Lichen planus is an inflammatory condition of the skin and mucous membrane with characteristic symptoms such as swelling and irritation in the skin, hairs, nails, and mucous membranes.

Lichen planus generally is counted among the autoimmune diseases but it can develop due to other factors like side effects of certain drugs or as an associated symptom of hepatitis C. Some of the other causative factors of lichen planus include:

• Viral infections
• Allergens
• Stress
• Genetics

The following are the common symptoms of lichen planus:

• Purplish-colored lesions or bumps on the skin and mucous membrane
• Lesions that are spreading in nature
• Itchy lesions
• Lacy white lesions in the mouth (gums, inner aspect of cheeks).
• Irregular longitudinal grooving and ridging of the nail plate, thinning of the nail plate, atrophy of nail bed, etc.

Case Study

A 31-year-old lady, (PIN: 41359) approached Life Force, Malleshwaram branch on 2nd October 2019 for her complaints of lichen planus that she was suffering since January 2019.

Her main presenting symptoms were purplish lesions on the skin, particularly on the hands, chest, abdomen, back, and legs. She suffered from severe itching in the affected areas which was worse at night. Her complaints were mostly aggravated during the stressful times and the winter.

Personal and Family’s Medical History:

Her history of aliments and treatment history was asked about in detail and updated. The patient was under allopathic treatment (steroids) for her condition for the last 2 months. Her family history of aliments was asked and updated to rule out any autoimmune history in her family. The patient had no family history of autoimmune disease.

The patient was a lot anxious about her skin condition and also wanted to get rid of steroid treatment and its side effects.

A detailed case taking was done considering both her mental and physical generals.

Physical Generals:

The patient had an average appetite and a craving for salty food. Her thirst was average, and she drank 2-3 liters of water daily. She experienced average perspiration. She was not tolerant of both the extremes of cold weather and hot weather. Her motion and urine were satisfactory. She enjoyed a sound sleep with no recurrent dreams as such. Her menstrual history was also asked about and updated. She had a regular menstrual cycle with no significant associated symptoms.

Psychological Make-Up:

Her mental generals were also asked and updated. Her childhood history was enquired about. She had a very happy and supportive family. The patient told us that she often takes tension and stress easily either related to her family or office. Also, she was very sensitive and had a tendency to weep easily. The patient was very particular about cleanliness and often used to get irritated when things at home are not kept in their place or when she sees her surroundings dirty. She was very much attached to her family and always wanted to be surrounded by her family members.

Her physical and systemic examination was done and her weight and BP were checked and updated in the case file.

The entire case file was checked and after analyzing the case history medicines were prescribed by Dr. Shah.

Follow-ups: 

At the first follow-up on 20th December 2019, the patient was better by 10%. The eruptions had stopped spreading and the severity of itching had reduced.

In further follow-ups, the patient was experiencing further improvement. Also, the patient had completely stopped using allopathic medications.

Meanwhile, the patient conceived her second baby and delivered the baby on 13th July 2021. Post-delivery, the eruptions on her body which earlier had shown good improvement started to reappear with increased itching. This made the patient very anxious. We explained to the patient how hormonal changes during pregnancy and post-delivery can aggravate autoimmune conditions like lichen planus. Also, her medicines were revised and sent accordingly.

In the following follow-ups, the patient started improving gradually.

By 13th July 2022, the patient was better by almost 90%. Her lesions had cleared. The patient was very happy and thankful to Dr. Shah and the entire Life Force team for the wonderful results that she had received with homeopathic treatment. The patient was happy that she could stop her allopathic medications and was fully better safely without any side effects from homeopathic treatment even during her pregnancy.

Conclusion:

This case highlights that homeopathy offers excellent treatment for lichen planus. It promotes deep-level healing by improving the body’s immunity. Since homeopathy works at removing the root cause of the disease, it ensures a permanent solution to autoimmune diseases such as lichen planus. Homeopathy is safe, effective, and does not cause any side effects.

Written by Dr. Poornima P., Associate doctor to Dr. Rajesh Shah