High blood pressure tablets and lichen planus

[nigelho]

Hi Folks,
Type 1 diabetic for just over 3 years, 63 year old male on porcine neutral and isophane after 3 years on levemir and lantus...HELL.
Diagnosed with high blood pressure in January 2012 and put on ramapril. I stopped these tablets as I developed Lichen Planus in mouth and on skin. Now on losartan. Now on Betnesol for the lichen planus but it's put my blood sugars up really HIGH. Has anyone on high blood pressure tablets developing lichen planus and how to combat the lichen planus without stopping the high blood pressure tablets. What tablets can be used without causing lichen planus.

 

[daisy1]

I used to use Captopril but I stopped it after maybe 15 years as I got the well known persistent cough. In all that time I didn't get lichen planus. The list of possible side effects is horrific, as with any other drug, as they are trying to cover themselves for all eventualities. However the cough didn't seem to be listed :shock:

 

[viviennem]

I have oral lichen planus and with me it's completely stress-related. It developed when I was doing my last house move, which was unbelievably stressful, and is much better now than it was - I seldom get any bad signs of it.

I believe it is an auto-immune response - worth reading around. It can be triggered by certain foods - tomatoes, almonds and cheese among them. These often raise a blister or two with me.

As for BP meds - I am on Lisinopril, but a very tiny dose of 2.5mcg (is it mcg? or mg) :roll: . There appears to be no relation to the lichen planus.

Two remedies I found out about but didn't try for long were spray-on silver nitrate, or aloe vera gel (the edible sort!). Mine calmed down nicely once I'd got over the move.

You have my sympathy - not a nice condition. Apparently it's incurable, just flares up or subsides, depending on circumstances.

Viv 8)

 

[nigelho]

Hi,
thanks for the info. I'm seeing diabetes nurse at my surgery, not my DSN, so I'll ask about changing tablets for BP. i Am using a steriod DiproSalic ointment and it seems to have had an effect. When I first started taking ramapril in January I was having a lot of problems getting mtself OFF Lantus and novorapid as for 3 years I was suffering from tiredness/fatigue/exhaustion and feeling heavy heady/drugged up feelings so maybe the lichen planus may have started then ???although it only became apparent when I started the BP tablets late January 2012. I had to complain to my hospital and finally my consultant and DSN agreed that my body couldn't take analogue insulin..All bad feelings have GONE...Now to get rid of lichen planus as my hands and body/legs is in bumps and itches like mad ..at times.

 

[Ali H]

Mmm i have lichen planus orally too and had a biopsy done this week for lichen sclerosus. Always been told autoimmune not comnected to any tablets I take. Hope you get it under control, can be very sore at times eh.

Ali

 

[nigelho]

Hi Ali H,
My Lichen Planus has almost gone due to stopping ramapril and later losartan. I took a steriod tablet called Betnesol and DiproSalic ointment and they've worked. However, I since tried Amlodipine for the high blood pressure and these tablets gave me bad headaches and sickness, so much so I had to take 2 days off work. In all I took 6 tablets and stopped. The sickness stopped after 2 days but the headaches continued. I'm now waiting to see what tablets the GP will let me try next. The hospital said that the ramapril and losartan was the most likely cause of the lichen planus. The ramapril also caused very bad pains in my fingers, so bad at times that I couldn't use my right hand as the index finger was so painful.
Good luck with your lichen planus. My mouth and skin are much better.

 

[viviennem]

Good news, Nigelho! Mine seldom troubles me now - still reacts to cheese and tomatoes, but much less painfully than it did to start with.

I'm still on the Lisinopril which doesn't seem to affect me at all. Still, it is a tiny dose!

Viv 8)

 

[carophie04]

I too have had Lichen Planus for over a year now which the Dermatologist is convinced was caused when I was changed over to Ramapril by GP (for cheapness - had been on Nebivolol for several years for the high blood pressure but they called me in and said as I was now a diabetic Ramapril would be more approropriate - which I learned later was because Ramapril costs a lot less then Nebivolol). The Lichen Planus became really bad and Dermatologist said it can take up to 18 months after stopping Ramapril for it to start clearing up. I am now a year on and, although much improved, I still get flare ups off and on.

I only took the Ramipril for two weeks when the Lichen Planus erupted and reverted back to Nebivolol but just taking it those two weeks did the damage. I now take Nebivolol and Irbesartan for the Blood Pressure and my blood sugars are higher than they should be but I don't know if its the blood pressure medication doing it or what it is!