Allergic to Dapsone?

[Ginny757]

It is suspected that I have DH & am also allergic to Dapsone (& other "sulfa" antibiotics). Have any of you had this problem? Have you taken any other medications with any success?

Ugh...not looking forward to the years it will take this to clear up with only an ultra strict gluten free diet!

Any advice appreciated- thank you!

[squirmingitch]

I am allergic to sulfa drugs & never tried Dapsone for that reason & a few other reasons. 

You say it is suspected you have dh. Have you had a dh biopsy?

There are some other drugs that I have read can be used but are not as effective as Dapsone or sulfa drugs. They are in the tetracycline class. I don't know the dosing.

Watch your iodine intake. Iodine is known to make the rash flare or go even more nuts. NSAID's also aggravate it. Tylenol is the least offensive when you have to take something. 

If you have celiac disease even if you don't have dh, you have to follow an ultra strict gluten-free diet. When you have dh it is super sensitive to the tiniest amount of gluten exposure. Most of us with dh can tolerate even the gluten-free oats grown under a purity protocol so you may want to approach that with major caution.

[Jmg]

 

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There are some other drugs that I have read can be used but are not as effective as Dapsone or sulfa drugs. They are in the tetracycline class. I don't know the dosing. 

I had lymecycline from this class for skin issues, it was quite effective, perhaps more at reducing than eliminating, but it did help. Perhaps you could ask your Dr if that or similar would be an option for you?  I took probiotics during the course to try and minimise any effects on my gut bacteria also.  

 

 When you have dh it is super sensitive to the tiniest amount of gluten exposure. 

I got what I believe to be DH (I'm not a diagnosed celiac) from a tiny amount of barley malt in cereal, which I'd thought I'd be able to tolerate. This was over a year after going gluten free and before the other symptoms I get from gluten.  Super sensitive indeed! 

[ravenwoodglass]

It doesn't take years for everyone to have DH clear up without meds. I stopped getting new lesions within a couple weeks gluten free although it did take a bit longer for the lesions I had to clear completely. For a couple years if I got glutened new lesions would show up within hours but they healed faster than prediagnosis.  After a couple years DH would become my last symptom to appear after a glutening rather than the first and now on the rare times I am glutened I only get a couple little spots that clear quickly.  I did drop iodized salt and found I had to be very strict with both the diet and topical products but I did heal without the aid of pharmacutical intervention. Don't be afraid to try healing with just being strict about the gluten free lifestyle. While the antibodies remain for a long time in the skin not everyone will have active lesions for that entire time.