Daily discomfort relief - my story

First I wanted to thank everyone on here for the tips and advice. I have learned more about LS here than at the countless doctor appointments I have had!

I noticed a few ladies with clitoris irritation or excessive sensitivity there sometimes. I had this too, but also had daily nonstop irritation in the labia minora area (or where the labia minora should be). The whole area for me down there was either red or white, no nice pale pink supple flexible tissue. I'd been doing the baking soda baths and the spritz after urination followed by coconut oil and using the club after the bath, taking care to rub it in. I also cut all sugar, gluten, dairy, and alcohol from my diet. I was initially quite strict with no sugar at all for a month, then had one serving of berries only daily for two months, and now have either some fruit or a very small amount of raw organic honey daily.

When I got my period, the irritation ramped up. I have since learned that is because of the pH of blood, even one drop of blood on that skin can send it into a frenzy because it was so irritated and raw.

I saw my GP a half-dozen times at least while waiting to get into a gyne. I have to say I am not impressed with my gyne, who I have seen for 2 visits (all of 5 minutes each visit) and all she had to say was that it wasn't a big deal and just use the clobetasol, and lots of it, and come back in a year. By this point the LS had spread to the anal area and I was having tearing, pain, and fresh blood with every elimination. In short, I was not well. I tried acupuncture and a Traditional Chinese Medicine doctor. He was very well recommended and actually is an MD as well, but he never examined the area and we couldn't really communicate fluently.

I continue to see my GP and gyne (when she'll see me), and I continue to use clobetasol daily (since June 2015). I am in no way suggesting that anyone abandon the clobetasol or steroid ointment. But I have to say, what has made a huge difference in my health is going to a naturopath.

She has recommended dietary restrictions and some vitamin supplements, but also introduced me to a product I haven't seen discussed here: ozonated olive oil. Of course, there are different brands and whatnot, and as with anything it seems there are some better than others (something to do with how the ozone is put into the oil and then how the product is stored). It should be refrigerated. It melts on your fingers like coconut oil.

It is apparently a powerful epithelial skin healer. I say apparently because I am no scientist. I read that on the Internet and heard it from my naturopath. It is a strong anti fungal, and I actually thought of using it on the vulva when I was getting the excessive clitoris sensitivity because of something I had read on this site about how fungal infections can live in the clitoral hood skin. Anyways, I gave it a try and I must say, it BURNED. I won't lie. Like when you are holding your hands too close to the flame and want to back up. But it dulls after ten minutes, and I put it on then went to bed, and I was able to sleep, it didn't wake me up in the night. No pain by the morning. It burned the next night too, but every day less and after four days it didn't burn at all.

I keep at it once daily and I have zero daily irritation now. It doesn't even feel like anything is wrong down there. I still have fusing of the labia minora, but I can start to see the outline of a raised edge underneath the skin. The white is more off white than stark white and the red is now pale pink. The skin is stretchable without pain. No bleeding on elimination. Of course, the diet and supplements and clob must all play a part. It's just a suggestion if anyone is interested - just look up ozonated Olive oil and make your own decision. I think it made a big impact on my sanity and emotional capability to handle LS, by relieving some pain.

Sorry for the long post!

Wow Norah so happy you found somthing that helped you.I still dont know if i have lichens,dermatologist said no,one obgyn said maybe mild,third obgyn never uttered the word..one said the only way to be 100 percent sure its lichens is to do a bopsy to confirm as other things can mimic it.I still have not had a biopsy but am thinking of requesting one.I have irritation since april.I also have vaginal atrophy.Was it confirmed by biopsy??Thanks.

That sounds good. I've been taking olive leaf extract capsules for a couple of months.

Also, stopping acupuncture may have helped. I had acupuncture for a whole year while my psoriasis flared. I hadn't heard of the Koebner effect and neither had my (also, not very communicative) TCM doctor. I cycled through flares weekly all that year. Any skin trauma triggers a flare. Needle pricks = skin trauma.

I didn't have a biopsy. My gyne took one look at me and said "definitely LS. Classic white figure eight. Labia minora gone and buried clitoris. I won't put you through a biopsy unless you don't respond to clobetasol." I took pictures to monitor the changes over time and I am glad I have the proof of how it did look, should I have to change docs. Since it sounds like yours (Lee) is not as obvious, you might need the biopsy.

I never thought of acupuncture triggering a flare, but I suppose that could very well be. Interesting that it would trigger LS in the vulva area with needles nowhere near it, but skin is skin, one organ, so why not. Good grief! I thought it would help since my hocus pocus doctor (my TCM doctor - and I mean hocus pocus in a very fond way, he is very well respected and talented) said I needed to fix the flow of chi in my body. I think it did help me relax and de stress - but it could very well provoke LS based on what you say, Morrell.

Looks like you have done some good work Norah and gone a long way towards getting some sort of control. Well done, you. 

My LS turned out to be LP when I saw the vulval health dermo early this week, but that's another horror story that I want to move on from.

Same treatment for LP, the Clobetasol, but impossible to apply on open lesions without pure agony. I did persist but after six weeks knew I needed more help than my GP and gyn who said EXACTLY the same as yours! 

I had a gut feeling I didn't have LS .... Didn't look a thing like the piccies on line....   The pictures of LP the specialist showed me, which I had never ever looked at because I had MY diagnosis of LS, looked just like my mirror! 

