BBC News
By Emilia Belli
image captionElin Wade had a bad reaction to the creams she was using for eczema
A woman who lost three stone (19kg) and had hallucinations while using topical steroids has called for more support for people reacting to skin treatments.
Teacher Elin Wade, from Swansea, had bad reactions after using creams prescribed for an eczema flare-up.
The 29-year-old said she was made to feel like a fraud as topical steroid addiction is not recognised as an official condition by the NHS.
The Welsh government said serious reactions were uncommon .
About 10% of adults and 20% of children in the UK have eczema, with topical steroids considered a safe and effective way in most cases to manage it.
A woman who has been suffering from severe eczema after steroid withdrawal has claimed that doctors laugh at her when she blames the medication they prescribed.
Elin Wade, from Swansea, Wales, has lived with eczema - mainly limited to the folds of her arms - ever since she was a child.
The 30-year-old said the patches would only flare up for a few days and were easily manageable with soothing cream.
But, after Elin began her career as an English teacher five years ago, she became self-conscious of her eczema patches and was advised by doctors to treat them topical steroid creams.