Natural Remedies for Lichen Sclerosus: Effective Treatments

Vaginal Meds causing LS symptoms

This is in response to Kathy from Brisbane, Australia:

I have had the same theory for 4 years, that moderate to high use of Vaginal creams for thrush, vaginitis etc aggravate or possibly even CAUSE LS. 6 Months after taking precription medication for bacterial vaginitis the thinning, tearing, itchyness around th vulva area began.

Ladies please be aware when taking such meds.

Best of luck.

I've just been diagnosed with LS, how fun. I have been treated many times in the past for yeast infections and bacterial vaginosis. I believe you may be on to something BIG. I also believe that stress and perhaps past trauma/emotions may have an impact on what is happening now.

I was diagnosed with LS a few years back. Contrary to your theory I had never used any vaginal creams for any ailment.

I read on another website that it is common with LS to be extremely sensitive to any creams that have any of the -parabens in them. This can be methylparaben, propylparaben, etc. Since nearly every single cream out there needs the parabens to make it "creamy", be sure to read the labels very carefully.

Take care!

I was diagnosed with LS 10 years ago. It happened shortly after having oral sex. I have used a vaginal cream since then, but off and on. Not on a regular basis. About 2 years ago I had surgery in which I took antibiotics and pain meds. Within 2 months I started noticing some really weird things happening to me that never happened before. Since then I've been researching relentlessly on what could be wrong with me. My conclusion is the antibiotics, drugs, creams etc. . . are bad for us. I have candidiasis because antibiotics not only kill the bad bacteria, but the good. This in return let yeast grow out of control in my body causing skin issues, digestive issues, dizziness, drunkenness, etc. . . I believe the only way to get better is to change your life away from the SAD (Standard American Diet). Eat healthy, meaning fresh fruits (very little), meats and vegetables. Try to buy organic, if possible. The pesticides and hormones sprayed/injected into our foods ultimately get inside us and also affect us. No processed, canned, packaged foods. No lunchmeats, sweets, etc. Obviously it can be very difficult to completely stay away from these foods for the rest of your life. I love sweets so I know. I try to eat healthy 99% of the time though. Educate yourself. Research candidiasis, get on a good probiotic, see if you could benefit from digestive enzymes, fish oils, read the Metabolic Typing Diet, search for Yeast Infection No More online book, how dental work can have you suffering (mercury in your mouth), metal in your body. I recently had an eery feeling my LS was linked to my diet as well as all the other issues I've dealt with in the last year. I believe it is true because when I was following a super healthy diet for 5 months (no dairy, only brown rice pasta, brown rice cakes, brown rice, fresh veggies, little fruit (mainly berries) and protein) NO sugar whatsoever and only drank water or decaf herbal teas, continued to exercise, reduce my stress level and take some supplements I had no anal itching and very little if any vulva pain/discomfort.

I also recently decided to research the cream I've been using over the years for my LS and one of the things it says can occur is folliculitis. Last October I woke up one morning with tiny red bumps all over my legs. I have not confirmed by a doctor that it is folliculitis, because I refuse to have anyone try to make me take any medications/creams (drugs)or antibiotics. I am on a mission to change my life for the better and it involves natural/holistic treatments. Always question your doctor and if you don't believe what they are suggesting it is best for you get a second opinion. I recently had to have my wisdom teeth removed and the first oral surgeon I met with said I would have to go on antibiotics and pain killers. I refused because I knew what that mess of meds got me in a year and a half ago. I searched for a holistic dentist and found one who guided me in the right path so I was able to do stay away from the antibiotics and pain meds by using a great quality probiotic and digestive enzymes for inflammation/pain.

I hope some of this helps someone else!

HI

MY DOCTOR AS ADVISED ME TO USE AN EMOLIENT CREAM FOR WASHING/CLEANING THE VAGINAL AREA. THIS HELPS TO STOP IT FROM DRYING OUT, WHICH IN TURN WILL GIVE THE AREA TIME TO HEAL.

