DH Photo Bank

[dani nero]

I thought that a thread containing a collection of the different shapes and forms of DH could be helpful to people looking for something to compare their own rashes with. So go ahead and post your rashes here to help others find a point of reference. Please add associated symptoms and a short history.

I am however doubtful of this idea being a good one because some people might add photos that are not related and confuse people who are new to all this. I hope it will be ok and if it's not then it's ok to delete this thread and I apologize in advance 😉

Since I haven't seen a rash that is milder than mine I think that it's actually a proper coincidence that mine is the first one 🙂

These images were taken when the rash was in it's mildest form. It has sadly developed since these photos were taking, and gets pink swollen bumpy areas under the blisters. It is also starting to spread to the next finger and on the webbing between my fingers.

The rash used wake me up at night with a blistery, throbbing, itching, and burning finger when I used to consume gluten. Now it mostly burns whenever it shows up with very mild itching. The water in the blisters is clear.

Important: Please note that I'm self-diagnosed, meaning this rash is based on my own speculations based on my symptoms all put together.

[JaneWhoLovesRain]

Here are my pics. (And let me also add I haven't been officially diagnosed either so I wasn't sure if I should post or not but since the above two posters are in the same boat I decided to go ahead. I do hope someone with a positive biopsy will post.)

Some of these are rather gross, sorry!!

http://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r571/janerane/IMG_2637.webp

http://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r571/janerane/IMG_2475.webp

http://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r571/janerane/IMG_2444.webp

http://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r571/janerane/IMG_2441.webp

http://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r571/janerane/IMG_2298-1.webp

http://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r571/janerane/IMG_2244.webp

http://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r571/janerane/IMG_2342.webp

http://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r571/janerane/IMG_2601.webp

http://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r571/janerane/IMG_2435.webp

These were taken at various stages of my rash, I'm not sure what was taken when.

Features:

Started out with one small itch on the back of my neck, took two months for it to go elsewhere and when it did it really did!!

Jumped from neck to both elbows, both hips, back of both knees.

Severe uncontrollable itching, would come in bursts. I would have to scratch and scratch for 15 mintues, then it would get better until the next burst. Would wake in night and scratch.

Burning feeling 1-2 days before breakout.

Skin was very prickly and burned, did not like having anything touch it. Taking a shower was very uncomfortable, did not like water or the washcloth on my skin.

At times it would feel like hives. After scratching an area over and over it would become very inflamed

After a couple weeks of rash on elbows, hips and knees it spread to lower back, slowly going up spine and then spreading outwards. The elbow rash spread up and down my arms about 3 inches both ways. Then the front of thighs broke out, then the front and back of shoulders broke out, then the hip and back rash spread into my stomach. Hundreds of little dots.

Then the whole thing started going away. Total time - 6 months. It is now almost entirely gone, just a bit in one spot.

Edited to add - I've been gluten free for 2+ years and think I had some cc whch caused the rash. I stopped eating the one food I thought may be giving me this. Also started taking loratadine. Rash started to go away. I then reintroduced an oreo a week (as a test to see what would happen and also because I had an appt with dermo and didn't want it to disappear entirely before I met with him). Rash came back a bit and hung around but nowhere near as severe as before. Stopped the oreo after my appt and rash continued to disappear.

Edited June 20, 2012 by JaneWhoLovesRain

[dani nero]

Jane, IMG_2601 looks exactly like mine does now, except mine gets more dry skin around it.

[squirmingitch]

These first 4 are from Sept. 2011 when I was on the verge of discovering this was dh.

 This 1 shows the clear amber fluid. The blisters were coming up so fast & bursting all by themselves.

The following ones are after 6 months gluten free & several months low salicylate & not a lot of iodine but I had been doing so well that I couldn't resist eating 4 tsp. of strawberry banana yogurt & during the night I woke itchin like mad & my neck all broken out in dh. Then other places began to break out again.

Shows the scars on the back of my leg from earlier.

 Other leg. Scars will fade away after about 5 months.

Blister on lower abdomen - just formed.

 Brand new blister in crook of arm.

I have been adamant NOT to scratch! None of the lesions or scars are the result of scratching them. It's bad enough w/o making bad scars from scratching them. I will scratch around them but never on them. I will rub on them and press on them.

