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Little Blisters On Hands? Dh?

sarahelizabeth

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sarahelizabeth Contributor
sarahelizabeth
Posted

I've just started researching celiac because its being tossed around for my 1 year old. I noticed that I too have a lot of the symptoms of it as well. I get little red, intensly itchy (esp in the morning) blisters on my hands but no where else on my body?? They sting too and hurt if they are popped. Could that be DH???

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mouse Enthusiast
mouse
Posted

I was diagnosed with DH by just viewing the blisters. I did not have the biopsy. Mine were like yours. I had many small blisters that itched like crazy and when they popped oozed a clear or sometimes a pale yellow liquid. You can have a biopsy while you are broken out, but they need to take the biopsy next to an eruption and not on top of the blister. If you get a firm diagnosis of DH, then you for sure have Celiac. Only Celiacs get DH. But not all Celiacs get DH. Not all DH is on the elbows or behind the knees. My GP's PA had a friend that was diagnosed in medical school, because his DH was on his scalp, but no where else. They did a biopsy on him and confirmed it was DH and thus he had Celiac Disease.

jerseyangel Proficient
jerseyangel
Posted
I was diagnosed with DH by just viewing the blisters. I did not have the biopsy. Mine were like yours. I had many small blisters that itched like crazy and when they popped oozed a clear or sometimes a pale yellow liquid. You can have a biopsy while you are broken out, but they need to take the biopsy next to an eruption and not on top of the blister. If you get a firm diagnosis of DH, then you for sure have Celiac. Only Celiacs get DH. But not all Celiacs get DH. Not all DH is on the elbows or behind the knees. My GP's PA had a friend that was diagnosed in medical school, because his DH was on his scalp, but no where else. They did a biopsy on him and confirmed it was DH and thus he had Celiac Disease.

Before I was diagnosed, I would get small blisters on my fingers that sound exactly like what you describe. I would also get the same type of spots on my inner forearm. They would itch, and eventually go away. I didn't know about DH, Celiac or even gluten (as a problem) at the time. I have not had them for as long as I've been gluten-free. I wonder if I may have had the beginnings of DH--or would I still have skin erutpions? They were the worst in the 6 months or so before I was diagnosed, and at my sickest.

penguin Community Regular
penguin
Posted

How wierd! I used to get those too! I get them on the sides of my fingers and on my palms. They'd itch, burst, and then peel. They never got red, though. They usually only happened in spring, so I figured I must be molting like a snake :lol:

That's been going on since I was 10 or so. Wierd. I wish they would come back so I could have them looked at... <_<

mouse Enthusiast
mouse
Posted

Patti, I had those blister on and off my whole life. After going gluten-free, I have only had one eruption and that was after I once delibertly digested a gluten filled meal a year after my diagnosis. My Dad had them so bad that they once bandaged his hands for 3 months. They told him he had DH, but no one ever told him that he had Celiac Disease. He died at age 52, 41 years ago.

jerseyangel Proficient
jerseyangel
Posted
Patti, I had those blister on and off my whole life. After going gluten-free, I have only had one eruption and that was after I once delibertly digested a gluten filled meal a year after my diagnosis. My Dad had them so bad that they once bandaged his hands for 3 months. They told him he had DH, but no one ever told him that he had Celiac Disease. He died at age 52, 41 years ago.

Armetta--I'm sorry about your Dad--52 is way too young.

kabowman Explorer
kabowman
Posted

Hey, I get these blisters but never thought about DH because, well the pictures don't paint a pretty picture and mine don't look too bad...just very itchy, blisters that come and go.

I even go to the point where I thought maybe they were poison ivy even though I couldn't figure out how or where I might have picked it up.

In fact, I just got over a bunch this week.