I was diagnosed with Lichen Sclerosis 7 years ago. According to my doctor "no known cause no known cure" -- just take this prescription for the rest of your life and you'll never get better. I also thought it may be linked to use of products for vaginal candida which I used just about every other month for about 5 years before being diagnosed with Lichen Sclerosis. Struggled with vaginal candida for many years, but now am free of it. I used 1 teaspoon of dissolved ionic mineral salt in 1 ounce of water, followed by 1 liter of purified water daily for 3 weeks and have had no more candida and also, no more flare ups of lichen sclerosis. Can't say I'm cured, since I haven't seen a doctor after using it, but am extremely happy with the results. Also in the past, I have used organic coconut oil in the vaginal area (anti-viral, anti-bacterial, anti-microbial, anti-fungal) for lubrication and sensitivity. IMPORTANT NOTE: Coconut oil breaks down latex condoms, so use polyurethane instead. Hope this helps.

I'd like to add my pennyworth to this thread for what it is worth and in the hope that it may help just one person, more even better. I have suffered from food allergies for some 40 years, I was never able to get rid of them, only control them by eating less. I was diagnosed with LS about a year ago, but I think I may have had it in a more minor form for much longer. For the first two months it didn't seem much of a problem, but then it developed rapidly into a major discomfort and pain. I threw everything but the kitchen sink at it, in order to find a solution. I found that lots of things helped but only temporarily.

Then finally as a result of a paragraph I saw written by a Doctor about psoriasis, his theory was that toxins were unable to escape through the normal route ie liver kidneys so they moved to the next available organ which was the skin, causing serious skin eruptions. This made a lot of sense to me, so I started to treat LS like it was one of my allergic reactions, and bingo, the first real success in 8 months of trying. All I did was cut down on my consumption of food by approximately one third. The sores, pimples and razor like cuts cleared up instantly, and the itching wasn't far behind. My symptoms are now 90% reduced, and I can control the symptoms by dieting. Someone mentioned a low carb diet, and I noticed that certainly applied to me also. Ironically vegetables and fruit, the things you would think were good for you, were causing a lot of surface itching that kept me awake all night. I try to eat any major meal early in the day, and at night it might just be a small high protein meal, like a leg of chicken, but no veg or fruit especially potatoes.

I do think this disease is multifaceted and there is no one solution for everyone. One thing I want to say about this. It had spread from my vulva to anus, cleavage, bust, and all over my back, and finally to my mouth where the white skin was about an inch long and half inch wide. I managed to easily get rid of the mouth problem by putting garlic oil on about 6 times a day. It completely disappeared within 3 to 4 days, and didn't reappear for about two months, when I again repeated the treatment and it went again. The diet cleared up the itching on my back and breasts and anus. The manic itching in the vulva area disappears 90% of the time as long as I don't overeat at all, and I am still experimenting with food to get an even better result. But right now I am in a very good place, and maybe this approach might help others. That is my sincere wish - if only to help one person with this awful disease.

I don't know if garlic oil repeatedly applied to white patches in any other area would work, as it seems to me that every place you get it, it behaves differently, so I would be interested to hear if anyone else has had any success with that. My sincere best wished to all. Just because they tell us this disease is incurable, doesn't mean we shouldn't try to cure it.

I think that you will find that many people with LS were treated with creams before diagnosis because they or their doctors thought their symptoms were candida. So that would mean they already had LS, not that the creams caused it. That is what happened to me. I was diagnosed with LS after 10 years or more of symptoms that were missed by many doctors and midwives. One midwife saw that it wasn't candida, and saw the changes in the skin, but she apparently knew nothing of LS and called it non-specific bacterial infection, and had me take peridine baths. I've been using clobetasol sparingly for 19 years, and it has arrested the progress, but I don't want to use it anymore.

Hi Everyone, I've been looking for anwers in many places regarding LS, I've had this for over 10 years myself and it affects my bottom/anal area mostly and I just got fed up with it all!

#1 I've greatly redued the amount of gluten I take in, amost impossible to go Gluten free, but baby steps...

#2 Whole foods, veggies, meats, fruits... I TRY to stay away from processed foods.

#3 and the most important Take a GOOD probiotic. NSM sells a great probiotic, available online.

#4 DO NOT Use the Steroid cream if you can help it! I use A&D ointment on my bottom after every bathroom visit. I also use an aloe/vitatmin E Infused toilet paper, cottonnelle with Aloe & E and Unscented Baby Wipes with Aloe and E after every BM.

