"the Itch I Don't Want To Talk About" Anal Itching

[Columbo]

Did this happen to anybody before the disease, and if so, with what foods?

[Windsurf]

I know this is late to this topic. I have cut all gluten from my diet. But I felt I needed some grains so I started to eat a small amount of gluten free Cheerios. If I eat a very very small amount, like a quarter cup every few days,  I feel better and have no side effects but if I eat more often I will get a couple of hours later an itchy anus. When I stop eating the Cheerios (oats) the itchiness disappears within a day. Only the oats effects my anus. If for some reason I eat a small amount of gluten or a large amount of oats I will get itchy around my mid section , stomach and back. Hope this helps.

[kareng]

24 minutes ago, Windsurf said:

I know this is late to this topic. I have cut all gluten from my diet. But I felt I needed some grains so I started to eat a small amount of gluten free Cheerios. If I eat a very very small amount, like a quarter cup every few days,  I feel better and have no side effects but if I eat more often I will get a couple of hours later an itchy anus. When I stop eating the Cheerios (oats) the itchiness disappears within a day. Only the oats effects my anus. If for some reason I eat a small amount of gluten or a large amount of oats I will get itchy around my mid section , stomach and back. Hope this helps.

If you eat Cheerios, then you might be getting a small dose of gluten.  It will depend on if you get one of the boxes with a lot of gluten or are lucky and get one that is <20 ppm.

[beemerw]

Hey, I have Hashimoto’s Disease which is very similar being Autoimmune..I saw this because yeah, I experience this, but I found a way to relieve it..Hear me out..I tried hemorrhoid creams, Vaseline, etc, But you know, I started listening to my body when I ate..I eat Gluten Free now, but even Gluten Free processed has corn flour, or soy, things reactive...I started noticing hemorrhoids and constipation are not the same realm, they are not really like other people, but more triggered inflammation response from something you ate..solution..BENEDRYL or ZYRTEC..an allergy med..it brings down the reaction, the hemorrhoid, the body response, then you need to figure out what you ate.  I have 2 brain injuries and this and had to figure it out on my own and tell the doc to test me and I have to figure out diet and what way to go..BUT..it is very similar in response..Maybe aches, pains as well..I hope this helps..Good Luck..

[Oneofhowmany]

Beemerw, thanks for the discovery. 

[youranut]

On 8/23/2016 at 8:53 PM, Windsurf said:

I know this is late to this topic. I have cut all gluten from my diet. But I felt I needed some grains so I started to eat a small amount of gluten free Cheerios. If I eat a very very small amount, like a quarter cup every few days,  I feel better and have no side effects but if I eat more often I will get a couple of hours later an itchy anus. When I stop eating the Cheerios (oats) the itchiness disappears within a day. Only the oats effects my anus. If for some reason I eat a small amount of gluten or a large amount of oats I will get itchy around my mid section , stomach and back. Hope this helps.

Windsurf,

Hope you're still on the forum because you symptoms sound exactly like mine. I have not be diagnosed with celiac or gluten intolerance. I googled my issues and all results pointed to diet. I went paleo about a year ago and solved most of my issues. Or to be more accurate and blunt, paleo solved all my issues but causes me occasional constipation. Since I haven't been officially diagnosed with a problem I still cheat about once a month. When I go to family dinners I indulge on grains, gluten, and refined sugar. Within 12 hours my whole midsection is puffy, itchy, and has dry skin that flakes off. I'm guessing you call that eczema.

Anyway, have you had any revelations or have any advice for me?

(Others are welcome to chime in as well)

 

I'll list my original and current symptoms in case someone has advice for me. About 2 years ago I developed what I'll call chronic gas and itch a**. My farts were moist and I discovered that it was mucus that was leaking out. I passed gas about every 15 minutes on average. I reasoned that the itch was from a rash caused by the moisture. I noticed that it varied with what I ate. So I cut soda and candy from my diet. This helped just enough to prevent me from seeing a doctor. After about 6 months of this I started googling and thought I might have candida overgrowth in my digestive tract. Didn't go to a doctor. A few months later I went on the candida diet and it fixed the problem completely, but every time I tried to go back to my old diet the gas came back. The itch also came back but the mucus didn't. So now I realized that the itch was actually inflammation. So after more research I started the paleo diet and it works wonderfully for me except for the constipation. I haven't felt this energetic in 20 years. But every time I eat some grains I can tell it. At first I thought it was gluten but then a batch of homemade gluten free cookies set me off. In fact, if i binge on sugar (candy, chocolate, etc) the itch comes back.