The only place I have not had them yet was on the soles of my feet. I get them horribly in my scalp & they tend to be very large there --- the size of a quarter. They look different than these photos but there is no way to seperate the hair well enough to get a good clear photo. In the scalp they generally take 6 weeks to heal. All others run a course of 2 to 4/5 weeks depending on if I was gluten free or got cc'd (only once) & if I got too much iodine or salicylates.

[gfreejz]

dani nero -

I had the same looking rash on my hands ten years ago. Back then it spread to the sides and backs of all my fingers. I remember it itching and burning so bad I thought i'd go crazy. It took three months of calamine lotion to get rid of it. I could run pretty hot water on my hands and it seemed to make it get worse. Ever since then I might see one or two and get worried only to have them disappear. I've never thought it was connected to gluten. Thanks for pic.

[KMMO320]

Oh My! Squirm, that look so painful!

A few months ago I got a terrible rash on the same places..on my neck, behind my ears, and all over my chest. It looked EXACTLY like that. The itching wouldnt stop. I was waking up in the middle of the night scratching, waking up with blood all over my chest. Had a few blisters that were oozing. It was gross and embarassing. After a few weeks, it went away and I havent seen it since...

I could have sworn I had a picture around here somewhere though...

[squirmingitch]

I never took photos of it at it's worst before I went gluten-free except those few on my neck. I could not stand to look at myself. I certainly couldn't see why I would want photos of the horror hanging around. Now I wish I had. Might be good proof to a derm one day. Hindsight 20/20.

I certainly hope your never comes back again! NEVER!

[KMMO320]

I never took photos of it at it's worst before I went gluten-free except those few on my neck. I could not stand to look at myself. I certainly couldn't see why I would want photos of the horror hanging around. Now I wish I had. Might be good proof to a derm one day. Hindsight 20/20.

I certainly hope your never comes back again! NEVER!

I really dont know what it was. I dont know if it was/is DH. This was way before I suspected gluten to be a problem, so I never made the connection. 2 of my 3 kids have pretty severe eczema. We have been to regular drs, dermatologists and allergists. When the flare ups get really bad, the allergist prescribes some steroids and antibiotics and thats it.

One of my daughters, however, have a different kind of eczema that looks so much like the pics of DH I see. very bumpy/spotty, with clearish-yellowish oozing spots. Both areas are on the insides of her elbows and she just scratches and scratches and nothing makes it better. It looks exactly like what I had on my chest and neck...not like the eczema the other kids usually have.

I had one daughter tested for celiac and the blood test came back negative, like mine. We all have hypothyroidism, except one daughter...the one with the elbow rashes.

I am so sick of going to drs already. I just am. No one believes me and I feel like a hypochondriac.

[benXX]

So far none of the picture posters have been diagnosed DH, right?

It's a "probable DH photo bank" then...

How can you be 100% sure it is DH and use it as an example for other people?

There is still a (although maybe slight) chance it is something else

[IrishHeart]

Here is a collection of DH photos.

They seem to represent the ways DH can "morph"

http://www.dermnet.com/images/dermatitis-herpetiformis/photos/1

Many of the pictures you have posted seem to be consistent with these pictures of diagnosed DH.

This does not mean it IS DH, it just means...it sure seems to resemble it.

I had many blistery sores on my scalp, face, in my mouth when I was very ill from unDXed celiac ---and while it may not have been DH per se, my very celiac-savvy GI calls any type of eruption "celiac sores".

FWIW, ladies.

[dani nero]

On 6/17/2012 at 3:19 PM, dani nero said:

I thought that a thread containing a collection of the different shapes and forms of DH could be helpful to people looking for something to compare their own rashes with. So go ahead and post your rashes here to help others find a point of reference. Please add associated symptoms and a short history.

I am however doubtful of this idea being a good one because some people might add photos that are not related and confuse people who are new to all this. I hope it will be ok and if it's not then it's ok to delete this thread and I apologize in advance ?

Since I haven't seen a rash that is milder than mine I think that it's actually a proper coincidence that mine is the first one ?

These images were taken when the rash was in it's mildest form. It has sadly developed since these photos were taking, and gets pink swollen bumpy areas under the blisters. It is also starting to spread to the next finger and on the webbing between my fingers.

The rash used wake me up at night with a blistery, throbbing, itching, and burning finger when I used to consume gluten. Now it mostly burns whenever it shows up with very mild itching. The water in the blisters is clear.

Important: Please note that I'm self-diagnosed, meaning this rash is based on my own speculations based on my symptoms all put together.

