dermatitis herpetiformis

[AngieM]

I was diagnosed with celiac disease two months ago and am trying my hardest to stick to a gluten-free diet. However, last week i went on vacation to the Dominican Republic and developed an itchy red rash on the back of one knee. I'm sure I occasionally glutened myself while I was on my holiday (though I tried my hardest) as it's incredibly difficult to not ingest it with all the buffets and language barriers. I've always been asymptomatic so I'm just wondering if it is dermatitis herpetiformis (it looks exactly like it) even though I've never had it before. Is it possible to develop symptoms when you've always been symptom free?

[kareng]

1 minute ago, AngieM said:

I was diagnosed with celiac disease two months ago and am trying my hardest to stick to a gluten-free diet. However, last week i went on vacation to the Dominican Republic and developed an itchy red rash on the back of one knee. I'm sure I occasionally glutened myself while I was on my holiday (though I tried my hardest) as it's incredibly difficult to not ingest it with all the buffets and language barriers. I've always been asymptomatic so I'm just wondering if it is dermatitis herpetiformis (it looks exactly like it) even though I've never had it before. Is it possible to develop symptoms when you've always been symptom free?

I guess you could develop new symptoms like DH , even if you never had it before...... But....

Anyone coming back from a tropical place with a bit of an itchy rash in one small place makes me think of bugs or brushing against a plant or something like that.

[selectivefocus]

Yes. You absolutely, 100% can develop new symptoms if you go off gluten and then consume it. One of my biggest symptoms was DH all over my hands. It was also my 9 year old's most noticeable symptom on her face. However, my 5 year old was totally asymptomatic. We took her off gluten for 6 weeks, and when we reintroduced to test she broke out in DH all over her knees. It spread up and down her legs, onto her feet, and we are still trying to get it under control. So yes. Celiac has a million symptoms, and the entire human body is totally connected. Do not discount anything. I also now get blisters inside my mouth if I get glutened--I never had that before. 

[squirmingitch]

Yes, you absolutely can develop dh especially if you've gotten cc'd. However, dh almost always presents bilaterally. Since you said you have it only on the back of one knee; I tend to go with Karen's thought.

At any rate, you should try to do much better about not getting cc'd. Buffets are ridiculous for celiacs to eat from! That's a cardinal NO-NO.