Just diagnosed...have some questions...very confused

I may have a mild case,my doctor said it may never get worse or progress,she hasnt even got me a clobetasol yet..thats what she said .i hope shes right.Keeping an eye on it.They usually go by a dermatologist and a biopsy.so far my derm said it doesnt fit the pattern I use over the counter very low dose cortisone 1 percent. better then nothing and not strong enough to thin skin.Keeps itching at bay,so far.

Hi melissa - well a flare up for me is a lot of itching front and back, a sense that the whole area feels  swollen and painful. I can also get stabbing pains or burning sensations. I burn when i go to the loo as well. I use a thrush cream at these times and this really helps (thrush is probably more likely to be evident for me during a flare up). I up the oilatum soaks and do not wear knickers at these times. Although i have had the diagnosis for 22years i have not had as yet a problem with sex (though desire is less with age). My GP prescribes an anaesthetic gel to use when things are a bit 'tight' I may not feel as much but sex continues. I think it is a progressive disease but the outlook is good if you are treated at a young age which you are. I read once that the severe case of LS are seen in older nuns who may not have taken much care of this area of their bodies or who were in fact too embarresed to have it checked. Hope u have lots of responses as a 'flare up' can be different for everyone, jenny

I forgot - but I had a diagnosis of vitiligo too. They are both auto immune conditions but have  not found the V a problem. 

I think it is a little bleak to suggest that there is 'no cure'.  The younger you are the more liklihood that you will see complete remission.  I read somewhere that it is indeed unlikely in post menopausal women, but very encouraging results have been seen, with the proper medication and monitoring, in women pre menopausal.  Treat it well, reduce any anxiety you might have and hope for the future.

regards,

Meg

You are fortunate to have the diagnoses early.  Early treatment is key in my opinion. 

I suggest you inform yourself as good as you can, so you start to understand the problem better.  We all are a little different and yet find comfort with very similar things.

To avoid: stress and sugar.  These are two biggies that make matters worse. 

With a flare up: try sitting in a baking soda bath (1/3 cup) and do baking soda rinses after every bathroom visit (three pinches in a Perins bottle, the kind of bottle that you receive after giving birth to rinse self)  then cover with coconut oil. 

Check your pH level.  I have found that there is a link somehow.  I follow for instance a diet that keeps a balance.  (alkaline versus accidity)  

Check regularly for changes.  And yes, keep having sex or do regular dilation.  LS wants to narrow the opening.  

Wishing you WELL. 

Hi Melissa, I have had ls for the last 10years, I am now 67yrs old. A flare up is when your ls is breaking out,, symptoms can be pain in the public sector, white patches appear again, soreness, fusions, try to abstain from sex when this happens but keep using the clobetasol twice a day, I put mine on especially when I go to bed, hope this helps.

Thank you everyone. I feel like I have had LS for some time but maybe it was asymptomatic. I did have a bad tear 8 years ago that required stitches and then another one last year that healed on its own. I have always had issues with yeast infections but now I wonder if it was always yeast. I have cried a lot today as I have been researching LS for a little while and was almost certain that I had it. Now I know I do. I am scared and sad but it could be worse. I am glad I caught it early. Will LS get worse now that I am treating it? Or does it not progress?

Remember we are all different and Ls goes from mild to servere. The girls are right treatment is the key. For me a flare up is itching/crawling sensation under the skin down below, paper cuts front and back and general soreness if thing get bad it's very red and swollen, I haven't had any fusing and I don't have white patches. I am losing my labia minoria although I think it will take some time to go completely. When I have sex sometimes I get brusing even gentle sex which can kick off a flare. One thing that will kick it off is wine. Hope this helps hang in there xx