Red and burning

Dove sensitive skin soap is the only soap I use and all clear for my clothing. It has been a little over a month since diagnosed and I am relieved to finally know what's going on however still very confused. Thank you for the advice. The doctor only gave me the clobisol gel to apply 2x 1st month, 1x 2nd month then every other day last month. I also find that after relations with my husband I have additional bruises!?! I have never self examined myself as much in my life as I have in the past month! Which I think is adding to my anxiety, ugh.

I would not use ANY soap at all. Dove 'sensitive' is not nearly neutral enough. LS is a whole range of symptoms, not just white patches. And it can get mixed in with yeast. Have you reduced your sugar intake to a minimum? If you have friction-intensive intercourse when you're already flared up, that's going to make it worse.

Yeah I would maybe stop using the dove, I used to think that was ok to use but if you try just using water, or dermol 500 you may notice a difference with the amount of irritation. Yeah whee I was first diagnosed I was looking down there a couple times a day which was really making me stressed and anxious, I was noticing every little red spot that popped up. I've stopped looking as much now, still do to make sure everything is ok, but I think when you start getting things under control you won't be as anxious to look as much. It is still important to look every couple of days to make sure nothing has changed in order to let your derm/gyn know at follow ups 

I am trying to remember less sugar. I never added it to anything and I am not a sweets person but will have cake on hoidays! I have switched my entire family to glutin free with the exception of sandwich bread my husband refuses that's OK for him. My one downfall is coffee and lots of it. I have started to add decaffeinated more and more to ween myself off caffeine which I am sure will also ease my stress level.

I'm OK with two coffees a day. And that's where my sugar ration goes. If you've gone gluten-free at the same time as reducing sugar, how will you know gluten is really necessary to give up? So difficult and hard on the family. In any food sensitivity elimination diet, you try one at a time.

Morrell is correct, it is important not to panic, you must take things slowly, and if you stop sugar and gluten at the same time you won't ever know for sure what is causing your flare up.  As I said sugar is often the main problem, followed by either Gluten or Dairy, and so each must be investigated over a period of elimination.  Usually, after a month of abstaining from either sugar/gluten/dairy that should give you an idea where the problem lies.     I honestly believe that in most cases it is sugar that is the problem.   If after a few weeks of cutting out sugar you find no relief then you could then try a Gluten free diet, what do you think? does this make sense to you.  Sugar is the poison for Lichen Sclerosus.......but understandably no one wants to really believe it.  

 I just want to share this with you.....this weekend I was weak, (I'm usually very good) but I felt I needed something sweet, I then found myself eating a LOT of something that just isnt good for me and yesterday I had the most unbearable itching, not where you would expect, but on the top of my feet, I have Lichen Sclerosus on the top of my feet, and it never stopped itching ALL DAY LONG..Urgh!!! 

That makes so much sense. Sugar feeds yeast infections too. I think following your advice will be less stressful too. Eliminating everything at once makes you feel depressed , deprived and hugry. Thank you so mush.

What exactly do you consider sugar. It may sound silly, so I apologize ahead of time. Of course white sugar, but what about fruits?

A Chinese doctor told me years ago to cut most sugar and she was quite clear I coudn't eat too much fruit, either. Another member here and I had the simultaneous experience of a flare-up during melon season after pigging out on watermelon and canteloupe.

I eat an apple or half a cup of berries, a spoon of applesauce, a tablespoon or so of raisins. Very small servings and not more than four a day. That's good for me. I had 1/4 melons last summer with no problem. I made some muffins the other day and ate them over three days – total half a cup of honey. That was pushing it. I always have two heaping teaspoons of white sugar in coffee twice a day. I feel after that I must be very stingy with sweets.

Barbara,  Sugar is just plain bad for you! and not just because you have LS. If you Google sugar, you will find some interesting facts and lots of info on what you can and cannot eat.   I'm no expert, but what I do is "save" my sugar intake for things that I particularly enjoy, for example, I don't take sugar anymore in my tea, at one point I was putting 2 tsps of sugar into my tea around five times a day, stupid, stupid stupid!!! I know better now, and I would rather have something like a small flapjack mid-afternoon, made with honey than sugar in my tea.I don't really eat sweets anymore, or drink too much, although I had a nasty slip up this weekend (and paid for it dearly) it wasn't pleasant, I have lichen sclerosus on the top of my feet and running down my spine, but it is rare that I encounter problems with either.   I blame my husband he came home with a tub of ice cream and the most wonderful buttery, caramel, toffee crunchy crunch stuff that goes on top! in fact, it tasted better than the ice cream!!  

Ooooh, temptation is baaaad.

My doctors told me to only use Neutrogena. I tried but it dried my skin. I can't use oil based products, even coconut, because they made me worse. I am presently using emu soap. It's expensive but seems to be working. But that doesn't do anything for the moisterizing. Haven't found something that works yet.