 

So....should I avoid grains and refined sugar at all costs? I really hope not because it is affecting my social life.....

Edited January 10, 2018 by youranut
Added info

[Margeie]

I get this after gluten exposure as well. Someone here mentioned they have a tear beginning at the anus. My OB said it was called Lichen sclerosis which is often seen in multiple autoimmune issues. 

[Jessica Prince]

I totally forgot about this but yes I had this symptom too. To the point I couldn’t sleep sometimes. Now that I follow a strict diet and never cheat it has gone away completely. I believe when I asked my doctor he thought it was hemorrhoids. I do not miss that symptom!

[weebl]

I have been wondering if this is related too. Seems to have reduced significantly for me since going gluten free. Not something I've ever sought treatment for before, or discussed with anyone. Is the correlation to DH specifically, or to Celiac disease in general?

[GIchicago]

Hi, everyone. 

I am new to this forum. I also have grappled with the itch issue and have found that certain toilet paper can cause the itch. 

A celiac friend of mine told me to avoid Charmin. And sure enough the itch went away. Through her research she found that Charmin is not gluten free. 

 

I am am currently testing out several brands. Scott does not cause any problems, although it is a bit abrasive. 

 

I hope this helps. 

[Hawthorn989]

45 minutes ago, GIchicago said:

Hi, everyone. 

I am new to this forum. I also have grappled with the itch issue and have found that certain toilet paper can cause the itch. 

A celiac friend of mine told me to avoid Charmin. And sure enough the itch went away. Through her research she found that Charmin is not gluten free. 

 

I am am currently testing out several brands. Scott does not cause any problems, although it is a bit abrasive. 

 

I hope this helps. 

FYI...toilet paper doesn't contain gluten.  Here is a page from Charmin that shows they don't use gluten either.  It may be something else in the toilet paper but not gluten that bothers you.  I found that wiping with a cotton pad with witch hazel after a bowel movement eliminates itching.  

https://www.charmin.com/en-us/about-charmin/faq/what-ingredients-are-in-charmin

 

[Sleepless in Indiana]

Its 5am and another night of no sleep due to discomfort from my itchy bottom. I have followed my gluten-free diet faithfully for 4 months now and I still suffer from this. I'm starting to wonder if the itching is a result from celiac or something else. Doctor visits have determined that I do not have pinworms, and I do have a small hemroid but nothing large enough to cause concern. Every since i have been back on my diet, I have had very loose, almost diarrhea like stools. At this point, it's a guessing game for me and I'm almost at a loss as it also seems like my doctor has no answers as well. Very discouraging.

[Dave.I]

I too suffered terribly from an  itchy anus. Neosporin +pain relief was my go to relief. Really worked well for me. What was even better was getting rid of it when I cut way back on gluten. Took ten years to figure that out. Doctor had no clue. Cutting back also got rid of DH on feet and forearms. I used to take loretedine to help with itching. But found out it was raising my blood pressure. So nice to be rid of these pesky itchy issues.

Good Luck

[Mousey]

On 7/2/2004 at 4:38 PM, Connie R-E said:

Alright, when I eat a food I'm allergic to (soy, specifically) I get the "itchy butt".

I have to be completely soy free to notice it.

 

Anybody else notice it happening with a certain food? I think it is a food allergy symptom.

 

Connie

I also experience this when I inadvertently eat something I’m allergic to ( like Gluten) Over the years, trial and error I’ve kind of worked out that it’s like an intestinal yeast infection/reaction. So I treat it with Canex cream ( vaginal yeast infections) for a few days and it clears up

[trents]

Itchy anus can be caused by many things. I have this sometimes but it's always associated with a little leakage of stool. One thing that can contribute to this is caffeine. Caffeine is thought to relax the sphincters in our digestive system and can cause both GERD and itchy butt. After I cut out coffee it got a lot better. Coffee and tea are also very acidic. I would wonder also about Candida. 

Edited July 3, 2021 by trents

[plumbago]

Not to get too gross, but there are enzymes in stool that are irritating and perhaps causing itching. A good remedy is a bidet or bidet-type hose. That will do the trick for sure.