The derm vulval health dr took one minute to diagnose me (5 hour round trip)  and did tell me this about my two 'wrong' biopsies .....

The sample of skin is actually sent to eliminate pre cancer or cancer, the concern is not to diagnose the Lichen. If it's clear of cancer the lab report will just report that the sample shows nothing ominous so it is reported back that yes, the sample the doctor sent labelled 'query LS'  must be just that! 

Which makes me have all the feelings of anger and frustration possible that I struggled on with a false diagnosis for many months.

My treatment now is three long months of high dosages of Prednisone while I slowly and carefully reintroduce the Clob until I can tolerate it enough to let it take over for the oral drug.

I am in NZ and am taking a holistic approach to my health like you. Naturopath who gives me supplements which haven't helped my LP much but given huge relief to gastric probs and IBS. They can't prescribe here, they can give many herbal remedies and use massage and reiki and other treatments.  She calms me down, such a sensible lady. Empathy but no sympathy. Perfect.

I have gone gluten dairy coffee alcohol chocolate and almost, almost sugar free!

I have changed every aspect of my personal cleaning and household cleaning and clothing I can think of too. 

In a lot of ways I feel healthier and along the way I have shed every excess 28 lb worth of weight I was carrying in just four months with the extreme regime. 

Have tried every conceivable cream and lotion from here, USA and Australia, cost me a small fortune. You name it, I've tried it probably. In the end I found my saviour in  my local chemist, it's just called Fatty Cream and is used for smothering over psoriasis. It cost $10 and comes in a huge half a kilo pot. It's just soothing, greasy and almost as thick as Vaseline but Vaseline burned me badly. 

The ozenated olive oil sounds amazing, I will do some research here!

Sorry, long post, it's because you guys are the only people I ever talk to about it lol.   Only hubby knows and he's so over it! surprised

good luck Norah and Lee and all 

 

Aww so sorry you have ben through so much..we are here for you,please keep us posted how you are doing.

I'm fascinated by the ozanated olive oil. Never heard of it and unfortunately I am one of the ladies that has problems with irritated clitoris. Where can I find that product?

Researched and I see you can buy online. Apparently here are different ways of producing it and the cold plasma is a superior process. What brand name do you have?

Wow Lynne, I can't believe you had to go through all that! I have wondered if ozonated olive could be used for LP, to heal a skin lesion. I know my naturopath told me she has had clients with gangrene use it on open wounds, and I read online that it is common to use on pets since it is not harmful if they lick it and ingest a bit. I don't recommend ingesting it without someone's approval though - just in case! Good on you for sticking with the strict diet, I find it difficult sometimes but I stick with it too.

Sandra, I got mine from my naturopath. It's quite expensive, but you don't need to use a lot. Mine is extra virgin cold pressed Olive oil with activated oxygen (ozone), about $50 Canadian for 50 mL. You can probably buy online or call around your local health stores - I haven't seen it in a store but I haven't really looked since the office that my naturopath works out of sells it. It's in a blue glass jar and refrigerated.

Great to hear your story and suggestions.  I am new to the site and was told I had lichen planus in the vulval area (red sore lesion) and was prescribed Dermovate but was given no other help or advice and no follow up either.  I did not have a biopsy, the gynae and dermatologist just took one look.  I have patches of lichen planus on my legs and use Calendula cream which is a homeopathic cream which calms down itching and soreness.  I got it from Holland & Barrett.  Don't know if you can use it on delicate areas.  I once went to a homeopath and she recommended it.  I did not get much benefit from the homeopath - she said skin problems are a sign that at least you have nothing wrong internally - your skin is taking the strain (???). 

Thank you for sharing your story, it is always heartening to hear that someone has discovered what works for them, good for you!

I'm Canadian also. Where is your naturopath from? Maybe I could buy it from there if it's near me?

Sandra, I am in Vancouver BC. Where are you in Canada?

Regarding what your homeopath said Gill, I think my naturopath feels differently. I remember her saying something along the lines of "if you have toxins in your body that the liver, kidneys, and digestive system can't get rid of through their own malfunctioning or being overburdened, your body will try to push them out wherever it can - through the skin." So by her thinking, if you are having these painful skin issues that you weren't born with, something is going wrong in your body.

I live near Kitchener, Ontario.

Yes, I was not very impressed with the homeopath apart from the suggestion to use Calendula cream which works for me.  I get patches of psoriasis and kept on and on picking at a patch on my elbow.  I could not leave it alone, but as soon as I picked off the scales, they reformed.  Then one day I told myself to stop and began putting Vaseline on instead, and it cleared up.  I am trying to cut down on sugar and a lot of it is stress (my son died last year).  Trying to live a calm life!  I am putting together a list of all the suggestions on this site.

Sorry to hear about your son Gill. I can't even begin to imagine what you've been through with all that. Glad that you've found some relief - I like Vaseline too, I use it all over the vulva area before a workout to keep sweat off the skin there.

So sorry to hear about your son. please do put a list together,i am stressed to the max and never relax.

Sympathies about your son. So hard to lose loved ones.

That is terrible, sorry to hear that!    

What I have found is good for lesions and sores, is Desitin, which you can buy over the counter, it is used for nappy rash, and really works for me, and, of course, is better to use than Clob if you can get away with it.

I've never heard of Desitin but I look after my 18 month old grandson and use Sudocreme if he has a red botty, and looking at the ingredients the main one is also zinc oxide so it looks like a similar product.  Another suggestion for my list!