Tiny itchy bumps on fingers, and lifting nails off nailbeds?

[snowywolf]

This seems to happen to me if I cut out gluten for a few weeks and then I eat it again. I recently had a few days where I ate gluten and my index finger just broke out in these tiny itchy bumps and red scaley fingertip, and I see the nail is now trying to lift off underneath. One nail on my other hand did the same thing maybe a month/2 months ago.

Is this a celiac thing? here are some closeup kinda gross pics, theres only maybe 9 little bumps right now but I have had at least 40+ along the sides of my fingers before. I uploaded the other larger files to imgur https://imgur.com/a/M5JkgUy

[trents]

Have you been diagnosed as having Celiac Disease?

I personally have not heard of this particular phenomenon being associated with celiac disease. But if this condition reliably appears after you have been "glutened" then there would seem to be a connection of some kind.

[Scott Adams]

The itchy bumps look a bit like they are tiny blisters, which can be dermatitis herpetiformis, which is the skin condition associated with celiac disease. The fact that they happened after you began eating gluten again also supports this.

It's probably best for you to get a blood panel for celiac disease done, either via your doctor if possible, or they do have home test kits available as well. To do this you need to continue eating gluten daily for a few weeks before the tests are taken, and if your doctor wants to do follow up tests, until all testing is completed. More info on the tests:

 

[snowywolf]

I have had a celiac gene test and was category 4. I went gluten free after they told me my test for celiac was "positive" on the phone but then I had some other GI issues and the specialist I saw wanted to do an endoscopy. After not having any gluten for maybe 9 or 10 months, I ate gluten for 2 weeks and then did an endoscopy. I had a ton of terrible bad burning pain after eating it, I sat with a heating pad on my stomach for the next 2 weeks of eating gluten cause it hurt SO bad.

my results said I had gastritis, lower esophagus damage, and some inflammation of my small intestion with multiple lesions. but he said it wasn't celiac. I'm not sure what to believe.

[trents]

I'm not sure going back to eating gluten for two weeks before the endoscopy is a long enough period. Was that per GI doc instructions?

[Kate333]

Hi snowywolf.  I  suggest you consult with a dermatologist and/or GI doc. about your finger issues.  It may be a fungal infection, esp. if your nail is involved, or even an allergic reaction to the soap you are using, esp. if it contains chemical fragrances.  My hands are also pretty dry/red/chafed (no bumps or itching) these days, but I think that's from my constant, obsessive handwashing during this pandemic.😉  Regular use of unscented hand lotion moisturizer helps me a lot.  Many docs work remotely these days, so perhaps you could just do a remote consult and email a copy of the picture to them.

I too had a "negative" biopsy for celiac disease (but some gastritis).  But my blood test was abnormally high, I had bad chronic indigestion, so my GI doc. prescribed a gluten-free diet to be on the safe side.  Not sure if I have "classic" celiac disease (or something else like IBS/SIBO).  But IMO it doesn't hurt to ditch gluten anyway because it's so prevalent in most packaged, heavily processed foods.  BTW, if you ARE diagnosed with celiac disease, you will have to always eat 100% gluten-free in the future (at least until a cure is found).  No exceptions.  Unfortunately, you cannot heal by merely reducing gluten in your diet.    

 

 

 

[Little Nit Tree]

I had exactly this and I’ve got tons of pictures that look exactly the same as this and worse. My nails basically fell to pieces, crumbled away and lifted away from the nail bed. Tiny itchy blisters On my fingers was diagnosed as pomphlox and clears up with antihistamine tablet like a Benadryl. My consultant was very content these were related to coeliac disease and had a name for it as well which was something like oncholyosis  Or something almost like that. 

[MBud]

Look up dyshidrotic eczema. It is a type of eczema that consists of tiny itchy blisters on the hands and/or feet. The blisters happen, dry up, then the skin cracks and peels. If left, it cycles over and includes swelling.  I get this if I get glutened. It is a horrible condition. I had it constantly for a little over two years before I found a doctor who suggested I go gluten, dairy, and nightshade free. It was so itchy it was intolerable. Good luck. Now if I get glutened I will get a couple blisters and then it will heal. Unfortunately, I think sorghum might also do this to me. 

[NeverLikedRollercoasters]

I have this! It started on my right ring finger along with a ton of other symptoms including gastric. Mine looks like DH to me. Tons of tiny puss-filled bumps that pop then leave pin sized purple marks. It has since shown up now on my left ring finger too. Been told it's dyshidrotic eczema by 2 doctors. I had it biopsied by a dermatologist, but I'm not so sure they did it right. I think they took it right on a bump instead of next to it. It came back as dyshidrotic eczema. Funny thing though... when I get sick with digestion problems and neuro problems, about a week after both fingers blow up. Takes about 3-4 weeks to go away and when it does, my fingers look fairly normal. Only happens after I think I've gotten CC'd by gluten. Very painful and ugly. I also have 1 toenail that has lifted up on a side and get's flakyness underneath. Been going on for about a year now.

Edited August 24, 2020 by NeverLikedRollercoasters
Add pic

[Scott Adams]

It sounds like it could be DH @NeverLikedRollercoasters, and you should probably get tested for it and celiac disease if you haven't yet been tested. To get tested you'd need to continue eating gluten daily until after the tests are done.

[NeverLikedRollercoasters]

6 minutes ago, Scott Adams said:

It sounds like it could be DH @NeverLikedRollercoasters, and you should probably get tested for it and celiac disease if you haven't yet been tested. To get tested you'd need to continue eating gluten daily until after the tests are done.

Thank you Scott. I have had it biopsied but I'm skeptical it was biopsied correctly. They said it was DE instead. I just created a post under the 'not diagnosed' section this morning if you feel like reading a novel about my diagnosing journey. 

[cyclinglady]

I do not have DH, but I did have the eczema that you described prior to my celiac disease diagnosis.  It was on my hands.    It disappeared, along with my enlarged thyroid, once I went gluten free.  Was gluten the actual cause of my eczema or triggered my Hashimoto’s thyroiditis?     I do not think so.   I think was due to my faulty immune system made worse by undiagnosed celiac disease.  Celiac disease or any other autoimmune disease causes inflammation and seems to play into other immune/ hypersensitivity issues like allergies and autoimmune.  They are all linked.  

 This link described hypersensitivity.  A bit technical but scroll down and you will find it pretty interesting.  

https://www.amboss.com/us/knowledge/Hypersensitivity_reactions

By first treating my celiac disease (which is following a gluten free diet), managing food allergies and intolerances, and incorporating good healthy practices like sleep, exercise and reducing stress, I have been able to heal not just my celiac disease, but have been able (I hope) to put into remission my other illnesses.  This strategy seems to have worked.  My thyroid is not longer enlarged, no nodules, no itchy patches of eczema on my hand, no cold hives, no hives at all, no more allergy medication, healed small intestine, and the list goes on.  
 

What might help is to trial an autoimmune Protocol (Paleo) diet.  This diet is very strict for a few weeks and allows you to test foods to see what triggers your immune system.  It also happens to be gluten free.  
 

I do not know whether you have DH or eczema or not.  But I do know that lifestyle changes can help so many people.  If you are on a gluten diet, please consider getting tested for celiac disease before changing your diet.  
 

Good luck!