Lichen Planus
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Lichen Planus Remedies

The comments below reflect the personal experiences and opinions of readers and do not represent medical advice or the views of this website. The information shared has not been evaluated by the FDA and is not intended to diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease or health condition. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional for medical concerns.
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Dietary Changes
Posted by Julie (Phoenix, AZ) on 11/22/2008
 ★★★★★

I've had oral lichen planus for 8-10 years and latley light outbreaks on wrist/ankle. With me, my oral lichen planus will often clear up completely, and always get milder, if I stick to a lower carb diet. While I'm not overweight I confess to preferring to eat lots of carbs typically from sweets. When I ease off, my condition always improves - often to miraculous degree. Today on internet I searched 'lichen planus diet' and found a similar post from a dentist stating a patient of his experiences same. I'm convinced there is a link between proper body funtioning (caused by better diet) and ease of auto immune probs like lichen planus. Likewise my other auto immune issue of painful joints also worsens with poor diet, and goes away when less carbs consumed. Other posts on earth clinic have suggested links to vitamins, acidity, etc for treatment/cure. I think perhaps when your body functions properly when you eat right, burning fat as it should, that your body heals itself of some odd ills. And conversely, when you eat poorly, your body's systems are adversely affected, sometimes presenting in various ways such as lichen planus for some of us.

I'd love to know if others experience same. I hope this helps some others. I will try to stick to better diet. It's tough though. To remove my lichen planus completely I have to drastically reduce carbs, then I can have sugary desserts, pasta, etc. 2-3 times a week without recurrence of lichen planus. What's tough for me is falling off wagon and getting into bad cycle of too much sugar too often - if I don't break pattern my lichen planus remains and can worsen. But the good news for all is it CAN be done. I recall many times where I broken pattern, fixed my lichen planus, and ate well for MONTHS at a time without issue. The real trick is this: when you see even the smallest hint of lichen planus returning, you've been eating too many carbs and need to ease off.

Baking Soda and Borax
Posted by Rich (Boca Raton, Fl) on 11/21/2008

My thought is that Infected Gums + Acidosis leads to Fungus. As the fungus spreads, more stuff gets infected, plus the bacteria can "leak out" of the weakened gum lining (weakened by the fungus), and spread infection elsewhere, like the back of the throat, esophagus, and elsewhere.

Baking Soda and Borax
Posted by Cubby (Seattle, WA, USA) on 11/17/2008

to 32-y.o. Rich of boca raton. your white tongue - "thrush" - indicates your immune system is still overwhelmed by chronic systemic yeast. i had it for decades. read Dr. Crooks' The Yeast Connection. there are also other good books at your health foodstore/pharmacy which deal with chronic systemic yeast. i tried fluconazole but longterm solution is careful diet and detoxifying your environment. you MUST conquer your chronic systemic yeast, or else you will get worse health problems because your immune system is overwhelmed by yeast. i'm 57-y.o. and been there. in my case, i had to overcome various junkfood addictions, about which i was in profound denial. beware, and good luck.

Baking Soda and Borax
Posted by Rich (Boca Raton, Fl, USA) on 11/09/2008
 ★★★★☆

I'm 32, smoked 5-10 ciggarettes/day drank 5 beers/day for 15 years.

At 25 I was diagnosed with Lichen Planus... Doctors gave me cortisone cream, didn't help. Found this site a few months ago, and have done some independant research since. Ted is awesome, by the way.

This post is a little fast and loose, without sources.

Basically, ENT Doctors commonly use Baking Soda, Vinnegar, and Borax added to other stuff, and categorize these as anti-infectives.

It appears that DCA, which is currently being tested in Canada as an anti-cancer drug is a combination of Bleach, Vinnegar, and BakingSoda... which would seem to kill a bunch of infections.
*****
Back to my problems. 3 months ago: I've got a white tongue, with bumps on the side of my mouth. I usually wake up congested, but it clears before 10am. Often I feel congested, and that makes me want another cigarrette.

I played the watch the clock game, and cut my smoking to 1 ciggarettes/day (after 7 pm)(back up to 3). I cut my drinking to 1 day per week. I started running 2 miles per day. It didn't help with my problems, although I lost 20 pounds.

I THINK that I have this thing figured out... I will post a follow-up in a few months, if I'm cured.
******
Studying Ted's "anti-infectives", first I tried going alkaline (borax and baking soda). This cleared my lungs, but made the bumps in my mouth worse.

Now I've gone in reverse, with the Apple Cidar Vinnegar only, and the bumps in my mouth are disappearing.

So here's my theory. There is a mayo-clinic study from a few years ago that says that most chronic sinus problems are caused by a fungus. As I had a yeast-like taste in my mouth, it was probably Candida. I went to the doc, and got some fluconazole, since the baking soda seemed to be clearing my lungs. Success on clearing my lungs... at least temporarily.... however, the bumbs in my mouth seemed to be getting worse.

It appears that these bumps are a "secondary infection", probably bacterial or viral. Since one problem was cured, I switched to 2 TBSP or Apple Cider vinegar, 2x per day. I had an immediate outbreak of Lichen Planus on my fingers, which appears to be dissapearing completely after a week. Additionally, the bumps in my mouth are 50% reduced.

There was a new study that came out last week that said men have cleaner hands than women, and are less likely to get skin infections, due to their hands are more acidic.

