Lichen Sclerosus: Any other women dealing with this disease?

Yes. You can wash the area with plan water then blow dry.

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Great idea! I'll certainly consider this!

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I just read comments from the lichen planus group and one or two ladies stressed diet is as a very important consideration for treating lichen planus. One claimed dramatic improvements after following diet that sounds like the SIBO diet, which is highly restrictive. I tried that diet a few years ago for SIBO and was hungry most of the time because 80% of the food I ate was prohibited. I spent hours every week on meal planning and shopping . Also lost 13 pounds in the first month that I didn't need to lose and still have sagging skin as a result. After a year I eventually began eating "normally" again. I am very curious if anyone who reads this has had noticeable improvements in her lichen sclerosus or planus by eliminating sugar, gluten , alcohol, etc, etc. ?

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Thank you, that was my fear... I guess that will be something I'll never be able to do again... that's so sad!! 😔

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Very sad but do no get discouraged. I am sure you will find something enjoyable for yourself! Good luck, a
A prayer going up for you,

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Hello @mzleah,

Welcome to Connect. Lichen Sclerosus can be so irritating to the skin; here is some detailed information from Mayo Clinic:
http://mayocl.in/1P0u1JG

@rabbit10, @jmgm, @tropicallady1276, @julievansickle, @katzee, @fernanddia, @kam2005, @jp711, @momij have discussed it in the past, and I hope they return with more information. You can also see their discussion by clicking on this link: http://mayocl.in/2ku2E3z

@mzleah, could you tell us a bit more about your symptoms? Has your doctor prescribed any medication?

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I am glad that Lichen Sclerosis is getting some visibility as a result of patients sharing their comments and what works or doesn’t work for them. I began having LS as a teenager and any gynaecologist that I saw kept treating me for a yeast infection over the years. In my 30s it got worse and it seemed that no doctor was aware of LS, causes or treatment, not even dermatologists. Finally a smart dermatologist who headed up the largest teaching hospital in the city diagnosed me with LS. At that point I learned that LS is a dermatology condition and not an STD. I was always puzzled as to how I could have contracted an STD. This is a good reason that if a person doesn’t get answers from gynaecologists they should make an appointment with a dermatologist. As a minimum discuss the possibility of LS with your gynaecologist.
In my 30s with yet to be diagnosed LS I felt like a leper. I was in pain, I was consequently depressed and had difficulty going to work or leading any kind of a life. Stress exacerbated my condition, family didn’t understand, some suggested that I might have AIDS. This was at the beginning of the AIDS epidemic when little was known about it. My husband was supportive and that helped a lot. However my situation was not anything you would want to experience. There are many women out there with LS, who remain undiagnosed. My heart goes out to you, I know what you are going through. Take heart, control and freedom from pain is possible. Keep seeking answers and keep talking about LS, the more publicity for this condition, the more likely that physicians are aware of it and make the correct diagnosis or referrals.

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Hi I was just diagnosed. Ive read other posts and wonder if I should seek a 2nd opinion? I saw a Arnp. Should I see doc too? She said she could tell I had it without doing biopsy. Also I had something else on my inner labia I had to have biopsied to check for cancer. Sorta freaked out and wonder if I need more specialist care. I was prescribed the clobetasol with estrogen creme. My mom had estrogen sensitive breast cancer and just died from it but the nurse said it's ok in a small amount that I'm using? Is it? She also recommended Genetic testing as well so...I really liked the nurse but feel that this is serious stuff. I'm really unsure of what to do and I wanna make sure I'm getting all the tests I need.

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