I often see people refer themselves being in a flare up... wondering what that means for everyone? I don’t know if I’ve had a flare before or not... is being itchy and having open cracks considered a flare?? I’ve been itchy for years...
I guess for me it means I'm really uncomfortable.... sore, itchy, skin tears easily.
Do you use steroid cream ? barrier creams or ointment, rinse with bicarbonate of soda mixed into water after every visit to the loo....have you been diagnosed with LS ?
Yes, I consider being itchy a flare up, especially when itchier than normal. Actually I think any symptom that seems worse than normal is a flare up. This itching sure is frustrating too and it always seems worse during the night, waking up itching like crazy, it sure makes it hard to sleep! What do you do for your itchiness robin59275? Lately I've been using Lidocaine and an anti fungal cream that is made up of Miconazole Nitrate. These seem to help some,,, I think... I've tried Apple Cider Vinegar and Oxidated Olive Oil and these didn't seem to do much good 
I haven't found anything yet that works really good for the itchiness. Have you or any of you others out there?
Hi, a flare is when you have ANY of the LS symptoms.
For example:-
itching
blisters
sores/lesions
red spots
bruising
Paper cuts
these are just some of them, there are more for sure.
At this moment in time, I have nothing going on at all, everything is good and so I am not flaring.
I believe that if you have constant itching ALL of the time then you need to look at your diet because that's your body telling you to listen. Its kinda like ignoring an illness, not treating it and just carrying on regardless. Anyone that's putting up with itching really does need to to look carefully at their diet because daily itching is a bad thing.
I have abdominal pain....very little itching, burning.
I’m always itchy too. Every night for 4.5 yrs I itch. It’s horrible. A flare up for me is when it’s excessively itchy, usually around my period and ovulation.
I know it isn’t diet related as I’ve tried everything-keto, oxidation, gluten free, dairy free, sugar and alcohol free. Currently I live by the Tim Ferriss diet which is basically protein and beans 6 days a week. Maybe I’m allergic to water.
I had what I thought was a flare but may have actually been Vulvadynia, severe pain....
How long did you try those diets before figuringthey don’t work??? I’ve been thinking of going gluten free but I’m scared
So I feel like ive been in a constant flare for years then??
I don’t do anything for the itching, I’ve had this for years and just lived with it but I’m newly diagnosed and waiting to see dermatologist for a biopsy to confirm it.... do you use the steroid cream?
I’ve been visually diagnosed but waiting on a biopsy to confirm... no I don’t use barrier cream, any suggestions?
Hi. No reason to be scared. Even if it doesn’t work at least you’ll know.
Anyway I did Keto (no sugar, no gluten, no alcohol) for 7 wks. My carb count was less than 20 a day. I was very true to that diet, meaning I never cheated. Drank a ridiculous amount of water and have to say that during that time the LS was pretty bad. This led me to believe that perhaps dairy was affecting me hence the diet I’m on now-a variation of the Tim Ferriss diet. No dairy. Though I must admit I have exactly one tsp of cream in my coffee a day but that’s it. And I find it hard to fathom that such a small amt could contribute to the intense itching I experience every night.
The oxilates diet I was on strictly for 3 days and then reduced the severity for about 2 wks. Must say you can’t eat anything on that diet. Everything has oxilates. At least everything I like to eat, spinach, beans, nuts. That said if I had noticed any relief I would have stuck to it.
I’ve given up everything at some point which angers me that people can be so matter of fact to say that the cause is diet. I eat the way I eat now just bc I feel lighter and not loaded down by carbs.
The LS started for me when I was 43 and like I said it’s worse around my period leading me to think it may be hormonal but I do not know for sure. All I know for sure is that it sucks royally.
Hi robin, if you are always itching, always have some kind of sore/lesion/cut then you need to look at your diet. Some women find that gluten is the root cause and you would only have to try it for a month to see if that is your main problem..if not then you should try cutting out dairy. But, ultimately sugar is the main cause for most people.
No, I don't use any type of steroid cream. I've only been using the Lidocaine for numbing and then the Antifungal to hopefully combat the white spots that I don't know what they are for sure, but sure does itch. I know I have stage 4 vulvar cancer but these spots sure remind me of either LS or a yeast infection, but whatever they are, it seems like it's a fungal infection. Diet plays a big part too I think. I dunno, all's I know for sure is that us women sure get unfairly stuck with vaginal problems. I blame our world for poisoning our food and water with chemicals!
I totally agree with you in that diet plays a huge part in what symptoms we experience. As I said earlier, I blame our world for poisoning our food and water with chemicals! If we had all pure and natural things to eat and drink, we wouldn't have a fraction of the problems that we do now! I'm afraid even the products that are labeled natural and organic are not, because this world is full of so much chemicals everywhere. I think it's practically impossible to find anything that is 100 percent chemical free.
It sure does suck royally. I did the same thing as you, tried keto for quite awhile, but it seems like no matter what I did, the itchiness and inflammation remained. Sooo I said skrew it and have just decided to eat pretty much what I want and enjoy life and foods while I can.
Sheryl, so sorry to hear of your cancer, I do hope you are getting excellent treatment...take care.
Thank you linda94703 
^ I'm not undergoing any type of treatment though. Just using lidocaine to help numb the area and the anti fungal to hopefully combat the itching and to hold back more growth. I'm on hospice now is all and the pain meds have helped I hope you're doing well and take care too <3
I’ve been looking at various diets but haven’t jumped on board yet. I have drastically cut back on sugar to start with.. slowly but surely I will get there... I’m so scared to give up my gluten!!
Also, is all sugar bad? Can you not have any sugar at all without having symptoms??