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Atopic Dermatitis Steroids and Herbal Medicine: Can They Be Used Together? A Safe Concomitant Guide

For atopic patients who fight against itching every day and spend sleepless nights due to red, swollen skin, steroid ointment can be a welcome presence that temporarily makes them forget their suffering. However, on the other hand, they are also swept by anxiety such as 'Is it okay to keep applying this medicine?', 'Do I need to use stronger and stronger ointment?' Especially recently, as interest in atopic herbal medicine treatment has increased, many people are visiting Dalimchae Clinic with questions about whether steroids and herbal medicine can be used together.

💡 Key Answer 3 most common questions about "Atopic Steroids and Herbal Medicine Concomitant Use": ① Concern about side effects caused by long-term use of steroids ② Anxiety about interaction and safety between herbal medicine and steroids ③ Hope for preventing recurrence through fundamental treatment of atopic dermatitis Dalimchae Clinic improves the fundamental cause of atopic skin and strengthens skin's inherent immunity through autonomic balance recovery via gut detoxification.

Steroid ointment is very effective in rapidly relieving acute symptoms of atopic dermatitis through strong anti-inflammatory action. It plays an unrivaled role in soothing red and itchy skin and quickly calming inflammatory reactions. However, many patients have deep concerns about the use of steroid ointment.

The biggest reason is concern about steroid side effects. Long-term use can cause problems such as thinning skin, capillary dilation, pigmentation, and increased susceptibility to infection. In addition, patients often experience a 'rebound phenomenon' where symptoms become severe again when ointment use is stopped, worrying about dependency. For this reason, atopic patients have an earnest desire to live a life without recurrence by raising the skin's own immunity and restoring a healthy skin barrier, beyond simply suppressing symptoms.

To sum up from the conclusion, according to the diagnosis and prescription of a specialist, using atopic herbal medicine and steroids concurrently is sufficiently safe, and on the contrary, it can play a positive role in enhancing treatment efficacy and reducing steroid usage. Atopic herbal medicine focuses on alleviating skin inflammation while finding balance inside our body, restoring skin barrier function, and regulating immunity to improve the root cause of atopy.

In fact, there are research results showing that herbal medicine treatment helps reduce steroid usage. A study published in the British Journal of Dermatology in 2007 administered herbal medicine (TCHM) or placebo for 12 weeks to 85 children suffering from moderate to severe atopic dermatitis, and as a result, topical steroid usage significantly decreased by about one-third in the herbal medicine group (P<0.024), and patients' quality of life also improved. This suggests that herbal medicine can play an auxiliary role in reducing steroid usage.

In addition, in 2023, the research team led by Dr. Jin-yeol Ma at the Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine (KIOM) revealed in a study published in the journal Molecules that the extract of the traditional medicinal herb 'Isatidis Folium' is effective in improving atopic dermatitis. As a result of oral administration of Isatidis Folium extract to an atopic dermatitis animal model, blood IgE production, a major biomarker of atopy, was suppressed by 53% compared to the control group, and the generation and expression of immune cell responses and inflammation-related factors were confirmed to be suppressed by 64%. The researchers concluded that these results show the possibility of developing new therapeutic substances for atopic dermatitis.

These studies show that herbal medicine can be an alternative to reduce steroid usage while complementing the limitations of steroid treatment through inflammation alleviation and immune regulation in atopic treatment. In particular, a systematic literature review on the treatment of atopic dermatitis with Asian herbal medicine published in Dermatology Reports in 2023 mentioned that herbal medicine can be used as an alternative treatment with fewer side effects, reporting significant improvement compared to placebo in most studies.

At Dalimchae Korean Medicine Clinic in Songdo Atopy Clinic, based on these research results, we pursue an integrated approach of producing synergistic effects by combining with Western medicine treatment in the acute phase requiring steroid treatment, gradually reducing steroid usage while raising skin's self-healing power through herbal medicine treatment.

At Dalimchae Clinic, we do not view atopy simply as a skin problem. Itching and inflammation appearing on the skin are understood as 'warning lights' generated due to internal imbalance in the body, especially the collapse of the Gut-Brain Axis and instability of the autonomic nervous system. Beyond being an organ simply responsible for digestion, our gut is an important immune organ where more than 70% of immune cells exist, and is closely connected to the brain to the extent of being called the 'second brain'.

