Facial Lichen Planus

@bustrbrwn22 I'm sorry to hear that you feel as if your face is on fire.

I know you are an active member of this group and you are already familiar with members. I'd like to bring in members @anniemaggie @orangealert @rashida @fdixon63 @maryz @cmtg @frane1939 into the discussion. They may be able to help answer your question.

May I ask what your provider suggested as a pain reliever regarding this symptom?

@erikas Hello Erika. I was diagnosed with oral lichen planus recently, after developing pain and mouth sores since mid-December.
I've been in touch with @bustrbrwn this past month or so, but would very much appreciate if you could put me in touch with others you've mentioned in your post to @bustrbrwn. I have felt very much alone with this diagnosis. Thankyou. Laurie

@artist01
Having a newly diagnosed illness and the feeling isolation is an extremely difficult combination.

Below I have retagged the members that I tagged in @bustrbrwn22's post.
@anniemaggie @orangealert @rashida @fdixon63 @maryz @cmtg @frane1939sorna2021

Below I have linked two related recent discussions where members @joybringer1 @lidnaj @jlclaussen @ema12 @anniemaggie @orangealert @robinkani @fdixon63 have recently discussed this or related topics.

- Lichen planus https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/lichen-planus-2da636/
- Oral lichen Planus https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/oral-lichen-planus-3/

Mentors @gingerw and @johnbishop have also posted on these pages and may be able to point you in the direction of members you can connect with.

If you haven't already done so, you may wish to scroll through the previous posts looking for information and members to connect with. Keep in mind the date of the post. The more recent the more likely the member is still posting on Connect.

Connect is a wonderful way to meet other people that are going through what you are going through. If you feel like you need additional support I'm wondering if you have considered or if you see a therapist? I ask because with any difficult change there is a period of grief about what was lost and therapists are trained in helping people move through those stages of grief, and at the same time offer short term support.

@erikas. @artist01. Well finally saw dermatologist. I have now developed severe rosacea on my face (I look like a tomato) and thrush in my mouth (in addition to my oral LP). The rosacea I was given a cream for to apply twice daily and I had to cut back to once daily because it burned. It is VERY slowly working. I guess rosacea is for life so I’d like to hear from others how they deal with this. I am thinking these could have been caused by being on an extended dose of Amox-Clav for my Interstitial Cystitis? I now have burning when I urinate so am waiting for my doc to call me regarding the urinalysis test results. It mentioned moderate blood, squamous cells present, and a lot of other things that should have been no are yes. I am worried. Sorry I couldn’t respond sooner many tests for everything especially surgery for my sciatica.

@bustrbrwn22 I'm truly sorry you're going through so much frustration, and pain, tests, all of it. I hope some of your issues are resolved soon. It's so difficult when there are so many health concerns for you and your doctors.
I'm still having a great deal of trouble with the OLP but, like you, I've got so many other health problems It's difficult to concentrate on only one thing. I currently have 7 specialists, one for almost every part of my body!
I'm sorry I don't have any help for you.
What I'm doing for my OLP is taking
one 237 mg capsule of Curcumin Ultra, as well as applying straight CBD Oil directly on my mouth lesions. My ENT specialist prescribed Clobetasol Ointment, but I'm only supposed to use it once a day "if painful". Well, it's ALWAYS painful and I wish I could use it more often. Both my pharmacist and the specialist advised NOT to use it more than once a day. It eases the pain for a while, at least. The CBD Oil soothes the pain for a while too, but not for long enough. Take care. Thinking of you. Wish I could help.

@artist01. Thanks so much for your kind words. Luckily the dermatologist prescribed Magic Mouthwash which has lidocaine. Having thrush and lichen planus in your mouth at the same time is painful and this mouthwash gets rid of the pain while I brush and floss. My thrush is slowly going away but the Nystatin I have to apply 4 times daily makes my teeth extremely sensitive! Magic mouthwash helps me to be able to use toothpaste for sensitive teeth that my oral lichen planus wouldn’t normally allow me to use. I am a hot mess. Sorry to go on and on.

@bustrbrwn22 Hi Buster! It's perfectly o.k. to go on and on. That's what we have to do here!
I'm happy your doctor has given you some solutions. I've used Nystatin, but with no luck. We're all different, so I'm glad it's helping you. I have a special mouthwash too, which is helpful. I use Arm and Hammer toothpaste, which has no bad ingredients, and especially no laural sulphate. Very successful for me. It's a constant battle of learning what helps and what doesn't!
Keep up the good work. Together we can DO this! All the best, Laurie.

@bustrbrwn22 I forgot to mention, if I haven't already, that I've been searching for Orabase Paste and couldn't find any. It's made by the makers of Orajel. I used to use it for the occasional mouth canker back in the day. It covers the sore with the paste and protects it from touching your teeth, so alleviates the pain for a while. I finally found I could order it online at Amazon. Four small tubes for approx $12.00. I usually use it at bedtime so you're not talking, eating, etc., and your mouth is at rest. It's a little gucky in the morning when your teeth might be covered with some of it, but it's worth it! I think it's a wiser choice than the corticosteroids my doctors have prescribed because it does essentially the same thing. I still use the Clobetasol once a day, as prescribed by my doc, but Orabase Paste can be used as often as necessary with no restrictions. Your pharmacy might carry it too.

@artist01. That’s an awesome idea! I’ve used that for canker sores too and it works. Why didn’t I think of that! Isn’t the clobestrals (mouth, skin) supposed to thin your skin? Are they steroids? Thanks so much for taking the time for listening and suggesting something! Jen

@bustrbrwn22 Hi Jen. Yes, Clobetasol is a steroid, and that's why I can only use it sparingly once a day. When my pharmacist read the prescription, she actually phoned my ENT Specialist to make sure he really wanted me to use it inside of my mouth. She had never filled a Clobetasol prescription for inside the mouth. I've read medical documentation on lichen planus that actually recommends Clobetasol though, so I didn't worry too much. The pharmacist told me to try not to swallow any spit that contains it, but I'm finding I don't have any excess spit after applying it. My ENT doctor's label says to apply to mouth sores once a day "if painful", but of course we know it's ALWAYS painful. Lol. I rinse with salt and water before both the Orabase Paste or the Clobetasol just to promote healing of the sores under the application. Laurie