Annual checks?

Post your questions regarding lichen sclerosus here.

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by Guest Posts on Mon May 11, 2020 11:42 am

Annual checks?

Please could you tell me if its a reasonable request to have a yearly check on my lichen sclerosus? I was diagnosed initially about 15yrs ago by sexual health clinic, I was given steroid cream and told to use it for a week then I would be ok. I obviously only had it mildly back then so my symptoms seemed to dissappear but alas they hadn't. My lichen sclerosus was again diagnosed by biopsy in 2015 and I've not seen anybody since. I manage it myself but now have a fused clitoris hood. I just need a yearly check and advice to help me manage it better. I just feel like I am left to my own devices and nobody is interested.
Kind regards
Ellen
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Dr Jane Sterling
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by Dr Jane Sterling on Mon May 11, 2020 5:48 pm

Re: Annual checks?

Lichen sclerosus is a long-term condition, as you have already discovered, and treatment needs to be long-term as well. In an ideal world, lichen sclerosus would be kept 'under review', but that is ideally done with you, the patient, involved. You need to 'keep an eye on things', although I appreciate that it can be quite a challenge to try to examine your own vulva with a mirror, a good light and perhaps the right sort of glasses. It is easier if someone else examines for you!
If your lichen sclerosus is generally under control, then you and your GP should be able to manage it together. It is useful to have an annual visit to the GP for this problem, for a yearly check of the skin and a reassessment of the amount of treatment needed. As others have mentioned, your GP needs to know that they are prescribing the right treatment for you, and might want to reassess to ensure that they are not over-doing or under-doing the treatment.
Some GP practices have a system by which they can call you back for an appointment at a set time, but many practices expect you to make an appointment yourself when necessary. If you need to be seen by your GP to assess the condition of your skin or the amount of treatment needed, you may need to plan the appointment yourself. Of course, that is a bit of a challenge just at the moment...
Dr Jane Sterling
MB, BChir, MA, FRCP, PhD, FHEA

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