Woman suffers from painful skin condition sparked by kissing her pet dog and cat

A woman has revealed her upsetting skin condition has come from an allergic reaction to kissing her pet cat and dog.

Mare Zijlstra, 25, developed Topical Steroid Withdrawal symptoms overnight in 2020 after she stopped using a hormonal ointment that she had been prescribed for eczema and using for eight years.

She believes the condition was caused by her pet, as she was later diagnosed with allergies to dogs, cats, dust mites and pollen.

Mare, from Groningen in the Netherlands, noticed that after she had stopped applying the treatment, she almost immediately developed burning, intense itching and skin flakes, edema, pustules, redness, and sensitivity to her skin.

At her worst, she suffered hair loss, nerve pain, numbness in certain areas of her body and extreme body temperatures.

Mare didn't want to go outside because people would see her skin (mediadrumimages/Mare Zijlstra)

She suffered from stress and anxiety during this time (mediadrumimages/Mare Zijlstra)

The hormonal ointment that Mare was prescribed by her doctor was a topical steroid, which meant that her skin became accustomed to the steroid over extended and prolonged use, leaving her with a flurry of symptoms after she had stopped using it.

It took a long time for Mare to conclude that her reaction first started with animals, as doctors first diagnosed her with extreme eczema.

“At the time I was prescribed hormone ointment, a topical steroid, for a rash around my mouth, nose, eyes, neck, and hands,” she said.

“At that time, the doctor saw it as eczema. In hindsight, I don't think it was eczema, but an allergic reaction to our pets that I cuddled and kissed regularly.

At her worst she suffered hair loss, nerve pain, numbness in certain areas of her body, feeling boiling hot or ice cold, intense anxiety and being unable to sleep at night (mediadrumimages/Mare Zijlstra)

Mare began her journey of recovery by creating an account on Instagram called tswplatform.

She posted frequent pictures of her skin flare-ups and positive, inspiring messages about how she had been dealing with Topical Steroid Withdrawal.

Posting about her own journey through her Instagram page, and helping to inspire others that are also suffering from Topical Steroid Withdrawal, has made Mare become happier and more accepting of herself and her skin.

“I started my Instagram because I wanted to share my experiences with others. In the early days I felt very unheard and misunderstood,” she said.

“Especially since there was no diagnosis, people around me didn't understand why I stopped using hormone ointments, especially since my skin would get better if I started smearing it again.

“The Instagram account helped me to keep this up and not fall back into using hormone ointment."