Dilemma

Failing that, you would be doing her a great favour to tell her about your own LS. If you and I had been diagnosed within two years of onset, LS might have been driven right down by prompt and careful treatment. This is the key point in the piece of the review of research I posted under LS prognosis the other day. It's not necesaarily a lifelong sentence or a menopause sentence. And if she has it now, ignoring it does not mean it will stay mild until menopause. She would likely have it more like I did (from age 22). I had a daughter, I'd be telling her. I told my son, just in case he had it – he's both anxious/depressed and celibate at the moment. The anxiety only adds to it, so she needs double motivation to use cognitive behavior therapy or mindfulness or whatever to try to find some access to calmness.

I read your post with interest and wanted to respond. I was unaware that LS could be inherited but given that everyone has both parents DNA I would say there would be a 50/50% chance which could go either way.  There may be a possibility that your daughter's itchiness is caused by other factors rather than assuming its LS. As much as it is uncomfortable, embarrassing and terrifying she needs to be correctly examined by a doctor and the symptoms she is experiencing need to be advised to the doctor.  Sometimes itchiness can relate to haemorrhoids there are lots of online advice about this condition and it does cause reoccuring itchiness particularly after a bowel motion. This condition is easily treatable.  Another condition which causes itchiness there is a skin dermatitis condition which is also treatable with cream often steriod.  The only real way to see if the itchiness is indeed LS is visual examination by a local doctor or a Dermatologist who if it is LS can actually see the white dots or white patches, if seen he would recommended a biopsy but that is optional.  I have had a biopsy in both areas (confirmed early stages of LS) I am in menopause and even though I was a nervous wreck prior to having it done, they only take very minimal skin so small that you wouldn't even beable to tell any part of the skin was missing. I'm over the worrying of it now don't think much of it now just apply the Diprosone OV Ointment that I was prescribed and it keeps it under control and in remission.  The worst part of the biopsy are of course the numbing injections at the sites which are not pleasant but is same as going to the dentist and getting numbing injections into the gum prior to having a filling, once done, you feel nothing afterwards.  What I would say to your daughter is explain what you have which 'could be' inherited but not always so she is aware but also tell her that itchiness in that specific area could be caused by a number of reasons which could be only minor and that to get a confirmed diagnosis she needs to consider being examined by a doctor, doctors see lots of butts and it only takes a few minutes to take a look and than its all over.  Your daughter could mention that there is a family history of LS, not many doctors know what LS is surprisingly, but they need to know what the visible appearance of LS is (white patches/dots) etc., so that they can check for that at the time she is examined.  If the doctor suspects its haemorroids then he will just prescribe a cream which will quickly relieve the symptoms.  If it is suspected that she has some form of skin dermatitis he will just prescribe a cream also, if he sees white patches or dots to indicate LS then he should provide her with a referral to see a skin specialist or Dermatologist for further investigation.  I would not automatically assume that she has LS but tell her there are many women who have same conditions all over the world, its nothing to worry about but she needs to be examined, the sooner the diagnosis, the early the treatment and lets hope that its only something minor. Good luck.

Funny you say that, I seem to have later in life an extremely low tolerance for foods that I use to be fine with previously but of which now cause abdominal and bowel problems. I have looked into Lactose intolerance and Coeliac Disease also, problem is we don't know what exactly is going into the foods we eat.  That is so sad about your mother, a great age, but obviously LS was very ignored in the elderly not uncommon.  I had symptoms of thrush for over 30 yrs, did not get anywhere with gynaecologists, had a lot of gynaecological issues including Endometriosis twice as a result of years of heavy menstruation since 17 y.o.. Since menopause, everything has lessened except the itchiness both inside and out.  Vagifem has worked wonders for me with internal itchiness since menopause and I use the steroid ointment front and back for LS.  In my case, after continual frustration with doctors and gynaecologists over 20+ yr period, all it took was for me to do my own research online to find a specialist at a Vulvadynia / Vulva Clinic to do a 10min examination to find LS.  Not even a pap smear this year by an experienced Gyno failed to pick it up.  I know my mother who is in her early 80s has many medical conditions and has severe instial cystitis, I don't think she was ever screened for LS.  My understanding is that this LS is a chronic skin disease which requires life long treatment of steroids to keep it in remission and at bay.  I really hope your daughter's symptoms are something else but if you want to know more about LS, there is a Lichen Sclerosus Yahoo group online which has the largest depository of information in the world and the largest database of sufferers majority females, lots of valuable information.