Could This Be Dh?

[jnclelland]

Hi, I'm a new member here. I've had a rash for many years, mostly on the knuckles of my right hand, that got much better when I stopped eating wheat and dairy this summer. After awhile, I also cut out all gluten, yeast, and fermented foods (mostly vinegar), and the rest of the rash pretty much went away. I don't *think* that I have celiac disease (essentially no symptoms except the rash, and negative bloodwork, albeit 6 weeks after I stopped eating wheat), and I don't *think* that this rash is DH, because it doesn't look like the pictures of DH that I've been able to find on the web. But it's definitely diet-related, so I can't help but wonder.

Anyway, it flared up again this weekend; I think some of my food must have gotten cross-contaminated at Thanksgiving. So I took a couple of pictures and put them up at

Open Original Shared Link

Does this look like something that could possibly be DH, or more likely just a run-of-the-mill food allergy?

Thanks for any input,

Jeanne

[frenchiemama]

My DH appears in fairly large symmetric patches all over my body (for example I have a patch above each knee and on the outside of each ankle, as well as both elbows and the backs of both hands).

I do get a rash around my knuckles that looks similar to yours, and my dermatologist told me that it is a type of eczema.

[JoeB]

I used to get rashes that looked like yours, mostly on my joints - elbows, knees, toes, shoulders, etc. The rashes were almost always symmetrical. Before I was confirmed with celiac disease, my dermatologist told me it was eczema and that I had hypersensitive skin.

After being gluten-free for about 3 months, 95% of the rashes disappeared. I 'm 8 months into the diet at this point and I still get small bumps once in a while on my elbows, but they are hardly visible now. I still get occassional mild itching (I used to be itchy all the time). I have to see my dermatologist next week and I'm curious to see what his opinion is now that I've been confirmed to have celiac disease.

Regarding blood work, you need to be eating gluten for any testing, including blood work and biopsy, to be accurate. You should be tested again. Remember, the biopsy is the "gold standard" for determining whether you have celiac disease. Blood work is really only a confirming test.

If I were you, I would try going on the gluten-free diet for a couple of months and see if you notice improvement. Doctors are helpful, but you're the one who has to steer them in the right direction!

[debbiewil]

I do get little tiny blisters the first day, then they dry up (Or I scratch so much I break them) and what's left is red splotches, rashes, and occasionally a patch of dry peeling skin. Your pictures looked much like my hands the second day. I do get the blisters first, but not everyone blisters. Try to see if the doctor or dermatologist will test the next time you have a break out.

Debbie

[antoinette]

Hi there - I'm new to the board (and from the UK!) I've been desparately trying to search the net to find out what is happening to my hands.

Ok, a brief history, I have digestive probs, food intolerences, candida overgrowth, and raynauds and as its bloody freezing over here at the moment its not helping.

I thought I was getting to grips with all the above, now I have developed itchy rashy spots on my right hand. Starts off as a little clear nodule that itches, then grows bigger, develops a white inside (although its not pus'y or blistery, perfectly hard, and a purple ring around the white. Another one on my little finger which itched so much I scratched it and now its open, although I don't think anything has come out of it pus-wise. Tends to only itchy when my hands are hot/warm, as I get Raynauds this is a rarity, but when I do the washing up as soon as I put my hands in the water they start itching again.....argh, its annoying.

Saw a pharmacist today who said go to the doctor, have had a nightmare with doctors as they aren't sympathetic to the problems I suffer with, so have done everything herbally!! I'm worried about the spots because they aren't anything I've had before.

I happened upon scleroderma which is linked to raynauds and also DH, and my sores are very similar to the person who linked her pics to this forum.

Have had tests for celiac and they were negative, although the test was just a blood test, which can come back neg even when it isn't!

ANY help would be gratefully received as I REALLY don't want to have to go to the docs again, plus I can't take time off of work at the moment what with the Xmas rush!!

Thanks for reading.

Ant.