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[wendylady]

Hi all -

 

I have been broken out in hives for about four months now. This is after going back on gluten for several months so that I could be tested (didn't want to take any chances!). I tested non-celiac. Shrug.

 

Anyway, the hives had nearly cleared up after I started taking high doses of vitamin D. I am usually deficient in this and now live in a very northern climate.

 

Then I ate my husband's homemade pasta two days in a row, and the hives have come back worse than ever. I'm now going gluten-free again of course.

 

But I hadn't thought about this being possible DH until this event. The hives are mainly on my torso and occur anywhere skin would rub together or clothes might be tight. So it's around my armpits, across my waistband, where my underwear lines are (I'm a lady), and under my breasts (bra line). It sometimes appears to be around my hair line behind my ears like the picture below - the skin will be itch and rough-feeling but not fully break out.

 

The hives occur very mildly in the crook of my elbows and behind my knees. Basically more like eczema, but it doesn't look like eczema. It looks exactly like this: 

No blisters, but raised bumps that will seep and scab if I scratch them too much. They are insanely itchy.

 

Can DH occur in the locations I've mentioned but NOT the hands, or outer elbow/knees? And no blisters.

 

Thanks.

[kareng]

Maybe you are allergic to wheat?

[GF Lover]

DH can show up in many different places.  Possibly look through the DH Photo Bank and some of the threads to get an idea where others have it.  Celiacs with DH may not sucessfully test positive on blood tests.  A biopsy on the skin adjacent to an active lesion is required.  You still must be eating gluten for a DH biopsy and should be done by a Dermatologist familiar with this type of biopsy.  An endoscope may also be advised if the biopsy is positive.

 

Good Luck,

 

Colleen

[squirmingitch]

wendylady,

60% of celiacs with dh test negative on the celiac blood panel. Does this rash often mirror itself on opposite sides of the body? Pressure points are a favorite place for dh to flare. Waistbands, bras, wrists from cuffs, panty lines. where socks are, you get the picture. I will NOT wear a bra anymore --- never was fond of the torturous things in the first place! 

DH can occur ANYWHERE on the body and is not always water blisters. Dh does ooze that watery clear fluid that is very sticky as it dries & then gets crusty & clear amber in color. That is eosinophils (white blood cells).

Does the itch ramp up even worse in late afternoon & either keep you awake at night or wake you up if you do get to sleep? 

 

I would advise as Colleen said to get a dh biopsy -- a CORRECT dh biopsy by a derm experienced in dh. 

[squirmingitch]

And read this:

https://www.celiac.com/forums/topic/108804-to-anyone-looking-to-get-a-dx-of-dh-a-skin-biopsy/

[Lobstah]

Sure sounds like it could be DH to me.  Most of the same areas that I get.

When you say "tested"...exactly what tests were performed?  Blood panels?, and if so, which ones?

Tricky thing about blood panels, especially the older ones, is that a good percentage of those that test negative actually DO have Celiacs.

 

Jim

[ravenwoodglass]

You have gotten some great advice already so the only thing I have to add is I have DH and I also have had hives. The lesions you are showing look much more like DH than hives to me. I also was a false negative on blood tests, at least the older ones, I don't know if I would have been positive on the newer DGPs. 

I hope you get some relief soon.