Lichen Planus

What rotten luck for your partner! As if she has not had enough.

As she had the irrigation at the same time as taking the oral steroid, it is impossible to tell which has worked, or if both did.

I guess if we know what caused LP, we'd have the cure. Meantime I'm sure it helps to try things out as at least you are doing something positive about it and who knows? We are all different.

My own theory is that LP and LS are caused by microbacterial infections in our blood streams .

I hope it goes away by itself. That is my wish for her.

Hi all.

In reply to 'Horses', colonic irrigation is a like a glorified enema where an alternative health practitioner flushes out the bowel using herb-infused water. This gets rid of accumulated faecal matter. One of the main reasons that my partner felt she needed this treatment was because, in addition to the discomfort from being constipated she would have more and more days when she just felt completely 'wiped out' for no particular reason. Following a course of 3 colonics over 6 weeks she now has much more energy as well as the OLP being cleared.

I know that this is just anecdotal evidence and a statistic of just 1 person (who was also using steroid mouthwash) is nowhere near proof. However I was hoping that if people on this forum recognised a similar pattern and were inspired to try colonic irrigation and had similar results (big if's, I know) then that would test the theory as well as maybe helping to find a 'cure' for L.P.

I understand that the medical profession will never be able to make associations like this because it would need to be 'properly researched' and that's never going to happen because research needs to be funded......who's going to foot the bill if there's no drugs involved for drug Co's to profit from?

Thank you ron 18. As it doesn't involve having an operation, I would be willing to give it a try. Nothing ventured, nothing gained! You have certainly given us all food for thought. I was originally told that people who had LS and LP were 1 in 1,000. Recently I read that it was 1 in 30!!! That is a big difference. It is not a subject one is willing to talk about in public, so it may be more common than we think.

All our best heartfelt wishes to your partner and thanks again for all your helpful comments.

Horses

Hi Joodie,

With regard to your post about microbial infections in the blood, it occurred to me that if you substitute 'toxins circulating in the blood' (due to a build-up of old stagnant faecal matter in the colon due to constipation) then we are in complete agreement........my limited understanding is that if there are substantial amounts of microbes in the blood then that is septicaemia and would require emergency treatment.

An added bit of evidence came recently in a TV program which followed an Aussie guy round America who had cured himself of Urticaria (a severe skin rash) by changing from an unhealthy diet to one consisting only of juiced green vegetables. Although this is a somewhat extreme 'cure' it does tend to confirm the notion that the skin is an organ of excretion (via sweat etc) and that when the 'insides' are toxic then the 'outsides' will be affected as the skin tries to get rid of the excess toxins.

I myself have much clearer skin on my forehead once I started taking a daily dose of microgol (a substance that retains water in the bowel and thereby assists in regular bowel movements). ( Dispensed under the name Laxido or Movicol). (It's NOT an irritant laxative like senna etc)

Hi Ron, I agree absolutely that regular bowel movements help to keep a clear skin, and keeping any kind of germs out of our blood streams is to be recommended. I see how the idea of sweating the bad stuff out of our system comes from too! It makes sense, doesn't it? My father used to think a good dose of Andrews Liver Salts were good for the skin.

However we also have our immune systems to deal with unwelcome intruders into the blood. I believe that in the case of LP,and LS, considered to be auto-immune diseases, our immune systems are being tricked into attacking us , i.e., our skin. Apparently these clever little "bugs" can disguise themselves as our own harmless cells, so when our immune systems attack them, it also attacks the "goodies". I'm enclosing a piece from "Diagnose me .com " about it, but this theory has been published in many other documents.

.

QUOTE: Exactly how germs act to cause chronic disease is still a mystery. But scientists believe that the microbes may stimulate white blood cells to aggregate, causing the chronic inflammation that has now been implicated in asthma, allergies, heart disease and other disorders. Alternatively, the bug may induce a so-called autoimmune response. There are molecules on the surface of bacteria and viruses that resemble human versions of these molecules, and when infected with these organisms, certain people respond by producing substances that attack their own tissue.

In trying to fight off an infection, in other words, your body's defense cells are tricked into attacking the healthy tissue. UNQUOTE.

So if we get infected then our immune systems will be constantly trying to fight off an infection and this is checkable, though not easily, by blood tests. The blood tests will not show what is causing the infection , only that the immune system is battling a chronic infection, then further tests need to be done.

I think from all I have heard and read that there are other causes of LP and LS.

or other factors which make some people more susceptible, including genetic and hormonal.

I have never had any problem with bowel movements personally yet I had first LP, including OLP and in other places too, followed by LS.

Just the same there are many roads to one place!

