An Assam Forest Officer’s Path to Oral Lichen Planus Recovery

Lichen planus is an auto-immune inflammatory condition of the skin and mucous membranes, characterized by symptoms such as swelling and irritation in the skin, hair, nails, and mucous membranes.

When it affects the oral cavity it is called as oral lichen planus, common symptoms of oral lichen planus include white lacy lesions on the oral mucosa (cheeks, gums, tongue, inner tissues of the lips, and palate), burning pain, sensitivity to hot and spicy foods, bleeding and inflammation of the gums, and difficulty in talking, chewing, or swallowing.

Case study:
A 43-year-old man (Patient ID: 49824) visited Life Force Jayanagar Branch on November 19th, 2022 for his complaints of oral lichen planus, which he had been suffering since 2017. The main presenting symptoms included hyper pigmented lesions on internal cheeks with burning pain. Bleeding was present in the initial stage of the disease 1 year back, currently no bleeding. His past medical history and treatment history were thoroughly reviewed and updated. His family history was also inquired about and documented.

A detailed case taking was performed, considering both his mental and physical health.

Physical generals:
He was a non-vegetarian with an average appetite and cravings for salty food. He had average thirst and consumed about 3-3.5 litres of water daily. His sweating was also average. He was not tolerant of extreme heat. His bowel movements and urination were satisfactory. He had a sound sleep and had no dreams as such.

Mental generals:
His mental health was also evaluated and updated. He had a happy childhood with supportive parents. His married life was also satisfactory. He was mild and polite in nature. He was introverted and didn’t like to socialize much. The patient had certain obsessive features like the habit of cross-checking whether the door is locked properly or burner is turned off or the shower is turned off.

His intellectual abilities were also considered, with good memory, logic, intelligence, perception, and analysis.

The entire case file was reviewed, and after analyzing his history, medicines were prescribed by Dr. Shah. The patient was also provided with a diet chart for managing oral lichen planus.

Follow-ups:
The first follow-up was conducted on January 12th, 2023, with no noticeable improvement in his condition. The second follow-up took place on March 9th, 2023, and there was still not much difference in his condition. The lesions were stable, and there were no new lesions. By 6th May 2023, a slight improvement was observed in the lesions. By July 11th, 2023, the patient experienced a 50% improvement in his symptoms.

Further improvement was noted in subsequent follow-ups. 

By 21st November 2024, the patient was more than 75% better in his symptoms. 

The patient was very pleased with the improvement and expressed gratitude to Dr Shah and the entire Life Force team for the excellent outcomes achieved.

Conclusion:
Homeopathy offers effective treatment for lichen planus, providing deep healing by enhancing the body’s immunity. Since homeopathy addresses the root cause of the disease, it ensures a permanent solution to autoimmune conditions like lichen planus. It is safe, effective, and free from toxic effects.