This is a more recent picture of how the rash developed since the previous pictures. I now get reddish patches with dry flaky skin that appear before, with, and after the blisters. They don't show very well in the pic however due to being lubricated:

[KMMO320]

Dani! ihave that all over my fingers right now! They are pale at the moment but 2 days ago.they were red and blistery. are you diagnosed?

[roxieb73]

Is either DH or Lichen Planus either way Gluten induced rash...

http://i82.photobucket.com/albums/j275/mommytodrew/DH-1.webp

[Lfrost]

This is a more recent picture of how the rash developed since the previous pictures. I now get reddish patches with dry flaky skin that appear before, with, and after the blisters. They don't show very well in the pic however due to being lubricated:

http://rainytown.se/images/external/20120622_135205.webp

Just a thought. I get a rash similar to this. It seems to come after a 'trigger' of some sort and is mostly worse in warmer months (the sun tends to make it worse). If it only occurring on your hands and feet, or just hands, it could be dyshidrotic eczema. The first time I got it, I was about 21 and it took YEARS to clear up. Here are some links to pics:

http://www.skinsight.com/adult/dyshidroticDermatitis.htm

http://dermnetnz.org/dermatitis/pompholyx.html

[dani nero]

Just a thought. I get a rash similar to this. It seems to come after a 'trigger' of some sort and is mostly worse in warmer months (the sun tends to make it worse). If it only occurring on your hands and feet, or just hands, it could be dyshidrotic eczema. The first time I got it, I was about 21 and it took YEARS to clear up. Here are some links to pics:

http://www.skinsight.com/adult/dyshidroticDermatitis.htm

http://dermnetnz.org/dermatitis/pompholyx.html

Some of the pics look a lot like mine! I also get them in my scalp though, not my feet.. My blisters don't join either and can surface even in the winter.. It also burns when exposed to sals. It's scary to be confused once again, but thanks for the reference (i'll keep it in mind if my rash develops into something else)

[dani nero]

Aren't there any diagnosed members who wish to post pictures ;-( I feel that this thread might be causing more speculation than a point of reference.

[beachbirdie]

This is a great thread, and you all have done a great job with your pictures. It is so helpful to compare notes on this, word descriptions just don't convey the idea as well as pictures.

It can be difficult to distinguish between dishydrotic eczema and DH. I had a conversation with a doctor acquaintance about this many months ago, his opinion was to give dapsone. Apparently it is one way to make the distinction between the two because dapsone won't affect dishydrotic eczema but DH supposedly responds to it.

For you who are not "officially" diagnosed, are your rashes improving gluten free? I had some outbreaks of rash on arms and legs (didn't take pics...darn!) that might have been DH, and my husband said I was scratching myself raw in my sleep the itching was so bad. I feel for your misery if you are still struggling with it!

[Lfrost]

Some of the pics look a lot like mine! I also get them in my scalp though, not my feet.. My blisters don't join either and can surface even in the winter.. It also burns when exposed to sals. It's scary to be confused once again, but thanks for the reference (i'll keep it in mind if my rash develops into something else)

My blisters do not join together either. They just 'erupt' and cause dry, cracked hands and then start to blister again. I also had it through the winter. At one point I had it chronically for about 3 years. Steroid creams were supposed to help, but unfortunately did not for me. Water makes it worse, for example I cannot do dishes without gloves or it will show up. I also got a rash on my scalp at the same time, but it wasn't the same as the blistering hands.

Here is the interesting thing. I haven't had this rash in years (about 5 to be exact). We went gluten free for my son, who is allergic to wheat, but I ate garlic bread the other night. Within hours both of my hands broke out in this blistery rash. I also got cheilitis in the corner of my mouth and a cold sore (that now I am thinking is part of the cheilitis and not a cold sore after all) on my bottom lip. I am guessing that the trigger here had to be the garlic bread! I am making an appointment with an allergist on Monday!

[squirmingitch]

This is a great thread, and you all have done a great job with your pictures. It is so helpful to compare notes on this, word descriptions just don't convey the idea as well as pictures.

It can be difficult to distinguish between dishydrotic eczema and DH. I had a conversation with a doctor acquaintance about this many months ago, his opinion was to give dapsone. Apparently it is one way to make the distinction between the two because dapsone won't affect dishydrotic eczema but DH supposedly responds to it.