The LS is very manageable, I'll even have sex again, my Hubby is so happy... My Gyno is amazed, he said my bottom looked normal! No Steroid cream for over 4 months... IF I have a flareup he suggested minute amounts of the steroid mixed with the A&D ointment... But so for ok, the ointment takes the "edge off" any itchy burny sensation. I know this doesn't cure the LS, but it greatly reduces the effects. Some holistic MD's say the issue is fungus so I'm on it about the probiotics.. I take a double dose once a day... Stay away from Dairy as well even yogurt w/ probiotics...

I am 60 years old. I was diagnosed with LS about 3 years ago and prescribed clobetasol which seemed to keep it from progressing. About a year ago and about 6 months after I had a gyn exam, I was horrified to discover that my labia was all but gone, I had scar tissue covering my clitoris, and the hood was at least 50% fused.

I have been receiving UVB light treatments (excimer laser) twice a week at first and now once a week for almost a year. Plus I use the clobetasol 2 weeks on and 1 week off. My symptoms have completely reversed. The scarring/lesions are gone. It took a bit of effort to get my insurance company to pay for the treatments, but they couldn't deny the supporting research. The clitoris, hood, labia have returned to normal. Occasionally I have some white patches and itching on the week I'm off the clobetasol. I have also eliminated sugar, wheat, dairy, and artificial sweeteners from my diet for about six months, which is why I think I have been able to reduce the treatments to once a week.

In my research I found and visited a cosmetic gyn who developed a surgery to unbury the clitoris without damaging the nerves. His name is Dr. Ostrenski. He is located in St. Petersburg, Florida. Doctors comes from all over the world to study his technique.

Mary, I'm having some of the same issues. What kind of doctor performed the UVB laser treatments for you? An OB/GYN or Dermatologist? Have the results lasted for you since your last post? Thank you for your help. The steroid cream is helping but not doing enough and some symptoms are progressing.

An ok theory for some, but there are little kids who get LS and people who have never used vaginal meds... But true I think that stuff can precipitate LS in others. Look at all the variations of symptoms too.

Wendy, your post is so interesting to me. I have had skin issues since I was a teenage (40 years). My skin would itch and burn and small sores would erupt that were like a burn and sometimes would grow to and inch big. I have scarring all over my upper arms, upper back and legs. As a teenager, I was diagnosed with psoriasis. After many years of dermatologists and naturopaths, everyone was perplexed because nothing helped.

I developed LS a year ago and through research was led to Trying Low Oxalates. I went on a low oxalate diet and this has helped tremendously! Many vegetables, fruits, beans, nuts, etc are not my friends.

Like you, the less food I eat, the better I feel! I only have LS breakouts, itchy, burning skin when I eat higher oxalate foods.

Thanks for sharing. I rarely run across anyone who has experienced the whole skin thing.

I have had the hood of my clitoris removed 3 times over the past years, it always grows back with LS. Like many people, I was diagnosed with candida years before LS was recognized. It certainly is not a pleasant condition. I plan on trying many of the treatments people have posted here. This is a wonderful site, I'm sure glad I came across it. I wish every one the best of luck. If I find something that works for me, I will be sure to post it.

Seeking more info regarding A&D creme.

Are you in remission?

Try adding Red Clover herbal pills... they supposedly increase estrogen. They have helped my LS symptoms a GREAT DEAL!!

Could you tell me the name of this cream and where you purchased it?

Thank you for sharing, I was skeptical that this would help. It has more than helped it has almost completely healed. I have dealt with this for over 20 years and I am amazed at the results. I use cotton rounds with a few drops of lavender and dilute with water 3 times a day. I also purchased some Frankincense as someone else suggested on here and plan on using it as well just as a precautionary.It is a little pricey, but we'll worth it and it's not a steroid! Thank you again for sharing! I hope this information will be helpful to others as well.

I can't begin to thank you enough!!! I've had LS for 11 years and I can deal with the pain and bleeding and all that but the itching!!!!!!! The kind where you want to take a knife and cut it out or the relief from scratching is better than sex. Anyway, I was having one of those episodes last night... It is always at night... And so came searching once again and found this. I use essential oils and have a bottle of lavender mixed with cedarwood, mineral water and witch hazel that I use on my pillows and thought maybe this would work. I added a few more drops of lavender and many drops of frankincense and all I can say is I was in heaven from the instant relief! I usually have itching in the morning also right after my shower and I used the spray again and what joy! THANK YOU THANK THANK YOU

I swear I used lavender oil vitamin e, witch hazel and castor oil and I am as free as a bird from lichen sclerosis after reading your remedies. I was suffering from it for a year and prayed for a solution and found it on your page. Thanks a million for everything I can live a better life without the itching. That was one of the Worst things ever Thanks😀

How much of each of these ingredients for Lichen Sclerosus?

