lichen planus

[1raz]

Is there  anything that can help lichen planus?
I have lichen planus on my gums.  It is very sore and red when it is active.
I am also allergic to quarternium 15 and methylchloroisothiazolinone. Any suggestions as to what products do not contain these chemicals??
Thank you for any information

[1raz]

Lichen planus

Hi
Thank you for your response.

About my lichen planus....
I have been having the symptoms since we moved into our new house in July  2007.  
My dentist has been watching it since then.  He referred me to an Oral Surgeon   (July 30, 2007)  who prescribed  Lidex.  
In  Oct 2007 my dentist asked me to eliminate everything artificial and spicy from my diet because I still had hyperplastic tissue and a small ulcerated  spot on my gum.   On 10/16/07 my regular dentist reported that the tissue looked better.  
On 3/10/2008   my periodic oral exam revealed leisions throughout my mouth.  I was referred back to the oral surgeon who then    then referred  me  to an oral pathologist in NY  (4/29/08) who diagnosed me with Lichen Planus and prescribed protopic ointment to be applied to my gums 3x a day   for 2 weeks.
My second visit to the oral Pathologist in  May 2008 showed  that my gums looked 90% better after the protopic treatment.  ( I believe that protopic is a tacrolimus)

From May until  the end of August I maybe had 1 outbreak again where I used the protopic for 3 days and  my gums felt fine.  
In the later part of August I   started to use a neem toothpaste and my gums felt and looked fine until Sept. 14 when I had another outbreak. It seems funny but it started the day after I ate out at a resturant with a salad bar.  
My dentist was not able to do my regular cleaning last week and had me start a treatment of protopic again for another 3 days.  
I am going back to the dentist tomorrow.  My gums are very sensitive.
That is the whole story.  
Do you think I should see a dermatologist since the rash is on my gums or is it something with my immune system?    Is there anything I can do to prevent these outbreaks  It seems that when I am having a spell with the rash on my gums I feel totally exhausted.  Could this be coming from the protopic??
Any help will be appreciated.  
Thank you for your previous response
1raz

[BhumikaMD]

Hi,

How was the diagnosis made in your case? Have you seen a skin specialist? What treatment did the doctor prescribe?

Are you on any medications currently?

Currently there is no cure for lichen planus but there are certain types of medicines used to reduce the effects of the inflammation. Lichen planus may go into a dormant state after treatment. There are also reports that lichen planus can flare up years after it is considered cured.

Medicines used to treat lichen planus include:

    * Oral and topical steroids.
    * Oral retinoids
    * immunosuppressant medications
    * hydroxychloroquine
    * tacrolimus
    * dapsone

UVB NarrowBand Phototherapy

Since when are you having the symptoms?

It would be best to consult your dermatologist before you start any medications.

Till then you could use aloe vera cream over the lesions.

Let us know if you need any other information and post us about how you are doing.

Regards.