AN's and auto-immune conundrums..

[Esperanza]

Hello,

I'm sure this will get moved if it's not in the right section    but I am now in the process of waiting for confirmation
of a condition called Oral Lichen Planus (I thought maybe I had the beginnings of gum disease which I couldn't understand as my oral hygiene has always been excellent - always floss! and never had a problem with my gums before) - started in January and is a 1-100 condition with no cure and although they don't know the cause is linked to an auto-immune response - I'm getting a bit fed up with these conditions they don't know much about and are not easily dealt with!

I know there are a fair few on here who have auto-immune conditions but were they pre-AN diagnosis or post-AN diagnosis?  Has anyone been told there is a link?

I have read that LP is linked to stress (haha!) and there was I thinking I was coping really well generally, the body is obviously not in agreement!

[Jim Scott]

Hi, Esperanza ~

I'm responding to your question because I was diagnosed with Oral Lichen Planus over 20 years ago.  I've always been completely asymptomatic so it wasn't a problem, just something noted on my dental history chart.  Recently, my dentist decided that, although nothing had changed, I should have the lesions (small and not visible to me, even when performing my oral hygiene) biopsied 'just in case'.  I did some internet research and found that Oral Lichen Planus has about a 5% rate of malignancy.  So, last year I had the biopsy - and it was 'unremarkable'.   My dentist said that if it ever 'flares up', steroids can take care of it.  Good to know.

The DMD that performed the biopsy said that Oral Lichen Planus is an auto-immune disease but that I'll probably never know the actual cause and not to worry about it if I'm asymptomatic because my semi-annual dental checkups will keep it under professional observation.  He didn't see any connection with my AN but admitted that it could be related in a very general way, although I've never had any other type of auto-immune problems in my 66 years, so, who knows? 

I think the 'stress' explanation is overused as a 'catch-all' rationale when doctors don't really know the actual cause of something.  We all know that stress is somewhat debilitating and certainly an obstacle to maintaining good overall health.  Blaming stress for auto-immune diseases is a bit too 'easy', but perhaps I'm just cynical....or it could be stress. 

Jim

[Esperanza]

Thanks Jim, nice to know I am not completely on my own with this one!