I'm an addict.

A few summers ago I had a severe reaction to eating too many tomatoes. We had an abundance from our garden , and my mom served them three times a day. I had to go to the dermatologist because it was so bad. He said I had something called "cheilitis." (It's pronounced key-lie-tis.) It just means swollen lips. My lips were so swollen I could barely open my mouth enough to eat. It was really painful...a lot of people thought it was funny, but I did NOT.
I used the medication until it went away, but a few weeks later it came back. I started using the medication again. I ended up going back to the doctor. I told him that whenever I stopped using the medication it came back. He prescribed me more medication. I just assumed I would have to use it forever (and I assumed the doctor thought that too).
I went to my dermatologist's PA yesterday to get more medicine. He said it was a very, very bad thing that I was still using this medication. I'm not really sure how this happened, but apparently I have been applying steroid cream to my lips every day for a few years now. I'm an addict. I think I have to stop, but the doctor didn't really tell me if it was possible for my lips to ever adjust. I am trying to decide what is worse: being addicted to steroids or having sore lips?