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"severity" Of Dh/celiac?

krystal16

By krystal16
in Dermatitis Herpetiformis

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krystal16 Rookie
krystal16
Posted

Hello!

 

I have been on and off these boards for years, because I keep coming back to having signs that point to Celiac.  It all started 10 years ago, I had just weaned my daughter and hormones resuming their cycle.  I woke up one morning feeling like I had a stomach virus and struggled for the next 2 years with intense nausea, fatigue, anxiety, insomnia. 

 

I lost 15 pounds and then gained more.  I'd not eat for days, then eat again because the nausea went away, start again with the nausea and repeat.  I gained weight.  My husband and I decided to do "South Beach" and for the first time in YEARS I felt good.  A gluten connection was suspected, but my doctor had written me off as a nutty basketcase. 

 

I pressed him to do an endoscope, but was ill-informed and had eliminated a lot of gluten products.  It came back negative and he told me I do not have Celiac disease, that I was depressed (YOU THINK?). 

 

I know the obvious answer would have been to eliminate gluten but to be honest, I couldn't do it.  Without a "confirmed" diagnosis, people just thought I was crazy, and the effort collided with my family life.  So I learned to walk the line - I knew my major triggers (condensed soups, seasoned and packaged things, processed meats) so I avoided THOSE.  For the past year I have been avoiding processed stuff, but not necessarily eliminating gluten-containing foods and I feel fairly good.

 

However, I have episodes when I eat poorly for repeated days in a row - mostly holidays and such with repeated meals that I don't prepare - where I get what I have always termed "hives".  They are nearly always on my feet or lower legs, and they tingle/burn like fire ants but itch like MAD.  Worse than black fly bites at their worst.  I won't get loads of them - a cluster or two on the arch of my foot, between my toes, on my ankles, sometimes my hands.  They welt up like hard pimples and then I scratch them to scabs. 

 

I have finally come back here to look for pics of DH and caught something about MSG and salicylates, and this makes a little sense.  For the past year I've known that bread alone isn't that bad of a trigger, but if I have something with what I term "chemicals" in it, I am in big trouble. 

 

So can someone please tell me if it makes sense that I would be able to eat some gluten here and there and be OK, but if I have gluten PLUS chemical-laden food that it would trigger a DH outbreak?  To be honest, I know mentally I would eat very well if I had a confirmed diagnosis, and that would be accepted. 

 

For 10 years I've been considered the wacky one in the family that chooses not to eat certain foods when there's nothing "really wrong" with me.  If I knew it was likely, I'd schedule an appointment with a dermatologist and load up on the foods I know would cause this a week before and walk in and ask for a biopsy.  I've never deliberately tried to set this off, but I think I could.

 

Suggestions and comments welcome.

 

 

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krystal16 Rookie
krystal16
Posted
  • Author

Oh boy.  I think I answered my own question.   I looked up foods high in iodine after reading a bit more here. 

 

First off I had an omelet Thursday night.  Then Friday night I had Sushi.  What is #1 on the list I read?  Seaweed!

 

Am I on the right track?  Would it show up that fast?  I dnol't have oozing blisters (that I have noticed)

jlaw Apprentice
jlaw
Posted

Hi Krystal, just the description of what happens sounded exactly like how my DH started and felt. And I'm not sure about the combination of gluten+msg etc, but it is worth remembering that those of us with DH don't often get the severity of illness from the gut suddenly after ingesting gluten. Mine is definitely a gradual build up. Some people can tell straight away,even with DH. I cannot. So it could just be a function of the build up process...also if you are really serious about doing the gluten challenge, you'll need to have some good 'active lesions' and make sure your derm biopsies from beside the lesion, not the lesion itself (my derm did both!) And I totally hear you about having a confirmed diagnosis for your own mental strength. it was extremely validating for me. Lots of people do fine without it, though. Let us know how you get on.

Pelagicdancer Newbie
Pelagicdancer
Posted

krystal:

 

Why are you thinking there is a connection to iodine?

 

I think it would be wise to see a good nutritionist, naturopath, or doctor who knows a lot about these kinds of things (hard to find) about your symptoms because it really could be a number of things. It's very possible you have sensitivities to foods or substances other than gluten, or in addition to gluten. Good luck <3

 

In the meantime you could start keeping a detailed journal about what you eat and your symptoms.

kareng Grand Master
kareng
Posted

krystal:

 

Why are you thinking there is a connection to iodine?

 

I think it would be wise to see a good nutritionist, naturopath, or doctor who knows a lot about these kinds of things (hard to find) about your symptoms because it really could be a number of things. It's very possible you have sensitivities to foods or substances other than gluten, or in addition to gluten. Good luck <3

 

In the meantime you could start keeping a detailed journal about what you eat and your symptoms.

Iodine often makes DH worse.

notme Experienced
notme
Posted

Iodine often makes DH worse.

true dat.  fish and shellfish used to make me flare up - also ibuprofen but i can't remember why...

squirmingitch Veteran
squirmingitch
Posted

krystal, Yes, iodine is key. And IMHO you should certainly be actively seeking a dx. This means loading up on gluten & possibly iodine too so you get a nice (did I say nice?) good (did I say good?) outbreak. I can't even believe I'm urging someone to deliberately head for hell as fast as they can!!!! :o But If it were me, wanting an official dx as badly as you have expressed, then I would load up for not 1 week but 3 or 4 weeks. And remember, only 40% of us with dh test positive on the blood work so you need to find a derm who is skilled & knowledgeable in doing biopsies of dh. If you're going to do this thing then don't go into it halfway ~~~~ go for broke & IMHO that is NO LESS then 4 weeks of gluten loading. 

No, you don't have blisters YET. But they are actually there, underneath the skin, laying in wait & ready to go off like bombs. That will be your biggest problem with a derm ---- convincing them to do a dh biopsy when you don't present with obvious blisters.

 

Good luck & let us know what happens. And we will be here for any questions, rants, or pity parties. I don't think there's a one of us who hasn't done all 3 & more than once.

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Pelagicdancer Newbie
Pelagicdancer
Posted

Iodine often makes DH worse.

Oh I see, thanks, I didn't understand what she meant, thought she was saying she now thought she had an iodine allergy and not a gluten allergy.

 

. . . . .

 

I agree with squirmingitch in that if you want a proper diagnosis (or to rule out Celiac) that you're going to have to load up on gluten unfortunately. 

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