Hello friends. It has been a very interesting time since I last posted. I hope this finds everyone comfortable and relatively symptom-free. At the end of June, my friend drove me two hours each way to meet w/ a dermatologist who specializes in LP. He gave me a shot of cortisone (I was desperate. He agreed w/ me that oral steroids were not good, but this would be different) and, a few hours later, I was seeing a lightening of the spots!

As the week progressed, the spots did not fade, but they were not as red and "angry." Definite improvement. I will need two more shots, spaced one month apart. After about two weeks, I didn't notice any more improvement, but they were not worse, either. I return for shot number two next week (but I don't need to drive two hours: yay!). I am so grateful for the support of my family and friends.

Two weeks ago I started Phototherapy. After just two 45-second treatments, the spots got even lighter! Seven treatments later, some are disappearing and my feet, although peeling and itching like crazy, are much less red and bumpy. The drs. recommend six weeks of three-times-a-week for phototherapy. It's a one-hour drive each way, but it's worth it. No side effects except I can't go in the sun for the rest of the day, and I feel really tired and kinda nauseous sometimes; like you've been in the sun too much...

I hope this helps someone. Will keep you posted. Take care, and be well.

Hi Ihate,

So sorry you have been having such a hard time plus all that extra travelling. I hope the next injection will do the trick and wish you all the very best of luck.! Please keep us posted.

Horses

Dear Horses:

Thank you for your kind words! People like you are the reason this group is so great. The support you all show make going through this "discomfort" more tolerable.

Hoping you and all our forum friends are doing well.

Oh, and may I add a hearty "congratulations" to everyone in the U.K. on the birth of baby George! We here in the States have been happily following the news....

I think I can use the Royal "we" when I say that we are all thrilled with the birth of baby George and hope he will be as good a King as our Queen's father was. It goes without saying that we think she is great too. Take care of yourself and know that we are gunning for you!

Horses

Hi all,

I was diagnosed with LP in January 2013. I was told by the Dermatologist that Lansoprazole was the cause of this. He told me to stop taking them, but I still had the rash and new spots. I am not sure if this is the cause. I stopped taking them for a while and asked my Dr if I could start taking the Lansoprazole again because I have an Hiatus Hernia and cant swallow large tablets. The Lansoprazole I had was the type that melts on the tongue, so very easy to take. He said he don't mind prescribing them again but if the rash gets worse I would have to stop taking them again.

In June of this year I had an Endoscopy (down throat) and it showed I had a bug and was diagnosed with H Pylori and was given a large dose of antibiotics for a week. I can't say I feel better yet, because I have read that it could take months before the symptoms clear up. I looked online to see if there was a connection between LP and H Pylori and apparently there is a connection.

I also have an underactive thyroid diagnosed 2 years ago, and there is also a connection between this and LP.

I seem to have it all.

Hi Merryl,

Sorry to hear about all your problems. What is H Pylori and how is it connected with LP. I find it difficult swallowing large pills and, when necessary, have to break them in half or crush them!

I hope things improve for you very quickly - are you going to have an operation for the hiatus hernia?

Horses xx

Hi Merrill ( you too Horses! ) The LP - is it oral LP you have? - and the thyroid problem are both considered to be auto-immune diseases.

I have had LP all over the place, mostly gone now and have LS and arthritis of the spine, also some thinning of the hair and still getting little bumps on my scalp, dodgy thumb nail, small stuff but livable with..

I checked what you said and yes, people with H Pylori are significantly more likely to get LP aren't they? I didn't know that. I hope the antibiotics get rid of it for you soon. Wouldn't it be great if your LP went too? Pigs might fly.

I'm glad they are keeping an eye on you. Take care and let us know how things go.

Hi Joodie,

I have LP in my skin, I don't think I got oral LP. I have it inside my arms, wrists, top and back of legs and feet. I have a couple on my upper body but that's not too bad. Mine looks much worse outside in the light. Like other people have said on here, it doesn't affect the face, thank goodness.

Do you have/had oral LP, if so what are the symptoms?

It would be nice if the antibiotics clear up the LP but I doubt it. I am not sure if they have worked for H Pylori, because I am still getting symptoms!

I also have arthritis in my neck and left shoulder. If it's not one thing it's another!

Take care,

Merryl

Hi Merryl, Wow I find your comments really interesting. I suffer with LS & have been fortunate enough not to be suffering with LP, but your comments about Lansoprazole hit me like a sledgehammer.

I too have an Hiatus Hernia which I have had for about 7 years now & like most people take "script" Lansoprazole, It's strange because I was only diagnosed with LS within the last 8 weeks & have noticed that the "Script" Med's aren't as effective as they used to be.

I thought at first my LS was possibly due to under active thyroid (which i'm still waiting for a test for) but then the last few days I've started thinking more along the lines of the start of the menopause. But your comments have really made me think. I'm off to play detective & do a bit more research, many thanks Tracey