Atopic patients often suffer from 'Leaky Gut Syndrome' where harmful substances leak into the blood as barrier function weakens. Toxins accumulated in the barrier in this way spread throughout the body via blood, inducing chronic inflammatory reactions in the skin. In addition, when the balance of the autonomic nervous system is broken due to excessive stress or irregular lifestyle habits, sympathetic nerves are hyperactive, worsening immune hyperreaction and lowering skin recovery function. The vicious cycle where itching further worsens as the brain fails to rest and maintains a state of tension, leading to sleep disorders and hindering recovery, is repeated.

To solve these complex problems, Dalimchae Clinic focuses on gut detoxification treatment. We concentrate on removing gut toxins to strengthen the barrier and creating a beneficial gut flora environment to normalize immunity. Through this, we reduce toxins in the blood, alleviate systemic inflammatory reactions, and cultivate the power for the skin to recover on its own. In addition, by combining herbal medicine prescriptions and acupuncture treatment to help autonomic stabilization tailored to individual constitutions and symptoms, we help control the hypersensitive immune system and alleviate skin itching. Songdo Skin Disease Clinic Dalimchae Clinic aims to break the recurrence loop of atopy by strengthening the skin's inherent immune system.

Check if any of the following apply to you. The more items apply, the higher the likelihood that internal imbalance in the body has deepened.

• □ Skin frequently itches for no special reason, and swells red when scratched.
• □ Severe dryness causes skin to crack or dead skin cells to frequently form.
• □ Eczema chronically recurs in specific areas (inside elbows, behind knees, neck, face, etc.).
• □ Nighttime itching makes it difficult to fall asleep or causes frequent awakenings.
• □ Atopic symptoms worsen further when stressed or fatigued.
• □ Stomach problems such as indigestion, constipation, and diarrhea frequently occur.
• □ Difficulty in body temperature regulation is felt, such as cold hands and feet or heat rising to the face.
• □ Experienced rebound phenomenon where skin ointment only works temporarily and worsens again when stopped.
• □ Accompanying other allergic diseases such as allergic rhinitis and asthma.

[Diagnosis Result]

• 3 or more items apply: Skin immune imbalance is suspected. It is time to consider oriental medical combination treatment considering chronic inflammation and gut health problems together.
• 5 or more items apply: Atopy is highly likely to have originated from a deep imbalance inside the body. It is important to find the root cause and establish a treatment plan through active visit consultation.

Q. Can I stop steroid ointment immediately if I take atopic herbal medicine? A. Abrupt cessation of steroids can rapidly worsen symptoms due to rebound phenomena. At Dalimchae Clinic, we recommend gradually reducing steroid dosage while combining with herbal medicine treatment, considering the patient's current condition and steroid usage amount.

Q. How long does atopic herbal medicine treatment take? A. Atopy is a chronic disease, and treatment duration varies depending on individual constitution, symptom severity, lifestyle habits, etc. Generally, consistent treatment for 3 months or more is required to restore internal body balance, and steady management is important.

Q. I am anxious because of steroid side effects, can I manage atopy only with herbal medicine treatment? A. Herbal medicine treatment focuses on alleviating skin inflammation, restoring gut health and autonomic balance, and enhancing skin's self-healing power. Cases where chronic atopic dermatitis symptoms significantly improved with herbal medicine alone have been reported, and safe oriental medicine treatment for steroids can expect fundamental improvement.

A. Yes, both atopy and irritable bowel syndrome are closely related to gut health and the autonomic nervous system. Dalimchae Clinic's gut detoxification and autonomic stabilization treatment helps improve gut health and capture the immune balance of the entire body, so it can have a positive impact on both symptoms.

Atopy is not a problem that can be solved by enduring. You no longer have to ignore the body's signals sent for a long time. If you approach in the right direction, the body responds faster than you think. Bring your current symptoms as they are. At Dalimchae Clinic, we will find the cause together.

Where life blooms. For herbal medicine, it's Dalimchae Korean Medicine Clinic. Check your symptoms similar to mine through the AI consultation on the Dalimchae Clinic website first!

This article is health information compiled by Dalimchae medical staff based on questions frequently received in the treatment room. Medical Supervision | Skin Disease Treatment Standards Dalimchae Clinic Songdo Branch Korean Medicine Doctor Hyun-min Oh (Atopy Column) #Atopy #AtopicHerbalMedicine #Steroid #Dermatitis #Itching #SongdoAtopyClinic #IncheonSkinClinic #GutDetox Skin - Atopy