For you who are not "officially" diagnosed, are your rashes improving gluten free? I had some outbreaks of rash on arms and legs (didn't take pics...darn!) that might have been DH, and my husband said I was scratching myself raw in my sleep the itching was so bad. I feel for your misery if you are still struggling with it!

My rash & my husbands are improving gluten free. But one has to remember it's not always an overnight thing with dh as the IgA can take 2 years (some med. papers say up to 10 years) to work it's way out of our skin.

As to the Dapsone; many of us will not take it, it's some scary stuff, & some of us such as myself can't take it as it's in the sulfa class & I'm allergic to sulfa drugs. So we're stuck.

One sure thing though with dh is that if your dh (& most do) reacts to iodine & dh'ers go low iodine & the rash begins to clear up quickly ---- you have your answer. Unless someone can show a study of some other skin rash that responds to iodine withdrawal.

[rosetapper23]

I'd like to upload a photo of my current (and severe) DH outbreak on my face and neck to show what the scarring can look like, but I don't know how to upload photos. How is this done? The photo is on my iPhone and filed in my download file on my computer. Any help?

[beachbirdie]

My rash & my husbands are improving gluten free. But one has to remember it's not always an overnight thing with dh as the IgA can take 2 years (some med. papers say up to 10 years) to work it's way out of our skin.

As to the Dapsone; many of us will not take it, it's some scary stuff, & some of us such as myself can't take it as it's in the sulfa class & I'm allergic to sulfa drugs. So we're stuck.

One sure thing though with dh is that if your dh (& most do) reacts to iodine & dh'ers go low iodine & the rash begins to clear up quickly ---- you have your answer. Unless someone can show a study of some other skin rash that responds to iodine withdrawal.

Holey moley. I never went to read about the dapsone before, I can see why most wouldn't want to take it. That is some dangerous stuff. I wouldn't take it either.

You've also explained why, though my rash is fading, it is NOT gone. I'm only 6 weeks gluten free. I guess I expected an instant response. Thanks for sharing that.

I'm thinking of testing with iodine. I was reading about the iodine patch test, I also think I'll get with my son and we'll both do some high iodine foods. We don't use iodized salt, I've avoided a lot of iodine because I was told it would aggravate my Hashimoto's by increasing thyroid antibodies. Not having had biopsies means we don't really know for sure, but maybe the iodine thing would answer questions for DS and me. Do you know much about the patch test?

[beachbirdie]

I'd like to upload a photo of my current (and severe) DH outbreak on my face and neck to show what the scarring can look like, but I don't know how to upload photos. How is this done? The photo is on my iPhone and filed in my download file on my computer. Any help?

You can set up a free photo storage account at a place like photobucket or flickr. You then upload the pictures to your account, and after they are stored you can capture a link suitable for posting into a message here. You can make an entire album public for sharing, or individual pictures.

[dani nero]

So far I've been controlling my rash through iodine and sals limitation.. but it would be possible that it "just happened" that the other irritants were limited at the same time (if it is eczema) which helped control the rash. I also get a coldsore-like blister in my nose that itches when I get a full rash outbreak by the way.

[dani nero]

I'd like to upload a photo of my current (and severe) DH outbreak on my face and neck to show what the scarring can look like, but I don't know how to upload photos. How is this done? The photo is on my iPhone and filed in my download file on my computer. Any help?

Rosetapper are you diagnosed?

[squirmingitch]

Holey moley. I never went to read about the dapsone before, I can see why most wouldn't want to take it. That is some dangerous stuff. I wouldn't take it either.

You've also explained why, though my rash is fading, it is NOT gone. I'm only 6 weeks gluten free. I guess I expected an instant response. Thanks for sharing that.

I'm thinking of testing with iodine. I was reading about the iodine patch test, I also think I'll get with my son and we'll both do some high iodine foods. We don't use iodized salt, I've avoided a lot of iodine because I was told it would aggravate my Hashimoto's by increasing thyroid antibodies. Not having had biopsies means we don't really know for sure, but maybe the iodine thing would answer questions for DS and me. Do you know much about the patch test?

I was thinking about doing the iodine patch test in the beginning but I did a lot of research on it & mostly IMHO, I think it's up for grabs or a lot of hooey. I don't know.

You COULD go low iodine. Here's a link:

http://www.thyca.org/rai.htm#diet

If things don't start clearing up in a week or less & certainly if no improvement is seen in 2 weeks then you may not have dh. Then there are a few who say iodine has no effect on their dh. It's a slippery thing dh is.