Diet, stress, and LS

Women's health
1

Hi guys,

I have had LS for about a year now, and usually I can manage the pain and itchiness with a steroid cream. I am a graduate student however and I notice during times of intense stress the flareups are worse. It has gotten to the point where even sitting hurts and I want to cry every time I have to pee! I am going to be in this program for many years, and I need a better way to manage my LS. I am on antidepressants for my anxiety and that has certainly helped the stress management. But what about a change in diet?

Has anyone tried a new diet regime they would recommend or found that cutting out certain foods helps? I have an appointment to meet with a nutritionist to develop a nutritional plan of attack for my LS.

Thanks!

2

Hi sella,

i think stress and sugar play play a big part in LS.  Mine came on after my Mam died and took hold quite quickly.  The dermovate ointment does help.  I agree not sitting in a chair but getting out of it for me I guess we are pressing the skin.  Take care,

3

I agree, sugar and stress are my triggers too.

Trying out the bicarb and borax baths as recommended on other threads.

4

Morning Sella

best thing to do is to read all the previous chats on this forum. There is loads of different suggestions about products, diet and supplements.

5

Hi ST, I am a male with LS and mine became very obvious in 2011 when I first stopped working due to the incredible amount of stress I was under at work.  I am a Higher Degree graduate and a life-long sufferer of Generalised Anxiety Disorder.  I tried several antidepressants on several occasions, but found the side-effects were too intrusive to continue taking them.

So, it is the non-LS side of what is going on in your life that I would like to pass comment on.  I guess you are in your early to mid-20's if you are a regular graduate student?  What you need to discover, I think, is, as much as possible, to reduce, or remove from your life, the sources of stress that you are experiencing.  Learn about 'natural remedies' and which of these could work for you, long-term, if you regularly engaged in them.  Yoga, or a certain amount of fitness training works for many young women.

Are you an active person, or, has student life / studying ( I don't know if you are now in a stressful job?! ) eliminated what excercise you did do from your life?

You say you are " going to be on this program for many years " - can you detail what you mean exactly by this?  Obviously, if you are in so much pain even when you want to urinate, stepping away and doing activities such as excercise or Yoga, for example, could be the last thing you want to do right now!

Can you also tell me about the medical professionals who have been guiding you to help you deal with your LS?  It seems you are not on a sufficiently appropriate treatment regime to be able to help you in your day-to-day life to overcome the real debilitating impacts of your LS; i.e. wanting to cry when you pee is not where you should be after a year of dealing with your LS!

6

Hi WD

 I have seen an OB-GYN who has been helping me with my LS. I do not have this intense pain often, but it does come about in high stress times. I guess my point is that I can't get away from the stress, so maybe changing my diet would be a way to regularly help my LS and maybe even stress levels. I am just starting a PhD program, in a science field, so there is a long road ahead in school for me. I just finished my masters and that was incredibly stressful. I don't lead an active life, I dance every now and then, but haven't been able to go to the gym on a regular basis like I want to. It just feels that there are so many things to do and not enough hours in the day - exercise goes by the wayside more often than not. I have not tried yoga, but do practice deep breathing exercises as a way to manage my anxiety. My antidepressant has only worsened the pain from my LS, but to be honest it was only a slight increase in pain so I tolerate it. I don't want to go through the struggle of finding an antidepressant when my only side effect is something I was dealing with already. 

-ST

7

Thanks! I will do that!

8

Thanks, Sue!

9

Hi there.  For most women with LS they have found that cutting out sugar  is the key to reducing aggressive pain and itching with Lichen Sclerosus. 

It is hard to believe that it can be something that simple, but for the majority it is. Remember some carbohydrates turn into sugar.  If you can seriously stop sugar for a month I am fairly confident you will notice a BIG difference. 

If after a month you have no relief then I would try going gluten-free for a month because for some that is the key to relieving their symptoms.  Don't go sugar and gluten free at the same time though as you won't know what is causing you these problems.  Also cutting back on dairy helps I think, I have very limited dairy.  

Stress is not good for LS but I think Sugar is much much worst.

10

Hi, I am only familiar with university life, as a student, then an employee, of what typically happens in the UK.  I entered university life relatively late, as a student in my early to mid 30's, then an employee in my late 30's.  By the time I was in my mid to late 40's I became increasingly unproductive, suffered more bad health, and was simply unable to function by the time I was 52/53 YOA!

There are many sources of help at most UK universities to help students and staff achieve a sustainable 'work-life balance' as they do not want to loose talented people, unnecessarily, through ill-health.

You seem to be in a position now where your balance has sung far to far in a negative direction.  So, would you consider seeking help to create a more sustainable situation for yourself?  UK universities have the likes of HR departments, Occupational Health specialists, Staff / Student Counseling therapists, Continuing Staff Development programmes that specialise in achieving staff a work-life balance ( often these are just a variety of short, and differing courses ) - as well as 'healthful' recreational activities such as sports, gym, sauna, yoga, pilates and so on that are good for you to get involved with!  Are these the kinds of things you would be willing to seek out and try.

Has anyone sat down with you and asked " where do you want to be in 10, 15 and 20 years time " in terms of academic attainment, then, as a person in the world of work?  What you need is someone who is emotionally detached from your life, to help you make some purely rational decisions on moving forward on what it is you truly want to achieve.  Often, in a university, these people can be a therapist, an HR professional, or someone with an occupational health background, who fully understands what it is like for people in universities.

My suggestion would be, act on this now before you have even more intolerable health circumstances to contend with alongside, completing a PhD, and, thinking what it is in all-realms of life that may lie-ahead for you .....

- W.D.