Journaling lichen planus journey
I was diagnosed with lichen planus a couple of weeks ago, although my symptoms started around 2 months back. I developed itchy rashes which are leaving black/blue marks.
Initially, I developed around 8 to 10 dark marks across my torso, hands, and legs. New marks stopped appearing for a while, but the itching continued.
Recently, I’ve had another round of around 8 to 10 marks in similar areas, with more appearing on my legs this time.
I’m planning to keep this as an ongoing journal in case it helps anyone else going through something similar, or if someone wants to follow along and compare experiences.
A few things I’m currently wondering about as possible contributors:
- I had started taking iron supplements because my iron was low and saw somewhere that could be one of the suspects
- I’ve had insufficient vitamin D levels for several years.
What I’ve done so far to investigate and manage it:
- I came across some information suggesting vitamin D levels may be associated with lichen planus, so I’ve increased my vitamin D to 5,000 IU/day for now. Interestingly, I’ve noticed that on the days I take vitamin D, the itching seems significantly lower.
- I started using organic aloe vera gel. It has been very helpful for controlling the itching, which also helps me avoid scratching and creating more marks.
- I downloaded an app to track when the itching happens, along with what I ate, supplements I took, and other things I did that day, so I can hopefully identify patterns or triggers.
What’s next:
- Meeting another dermatologist this week to get a biopsy and confirm the diagnosis.
- Connecting with an anti-inflammatory nutritionist to look for possible dietary or inflammatory triggers.
- Exploring supportive approaches through TCM and Ayurveda.
- Trying an anti-inflammatory diet for 10 days and tracking whether anything changes.
My main goal is to understand what is triggering this and how I can manage it long term, ideally while minimizing the need for steroids.
I’ll keep updating this post/journal with what I try, what seems to help, test results, and anything I learn along the way. Would also love to hear from anyone who has dealt with lichen planus and figured out their triggers or what helped reduce the itching and new spots.