lichen sclerosus

[sweetsum]

I HAVE BEEN DIAGNOISED WITH LICHEN SCLEROSUS AND WAS GIVEN CREAM TO PUT ON IT  IT HELPS.BUT ARE THERE ANY THING ELSE I CAN DO FOR IT?IT FLARES UP ALL THE TIME.It also hurts when you have sex any suggestions please?

[radar7]

I was diagnosed with lichen sclerosus in July last year.  Whilst the steroid ointments helped I too was having flare ups and decided to consult a naturopath as well.  Her treatment consists of a diet which is lots of  fruit and vegetables, supplements and acupuncture.  This together with the steroid ointments appears to be helping me more than the steroids only.
If there is a naturopath in your area this combination of treatments might be worth a try.

[tschock]

Sometimes, you don't get better when using the cortisone creams. Some things that can keep symptoms from clearing up are:

Low estrogen levels
Infection
Allergy to the medication.
When creams and ointments don't work, your doctor may suggest:

Retinoids, or vitamin A-like drugs
Tacrolimus ointment
Ultraviolet light treatments (not used on skin of the genitals).

Women with severe lichen sclerosus in the genitals may not be able to have sex. The disease can cause scars that narrow the vagina. Also, sex can hurt and cause the patches to bleed. However, treatment with creams or ointments can help. Women with severe scarring in the vagina may need surgery, but only after lichen sclerosus is controlled with medication.

You may need a different prescription if that one isn't helping much.