Early Signs Of Dh?

[Mum in Norway]

Are there any?

I'we been on a gluten challange the last two months due to celiac testing.During that time I have had an itch that comes and goes. It itches really bad. It wakes me up at night. But there is no rash...

I finished the challange four days ago, and today the itch is back, worse than ever. My uper and lower arms and my hands itch like crazy, there is now way to keep fram scrathing. My skin in red and sore form scratching, but can't really see any rash, just two little bumps on my upper arm. Is it posible that this is an early stage of DH?

[cyclinglady]

I haven't been able to find much on early symptoms of DH, but I can completely relate.  I got glutened at a restaurant three weeks ago.  It took me seven days to recover (thankfully it wasn't longer), but what I did notice was an extremely itchy forearm that I was unconsciously scratching all the time.  No rash.  Just an insane itch.  I tried  remedies for mosquito bites, but it didn't help.

 

The itch took another week to end.  I really think it was start of DH.  I never had DH symptoms before my diagnosis (symptoms were anemia and Hashimoto's Thyroiditis) but the glutening brought on intestinal symptoms, headaches and body aches.  Yuck!  It was such a violent reaction.  Who knew?  

[squirmingitch]

It's hard to say. One of those could be, couldn't be things. There really isn't any research or med texts on that subject so we can only go on what we have experienced personally. There are so many rashes associated with celiac disease that it could be any of those. There is plenty of evidence that states you will get itches 12-24 hours before blisters ever appear & I found that to be very true in my case. I used to ask ppl I knew if they ever got itches that drove them insane but there was nothing, absolutely nothing there even if you looked with a magnifying glass --- the ppl I asked always looked at me like I was nuts & said that no, they don't get that. I used to get that long before I ever got the first blister following the itchy area. So, from my personal experience, it fits dh or pre dh which ever way you care to term it. Perhaps it's the antibodies building up under the skin making the itchies.

[Kaylu]

Are there any?

I'we been on a gluten challange the last two months due to celiac testing.During that time I have had an itch that comes and goes. It itches really bad. It wakes me up at night. But there is no rash...

I finished the challange four days ago, and today the itch is back, worse than ever. My uper and lower arms and my hands itch like crazy, there is now way to keep fram scrathing. My skin in red and sore form scratching, but can't really see any rash, just two little bumps on my upper arm. Is it posible that this is an early stage of DH?

My Dermatitis Herpetiformis was diagnosed after I started having problems with blister-like outbreaks on my elbows.  My Dermatologist did a biopsy of the blisters and the test was positive for DH. (I also have the 'internal' Celiac.)  Now, several years later, I start getting blisters, or cold sores, around my mouth if I've consumed anything with gluten in it.  Hope this helps.

[stresedout]

I'm pretty sure my itchy sting rash is DH. I'm not celiac but diagnosed gluten intolerant. My symptoms were first Gastro problems but now that has cleared up fairly well and I get an uncontrolled itching to the bone rash when I intake even small amounts of gluten. By dermatologist agrees its DH although my biopsy was inconclusive (I need to have another one done). For me the DH rash starts out without blisters just an intense itching. They itching seems to move around but mine is rash blister are the worst on my forearms elbows and wrist. I get the intense itching on my palms and the bottom of my feet but a rash breakout have never happened on them. Maybe because the skin is thicker??? So I'm thinking that gluten is leaving my gut unscaved for now and showing up outwardly as a rash. I'm allergic to Daspsone which is the treatment of choice, because it contains sulfa. I've been icing the areas and taking hydroxyzine to relieve the itching. It just an antihistamine.

[squirmingitch]

If you have dh you are celiac ---- PERIOD. You are not gluten intolerant --- you are celiac. And it certainly sounds like it's dh. Biopsy schmiopsy. If you are gluten free then no dh biopsy will come up positive -- not the first time & not the second time. Sorry. Your derm should know that. Dh also keeps presenting for 2 years (or even longer) after you have been STRICT gluten free. Also, once you begin presenting with dh then the gut issues most often "take a back seat" b/c now the celiac is presenting in your skin. This does not mean that gluten is not or will not do harm to your gut but only that the overt symptoms now present as the skin rash.

DH is extremely sensitive to the smallest amount of gluten so you need to be RABID about not getting cross contaminated.

 

And welcome to the board no one ever willingly wanted to be a part of!