Dh Help For My Teenager

[kyss]

I am so worried about my 13 year old....she has had "eczema" since she was born, and treatment helped before the whole steroid thing, but now it is worse. I looked on the internet because I have Celiac Disease and my sister informed me it is possible to have just the DH and no GI stuff....well the photos on one website looks just like my daughter....she has it everywhere (buttocks, legs, chest, stomach, neck, arms. She says she feels as though she baked in the sun and then someone put her in a bee hive and the are all stinging her. I don't know what to do to help....I would take her back to the dermatologist, but when I told her I thought it was DH she turned to my daughter and said...."do you have GI symptoms too....?" So I thought you had to have both symptoms....now I find you don't. Please help...I've heard of the medication cal Dapsone, but can she take this? I live in the Denver Colorado area if anyone knows of a dermatologist who will listen when I say she had DH.....Thanks for you time and any advice is appreciated!

Kelly

[lovegrov]

A decent dermatologist should at least do a biopsy on the stuff to see if it's DH. My dermatologist knew as soon as he saw it what it was.

I had DH for more than 20 years with no GI or other symptoms at all. My father had it for 30 years with no GI.

I assume a person your daughter's age can take dapsone and if it's that bad she should until she's been gluten-free for a while. You need to find a doctor who will take this seriously.

You DO NOT have to have GI symptoms to have DH or even celiac disease.

richard

[kyss]

Thank you so much for responding. Both my children have been tested (blood for both and endoscopy on my youngest) and they all came back inconclusive...so she may not have Celiacs, but could have DH anyway. I am so proud of the fact that both my children have been gluten free for 2 1/2 weeks now....so I will find that dermatologist and MAKE them do what needs to be done to help her.....Thank you again!

Kelly

[chrissy]

if she has DH---she has celiac.

christine

[Pegster]

If the rash your daughter has is like the rashes you've seen pictures of and YOU have Celiac, I'd say your diagnosis is probably correct. My Celiac was diagnosed by a dermatologist by skin biopsy. I never had GI problems serious enough to make a Dr. notice. The DH rash tends to be sort of a mirror image effect...if it's on one elbow, it shows up on the other, etc. And Christine is correct... if you have DH, then you have Celiac.