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. It is believed to be an autoimmune disease but may result due to other factors such as 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.

Fortunately, you have homeopathy to treat the condition effectively and safely. Here’s a case of lichen planus treated with homeopathy successfully. 

Case Study:

A 63-year-old lady, (PIN: 4574) approached Life Force’s Santacruz branch on 8th July 2021 for her treating her complaints of lichen planus that she was suffering for 4 months. Her main presenting symptoms were purplish lesions on the skin, particularly on the hands, chest, abdomen, back, and legs. She had severe itching on the affected areas which turned worse at night.

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 1 week which she later stopped. Currently, she was under antihistamine for the last 10 days. 

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

Physical Generals:

She was a vegetarian and had an average appetite. The patient had craving for spicy food. Her thirst was average, and she drank 2-3 liters of water daily. She had average perspiration. She was not tolerant of extremely hot weather. Her motion and urine were satisfactory. She enjoyed a sound sleep with no recurrent dreams as such.

Psychological Make-Up:

Her mental generals were also asked and updated. Her childhood history was asked about. She had a very happy and supportive family. She was a very sensitive person. By nature, she was mild and gentle.  

Personal and Family’s Medical History:

Her family history of aliments was asked and updated to rule out any history of autoimmune condition from the family side. The patient had no family history of any autoimmune disease. 

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 in detail, medicines were prescribed by Dr. Shah. 

Follow-Ups: 

At the first follow-up on 28th August 2021, the patient was better by 60% to 70%. The eruptions had stopped spreading and the severity of itching had reduced. Also, the patient had completely stopped using allopathic medications. The hyperpigmented scar marks were also fading slowly. In the further follow-ups, the patient was noticing further improvement.

By 10th March 2022, the patient was better by almost 90%. Her lesions had fully. The patient was very happy and thankful to Dr, Shah and the entire Life Force team for the wonderful results that she had got merely within 8 months of the homeopathic treatment. The patient was happy that she could stop her allopathic medications and was fully healed safely with homeopathic treatment.

Conclusion:

This case illustrates that homeopathy offers excellent treatment for lichen planus. It offers a deep level of 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 and effective and free from any toxic effects as well.

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