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Ursa Major Collaborator
Ursa Major
Posted

I have been getting those blisters on the insides of my fingers for 30 years now (sometimes they'll spread all over my hands to my arms, though, but that's rare). In fact, I have a whole lot of them right now. Just got back from my idiot dermatologist, who declared they can't be DH, since you can get DH ONLY on your elbows, knees, scalp and lower back. Since they aren't in one of those spots, it's eczema (or so he says). The same goes for the rash on my face (which certainly looks like DH to me). And since the biopsy came back negative, he says I definitely don't have DH. He only took one biopsy, right through a rash that was clearing up (the blistery stage was over), making it flare up again, no wonder it came back negative! He says that you can take a biopsy anywhere, rash or not, and come back positive if you really have DH. Oh well. Who cares what he says. :blink:

sawgrass Rookie
sawgrass
Posted
I've just started researching celiac because its being tossed around for my 1 year old. I noticed that I too have a lot of the symptoms of it as well. I get little red, intensly itchy (esp in the morning) blisters on my hands but no where else on my body?? They sting too and hurt if they are popped. Could that be DH???

I had small blisters occasionally on my hands ,I thought it was poison ivy or something.I went on a diet with lots of whole grain and broke out after 3 months.First on my left elbow and now all over.I am glad to know what is going on ,but it sure itches.

CarlaB Enthusiast
CarlaB
Posted
I was diagnosed with DH by just viewing the blisters. I did not have the biopsy. Mine were like yours. I had many small blisters that itched like crazy and when they popped oozed a clear or sometimes a pale yellow liquid. You can have a biopsy while you are broken out, but they need to take the biopsy next to an eruption and not on top of the blister. If you get a firm diagnosis of DH, then you for sure have Celiac. Only Celiacs get DH. But not all Celiacs get DH. Not all DH is on the elbows or behind the knees. My GP's PA had a friend that was diagnosed in medical school, because his DH was on his scalp, but no where else. They did a biopsy on him and confirmed it was DH and thus he had Celiac Disease.

I get a rash on my scalp and blisters near my scalp and on my neck. I've never had them tested. I've always been curious whether they were dh as I get them if I use a shampoo/conditioner with wheat. The rash itches, the blisters don't. The blisters bother me though not just the way they look, but the way they feel.

shai76 Explorer
shai76
Posted

It's called dyshidrotic eczema. MIne is caused from food allergies. Once I stopped eating all the things that I was allergic to it went away. I get it on my hands and feet. I wouldn't bother with a dermatologist, it was a total waste of money. If you stay away from the foods that cause it and treat your hadns nice it will most likely get better. It's usually the first thing to flare up on me when my allergies are acting up. I've been to lots of dermatologist and have tried all the creams and learned the only thing that works is avoidance. I imagine celiac could aggravate it as well as allergies.

honeybuzzed Rookie
honeybuzzed
Posted
I get a rash on my scalp and blisters near my scalp and on my neck. I've never had them tested. I've always been curious whether they were dh as I get them if I use a shampoo/conditioner with wheat. The rash itches, the blisters don't. The blisters bother me though not just the way they look, but the way they feel.

I get those to ! just on my head though they really hurt ! I will have to go out and find a new shampoo ! hummm my Dad also gets it as well ! The other day he was saying that this household has a lot of symptoms that are a lot alike. Then he said what if we all caught a long term bug ? Now I am telling him he needs to be tested becuase this sort of thing could be in the family ( I am the first person in my family to have it ) and he allllll the sudden dosen't think he has any of the same symptoms. He just dosen't want to have to avoid gluten ! Oh well I will just have to get out the duct tape again , kidnapp him , and take him back to the doctor :P Mabey this time I'll tape him to the hood ... last time he whined to much ! :D

lindalee Enthusiast
lindalee
Posted
I get a rash on my scalp and blisters near my scalp and on my neck. I've never had them tested. I've always been curious whether they were dh as I get them if I use a shampoo/conditioner with wheat. The rash itches, the blisters don't. The blisters bother me though not just the way they look, but the way they feel.

Carla, have you tried eliminating sodium laurel sulfites? I did and mine are almost gone. I also get small red welps on my back and chest after shampooing w/ it. LindaLee

kabowman Explorer
kabowman
Posted

Thanks for the name - the pics from the search are it!!!