This lichen planus stuff kind of looks like warts, with a dark(blue) center. Since I've been taking ACV... the center of this stuff is red, like it's healing.
******
So I think I had Candida with a secondary infection, and the secondary infection(Lichen Planus) is cured by ACV.

I need some time to completely cure this stuff... but I think I did this in reverse. First start with the ACV to cure the secondary infection(Lichen Planus), then clear the yeast infection (Baking Soda or Borax or Flucon-azole).
******
On the white tongue... listerine doesn't help, biotene mouthwash doesn't help. Flouride toothpaste doesn't help. Brushing my tongue with either Baking Soda or Borax or Both and/or combining Hydrogen Peroxide, will turn my tongue completely red.

It will turn white again within 2 days... I've got some kind of infection. This stuff seems to help, though. I've been very impressed with that 20-mule borax stuff, in spite of the fact that the white tongue comes back.

Borax is not to be feared, just follow Ted's small dosage. His dosage is well reasoned.

Bleach
Posted by Steve (Hernando, MS. USA) on 11/07/2008
 ★★★★★

lichen planus -- I use Bleach it works for me. http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-131080893.html

Multiple Remedies
Posted by Savanah (Guelph, CA) on 09/21/2008
 ★★★★★

Drink 1 full tsp baking soda in a glass of water to take away the itch of Lichen Planus. Also when extremly itchy apply ice under a cloth, also I have tried Mr Clean Wipes with Antibacterial and they worked really well. Also just baking soda and water paste applied on the lessions and let dry against skin. One more is, I have applied the little yellow container of Carmex lip balm for cold sores to lessions and it works too. For my mouth I use Oracort Dental Paste that you dab not rub as it turns grandular if you rub it. You only need a ml size of it.

Eliminate Vitamin D
Posted by Vanessa (Okinawa, Japan) on 09/20/2008
 ★★★★★

I have suffered with Lichen planus since I was 10 years old. I once had a severe outbreak that lasted almost 4 years. This included oral lesions and lesions on my legs, feet, ankles, arms, back, neck, scalp, and vaginal lesions. After unsuccessful topical cortisone treatment, the doctor placed me on prednisone. Because prednisone depletes Vitamin D stores, I was told to take a very large amount of Vitamin D supplements. I started the prednisone, but did not start the Vitamin D supplements for a couple weeks. I noticed a drastic improvement in my lichen planus. They began to shrink in size, and the itch began to fade. However, once I started my vitamin D supplement, I flared back up. Thats when I put 2 and 2 together. I told my doctor, and he dismissed it. I would not take his word for fact though since I was also told that lichen planus is not genetic...my father and his sister both suffer with lichen planus. I followed my gut and cut vitamin D completely out of my diet for a while. milk, eggs, fortified cereals, fish, less sunlight, etc. My lichen planus went away. My father did the diet with me, and his went away as well. Once they went away, I took, I ate normal again, and whenever I notice old scars turning pink and starting to itch, I watch my Vitamin D for a couple of weeks. I recently had another outbreak, and I think it is due to the fact that I have had 2 back to back pregnancies and have been on prenatal vitamins for 2 years, which have a significant amount of vitamin D. I think its finally caught up with me, so I started the diet that I did ten years ago once again, I have already noticed I am getting better. My father is currently getting another outbreak because he was supplementing his diet with Fish Oil, which has large amounts of vitamin D. Since he has cut it out of his diet again, he is also improving.

Borax
Posted by Alexander (London, UK) on 05/27/2008
 ★★★★★

I followed Ted from Bangkok's advice to treat my oral lichen planus with 1/8 teaspoon daily with Borax (not boric acid) & it has really worked. My Ph is not too acidic. Topical steroids did nothing & homeopathic remedies only a small (but appreciable) improvement. After 2 months the lesions on my tongue were totally gone & now after 4 months the deep striations/veins on my inside cheeks are hugely improved. This will be a long battle. Taking any more than this amount resulted in interference with my bowel movements & overly soft stools. I can now eat normally again though I minimise my sugar intake & steer clear of hot spices...I don't smoke or drink alcohol. Thanks Ted!

Wet Cloth
Posted by Patrick (Fermeuse, Canada) on 05/06/2007
 ★★★★★

Lichen Planus of the skin. I have tried numerous steroids with temporary relief. There was always a re-occurance. The best home treatment is to apply a wet cloth to affected areas. Allow the cloth to remain on the lesions for at least twenty minutes. Repeat this treatment three times daily. Significant improvement noticed. Itching completely stopped.

Vitamin K, Vitamin D, Baking Soda and Borax
Posted by Doug (Oklahoma City, Oklahoma) on 12/07/2007
 ★★★★★

I tried your treatment. Vitamin K and D and baking soda. I also used borax for a couple of weeks but had such good results got lazy and quit the borax. I was two days from going to Hawaii for our 25th anniversary and was not getting better. My doctor told me not' to go.. Two days after starting treatment I had amazing results and now the lichen planus is going away. In fact the salt water in the ocean along with some sun and the treatment had amazing results. I was using all kinds of creams for itching and two days after the treatments started have not had to use any creams.. I still have a little itching but thats just from the healing of the areas. I also am taking grape fruit seed extract and that appears to be keeping any bacterial infections from starting. I am very thankfull. Doug. ps I have had toe nail fungus for four years and doctors did not want to treat. I see that I now have pink starting to show where the toenail starts growth... looks like it may be curing that also.


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