20 Years Persistent Lichen Planus Pigmentosa Treated Successfully With Homeopathy
A 70-year-old male patient, Mr. P.K. (PIN: 29971) had hyperpigmented patches on his face and neck for almost 20 years. He didn't bother to treat it until when he noticed that the patches were gradually increasing and had become more prominent, and that is the time when he consulted a dermatologist who diagnosed it as Lichen planus pigmentosa. He had mottled hyperpigmented, dark brown macules on his face and neck, and, when he approached the Life Force clinic, his disease was masked by the use of immunosuppressants and steroids. He was taking Tablet. Azoran (Immunosuppressant) and was applying Halovate-S (Steroid) cream. He was on beta-blockers for his hypertension complaint for almost around 20 years. While most cases of lichen planus pigmentosa are idiopathic, some may be caused by the ingestion of certain medications, such as beta-blockers. So, one of the reasons for his LPP might be the intake of the beta-blockers. He started treatment with Life Force clinic on 7th October 2016.
Besides LPP and hypertension, he was suffering from Diabetes and had complaints of an enlarged prostate. He had suffered from psoriasis in the past.
He would prefer both vegetarian and non-vegetarian food. He had an average appetite and adequate thirst. He would perspire profusely, particularly on his forehead. He was sensitive to the cold temperatures.
His mother was diabetic and suffered from an underactive thyroid.
He was retired for the past 7 years, and, earlier, he worked for operations in the Otis company. He had a stressful job of achieving targets and getting work done from the laborers. He was short-tempered, impatient, and used to do his work on his own. He needed quick results, and he would be anxious and hasty.
With all these case details, Dr. Shah analyzed his case and prescribed his research-based medicines for six weeks to the patient.
Follow-Ups:
He started experiencing the improvement from the first follow-up itself. On 17th November 2016, there was a minor change in the hyperpigmentation. Dr. Shah prescribed the same medicines to the patient. He was advised to taper off the use of immunosuppressants and steroids.
In the following updated feedback on 27th December 2016, the patches on his cheeks had increased, which was due to the withdrawal effect of tapering off the steroids and immunosuppressants.
With the next 4 months of continuous homeopathic treatment, when in May 2017 the photos were compared, the recovery achieved was almost 40%-45%. And, importantly, the patient was off the steroids and immunosuppressants.
In February 2018, there was a 50%-60% improvement in his recovery from the hyperpigmented patches. No new lesions had appeared in the last 1 year of the treatment.
After 50%-60% of the improvement, there were not many visible changes. The case was reached to the status quo level, and the doctor reviewed the case and prescribed revised medicine to the patient.
After three months of the gap in the treatment, he visited the clinic in May 2019. The recovery from the hyperpigmented patches on face and neck was better by more than 75%, however, he had developed hyperpigmented spots on his forearms bilaterally along with itching.
With further four months of treatment on 1st October 2019, he reported an 80% to 90% improvement in recovery from the hyperpigmentation on the face & forehead and had negligible hyperpigmentation left. There was a significant improvement in the patches around his neck. His forearms were freed from hyperpigmentation, and he had regained her normal skin tone.
Conclusion:
Lichen planus pigmentosa (LPP) is a pigmented difficult variant of lichen planus, and the cause of LPP is unknown. But, an immunological mechanism mediates its development. So, rather than suppressing the disease by using immunosuppressive medicines, treating it at the immune level can be highly beneficial. And, this is what you can achieve by going for homeopathic treatment for lichen planus pigmentosa. Homeopathic medicines act as immunomodulators which cause a kind of regulatory modification in the immune system to achieve the desired response and helps to get rid of such auto-immune conditions. Homeopathy is highly beneficial in treating lichen planus pigmentosa remarkably and safely without any side-effects.
- Written by Dr. Mithila K, Associate to Dr. Rajesh Shah (M.D.)