I have started to use a steroid cream when they pop up and it seems to help.

Open Original Shared Link

This site also says it can cause fingers and toes to crack. Well, that explains something else! And, I am treating it right.

lindalee Enthusiast
lindalee
Posted
I've just started researching celiac because its being tossed around for my 1 year old. I noticed that I too have a lot of the symptoms of it as well. I get little red, intensly itchy (esp in the morning) blisters on my hands but no where else on my body?? They sting too and hurt if they are popped. Could that be DH???

I used to get them. Itched like crazy. Went to dr. but that didn't help. Mine got so bad had to get my ring cut off(swollen). I just figured it was nerves. My husband was very sick and controlling. LindaLee

  • 2 weeks later...
Idahogirl Apprentice
Idahogirl
Posted

Before I went on the diet, I was on dapsone, which controlled the breakouts. If I didn't take the medication, I would get DH on my hands, toes, knees, elbows, below my armpits, other places we won't mention, and yes, even my face. I am convinced if at the time I had completely gone off dapsone, I would have been covered from head to toe in bumps. They started out just on knees and elbows sporadically, and eventually spready to more and more places. After just a few weeks on the gluten free diet, they disappeared and haven't returned.

I also would get blood blisters right below the surface of the skin on my fingers, and tops of my toes, then they would dry up. Anyone else had this happen? (Gone now, of course) It would look weird having all these red spots on the tips of my fingers where it looked like there was dried blood right below the surface of the skin. I'm convinced it had something to do with gluten and DH. When I was in junior high, my doctor said "maybe you're pinching your fingers when you open your locker". Nice try, doctor ;) .

Lisa

TCA Contributor
TCA
Posted

I just went to a dermatologist about this last month. She was very helpful and suspects DH because I get them if I ever eat gluten accidentally. I get them primarily on my hands, but occasionally on my feet, behind my knees and inside my elbows. She couldn't biopsy because i only had a couple blisters between my fingers, but she said to call if I eat gluten and have a break out and she will do a biopsy.

  • 2 weeks later...
Kathy Blackwood Newbie
Kathy Blackwood
Posted

I get them once in awhile. I used to get them alot, but that was before my diagnosis.

Now they just flare up once in a blue moon, usually as well as the rash on the knees elbows etc....

I'm thinking when that happen's I've suffered and accidental glutening. They usually go away in a couple of days. I also take Dapsone to keep the rash at bay, so when I get those little itchy spots on my fingers, I take a Dapsone, and that seems to keep it from getting any worse.

  • 10 years later...
Jetskier02 Rookie
Jetskier02
Posted
On June 20, 2006 at 8:05 PM, Idahogirl said:

 

Hey Lisa,

Yes! I also get the red "blood blisters" on my hands. Just this last week I must have eaten something that caused the most severe outbreak I've ever had. My hands began to tingle all over for ~12 hours and then my hands were almost covered entirely in them by the next day. It was not pleasant and they hurt too. Whenever I pop them, they are also very susceptible to infection. I've found that they take so long to go away too. They don't hurt or both me after the first few days, but they look bizarre and last for weeks...

On June 20, 2006 at 8:05 PM, Idahogirl said:

 

Before I went on the diet, I was on dapsone, which controlled the breakouts. If I didn't take the medication, I would get DH on my hands, toes, knees, elbows, below my armpits, other places we won't mention, and yes, even my face. I am convinced if at the time I had completely gone off dapsone, I would have been covered from head to toe in bumps. They started out just on knees and elbows sporadically, and eventually spready to more and more places. After just a few weeks on the gluten free diet, they disappeared and haven't returned.

 

I also would get blood blisters right below the surface of the skin on my fingers, and tops of my toes, then they would dry up. Anyone else had this happen? (Gone now, of course) It would look weird having all these red spots on the tips of my fingers where it looked like there was dried blood right below the surface of the skin. I'm convinced it had something to do with gluten and DH. When I was in junior high, my doctor said "maybe you're pinching your fingers when you open your locker". Nice try, doctor ;) .

 

Lisa

 

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