seems to help them heal and fade faster.

[tallguy2 in reply to michael00]

Great suggestions, thanks.

[Turt713171]

Think the cause of the bruising is from very thin skin from sun damage

[High_flyer]

My husband has this problem also. He’s been on dex since November and the slightest scratch wreaks havoc on his arms and legs. I also never suspected dex as the root cause until reading this post.

[Cynthgob in reply to High_flyer]

Watch the dex! Also swollen ankles and water weight in face and tummy.

[mrscruffy]

I have not heard of this before. I am 57 and on Prednisone. I have gotten tattoos and they heal normally as do scratches. Guess I am lucky and gives me something to look out for in the future

[Cynthgob in reply to mrscruffy]

This started on the dexamethasone not prednisone!

[Hidden in reply to Cynthgob]

Same with me.

[milto27xabc]

old age , sun and mostly prednisone make my arms amess of bruises , scrapes , bandages but cutting the prednisone from 10mg/day to 5mg helped a lot and stopped the squamose cell cancers/ .prednisone reduces the immune system

[mcp1941]

My bruising started when I switched from P to D. to try to get some additional time with Zytiga, however D did not help. When I see my MO in 4 weeks I am going to ask him to put me back on P. Bruising takes a long time to clear up, usually 3 - 4 months. So far only on my forearms.

MikeP

[Cynthgob in reply to mcp1941]

Exactly the same here. P to D! D helped for 8 months and now off zytiga and dex.

[GAdrummer]

I keep a kit in the bathroom that includes: a variety of sizes of non-stick pads, sterile saline solution, Aquaphor healing ointment, sterile gauze sponges, nitrile gloves, rubbing alcohol (to sterilize the gloves), paper tape (to hold the pads together), sterile padding, and Ace bandages to wrap the limb. My husband would get large tears from the least little thing or a fall and barely heal before it would happen again. Now that he's off prednisone, he only needs a small bandage and can wear Bermuda shorts and short sleeved shirts.

[Cynthgob in reply to GAdrummer]

Which treatment is he on that doesn’t require steroid?? Thank you for the information.

[GAdrummer]

Keytruda, he's finishing up two years on it. He finally got lucky. The two years of chemo were about to kill him rather than the cancer. It came with a price: adrenal and thyroid insufficiency.