Could you please post how you used the oils, how much...

Review post.... how did you use these oils? How much of each?

I have had wonderful success with Vitamin E oil for LS as well! I posted this under “remedies.” I get a burning sensation, so I just apply a drop of the oil to the hot area, and it soothes it almost immediately. I haven't had a flare-up for a couple of weeks, so I'm just applying it after I shower every morning as I'd rather stave it off than deal with a flare-up.

Hi, I haven't ever used this form of communication before but I have a question. A friend suggested to me that I may have lichen sclerosis. I have tiny razor blade slits up the sides of my labia majora (both sides)- they bleed and sting and feel much like a razor blade cut. Sometimes it seems to go across my perineum and over my anus, causing that to also be painful. I used to only think that it was from sex and maybe I had an STD but have been checked many times and seem to baffle the practioners - they often start questioning me about abuse. Well, now, I haven't had sex in two months and I have it again - so I am trying to figure out what it may be - my symptoms do not seem to be the same as what you are describing but I'm trying whatever avenue I can because it is quite painful and debilitating and I recieve no valid answers from practioners.

Stacy from Durango - According to my good friend, a dermatologist, Lichen sclerosis can be diagnosed with a biopsy of the skin. According to her it is not that uncommon and you should be able to ask a derm or ob-gyn to biopsy the skin so you can get an answer and start treatment. I too have been diagnosed with it but I haven't had the biopsy yet. I will be doing that soon so I can get a definite answer. Steroid creams are used quite a bit to bring the skin back to normal. If you don't want to waste your time with an uninformed doctor, try calling ahead and find out if they're familiar with the condition. Good luck

I was desperate for relief and decided to try the Wheatgrass lotion. The delivery was great. However, when I put the lotion on the vaginal area it burned like crazy. Not just for a short time. I put some more on later thinking it just takes time. Again the burning. So, I went back to my salt water which seemed to relieve the burning for a while. There must be something else out there but I don't have a clue. I don't have the itching, I have the soreness (sitting and exercising are very uncomfortable), redness and inflammation.

Mary

I have had LS for 13 years and had no idea what it was until I saw this post.

I have gone to the doctor and each time I go, they diagnose me with Thrush. So I'm so grateful to find that there are other women out there.

I noticed this in my teens and found everytime I had candy, chocolate or anything high in sugar, the itching would get worse. Bread from the grocery store and carbs in particular would also make the itching worse. For this reason, I just limited my carb and sugar intake (I have the sweetest tooth ever! ) and found that it was fine. Exercise, like 30 minutes of intense cardio regularly really helps with the symptoms.

I have young children and my diet has gone out the window and I've noticed that my symptoms are getting worse and the burning is getting more intense. I think I will have to get back on the bandwagon and continue with a 'healthy lifestyle.'

I have found cocoa butter oil helps with the itching and it's funny as I bought neem oil a couple weeks ago for this reason and looks like other ladies on this site have found it helpful.

Biopsy showed lichen sclerosis, sorry I always misspell this. Prescribed ointment thinned out skin so it would easily break, so I stopped. Also when preg wanted natural option. Best natural relief: Burt's bees chapstick, with peppermint is the best. Can be used several times a day without irritation. Shower daily a must. If leaking urine after baby, wipe with wipey as well for extra cleaning. Actually have always been very sexual, and luckily this hasn't affected my drive :)

I have had this question too.

Hi - People don't always have all the symptoms at once. What you are describing sure sounds like LS. You said you've seen doctors, have you brought up LS to them? Maybe ask your doctor to referrer you to an OBGYN or a Derm who specializes in LS. My biopsy came back positive, but they don't always, yet you still have it. I wish you luck.

I clean with Witch Hazel Wipes (courtesy of VA dr) and using diluted Apple Cider Vinegar. Hopefully I can cure self using these simple things. Four years is too long to be itching and having skin tear and bleed. Been celibate well over four years!!!!!

I think l agree with you if it is indeed that then cellerly would be good too