Dermtitis Herpetiformis

[skurtz]

Is dermititis heretiformis caused by an allergy???????

[Rachel--24]

No....DH is not an allergy. Its caused by gluten intolerance/celiac disease. I'm pretty sure it can be diagnosed by a dermatologist with a skin biopsy. People with DH must adhere to the gluten free diet to avoid the rash.

[skurtz]

rachel thanks i just found out at dertologic disease database that IT IS AN ALLERGY TO GLUTEN A PROTEIN FOUND IN WHEAT & OTHER GRAINS. www.aocd.org

thanks again

[Claire]

I am not familiar with the source you posted but am familiar with DH (I do not have it) It is no more an allergy than celiac is an allergy - though it also is often spoken of as such.

You can't accept everything you read on the internet. You need to cross reference a subject until you find out what perhaps 10 sources tell you - rather than one.

I recently challenged a website on false information on buckwheat. See below:

To: drkaslow@drkaslow.com

Subject: Comment

I was surprised to find a very critical error on your webpage Open Original Shared Link

In the second paragraph the following statement is made:

DIETARY FACTORS: Food additives, impaired simple carbohydrate (glucose) metabolism, and food allergies/sensitivities. The most common intolerances are gluten-containing grains (wheat, oat, rye, millet, buckwheat, arrowroot, etc) and casein (a milk protein).

Millet, buckwheat, arrowroot are gluten free products and listed by all leading authorities as acceptable for celiac patients - those most intolerant of grains.

Buckwheat is not a grain at all - it is berry.

We need all the reliable information we can get. It is very confusing to come upon a good site that is promoting false information.

RESPONSE:

You are correct. We had updated this for our own patients but are having trouble updating the website…

Jeremy E. Kaslow, MD

714-565-1032

Gluten is the cause of DH. As I understand it the anitbodies actually clump in the blood vessels which iniitiates a skin reaction. It is said that DH is a definitve celiac diagnosis. It takes a long time to heal - a couple of years usually. Intestinal damage takes one to two years.

The internet is wonderful but you have to be wary. Claire

[Claire]

I continue on the same subject - Claire:

Dermatitis Herpetiformis    

Dermatitis herpetiformis (DH) is not a skin allergy. Rather, DH is a chronic, extremely itchy rash consisting of papules and vesicles. Although it is often confused with skin allergies, it is actually associated with Celiac Disease (celiac disease), a sensitivity of the intestine to gluten foods in the diet. celiac disease is also not a foold allergy, but rather a disease of the intestines.

Full article at Food and Allergy Foundation of America

Open Original Shared Link

[Timber4est]

I have a question, all my life from time to time small sections of my skin (on my face and neck, back of my hands or tops of my feet) would all of a sudden swell, turn read, fever to the touch and form a rash. It comes and goes never stays and when the swelling goes down and the localized "fever" is gone and the rash is gone, I am left with skin that looks like a peeling from a bad sunburn. Is this what it looks like? I have gone to severl dermatologist who have no clue what it is when it happens.

Perhaps next time I should have them biopsy it.

Deborah

[Claire]

This doesn't sound like DH - which doesn't mean that it is not. A biopsy is definitely the way to go.

Ask specifically that they look for DH. If the doctor gets cocky and says there is no need to test for that you might have to lie a little - say one of your parents had celiac. I have a friend whose doctor wouldn't even consider DH - until she fudged the truth. Test was positive.

Good luck. Claire