Thank you for your question. The LS does need to be treated with topical steroid and this is fine in the context of VIN but the VIN may need treating too so please see your doctor.

I am sorry to hear that you have had conflicting advice. Some patients have lichen sclerosus and atrophic vaginitis and VIN (vulval intra-epithelial neoplasia) or any combination of these. Using a steroid for you LS will not harm the VIN but the VIN may need to be treated. VIN is usually graded acco...

The advice is always to use cream or ointment that has not expired. This is because the product may "go off" after that date and may not be as effective. However, it is likely not to be harmful if you have used a steroid cream or ointment that is out of date.

Thank you for your post. Lichen sclerosis always stays on the outside - it affects only the vulval skin. There is a similar condition called lichen plants and this can affect patients internally - inside the vagina. However, I have not seen it in the bladder. The symptoms you describe may be due to ...

Thank you for your question. Keratosis can look very different when they are on the vulva then when they are on the skin. LS and keratosis can look similar, and you can have both conditions. If you are worried, please see your doctor again.

Thank you for your question. There are no "rules" on how often a patient should be examined. If the LS is in remission, then annual examination is usually recommended but this can be done by yourself with a mirror once you have been taught what to look for or your GP surgery (practice nurs...

Thank you for your post. The topical steroid should be applied where the LS is active. So if a patient has LS inflammation only over the opening of the vulva (Introitus) then the steroid should only be applied here. Some women have a "figure of 8" presentation and there is LS active in the...

Thank you for your post. Each patient is different. Their severity of disease when we start topical steroid treatment is different, they may be applying the treatment differently, and their LS can respond slower or quicker to treatment. In general, most patient see a considerable improvement when th...

Dear Pamela, Thank you for your post. I will try to answer your questions: Questions: I think my labia etc have shrunk so I have increased my Vagirux to alternate days from three times weekly. Is this right? Without examining you, it is hard to say why your labia have shrunk. This can be age-related...

Thank you for your post. If your consultant feels that the LS is in remission, it is likely that these symptoms are due to something else. The inflammation from LS can sometimes lead to an irritation of the nerves in the skin. We call this vulvodynia. Vulvodynia can also develop out of the blue, wit...