Itchy, Itchy, Itchy

[westrivergirl]

Help. I am itchy, itchy, itchy. EVERYWHERE! However, I do not have any outward signs of hives or sores. It feels like it is coming from inside my body. I don't know if it is food or topical things like shampoo, hair coloring, soap, or other things that may not be gluten-free.

1. Does anyone else suffer from this symptom?

2. Is there any relief for the symptoms?

3. Is there a guide to the chemicals in shampoos, soaps, etc that can tell me so I can know their origin grains?

[celiac3270]

do you have celiac disease? if so, you probably have DH, as well....that's what causes the itchy feeling...there's a section on it on the board

[tarnalberry]

I definitely don't have DH, but have had that happen on occasion. Quite frankly, it feels like allergies to me, and Benadryl has always helped it. I don't know the exact cause, but I suspect it's a histamine response to something environmental (for me).

[westrivergirl]

I do have celiac disease, but I have never had sores, and the posting relating to DH don't seem to apply to me. Benadryl does help some, but I can only take it at night because it knocks me out and sleeping on the job is NOT a good thing.

[gf4life]

I get this, too, and it took me a long time to figure out what it was. It is most likely an food allergy, and not related necessarily to celiac disease. For me it was Soy. I found out when I was first trying to get testing for gluten intolerance, and my doctors wanted to check for food allergies. The only thing that showed positive was soy. So I started paying more attention to what I ate in relation to my itchiness, and sure enough every time I at soy (especially soy sauce) a few hours later I would get these all over body itches that would only go away with Benadryl (and sleep, since they knock me out too).

So now I avoid soy, and when I do eat some I end the day with Benadryl, sometimes a bit earlier than I normally would. But at least I know that if I knowingly eat soy that I will get itchy. I also suspect I have a problem with MSG, but was never tested for it. I avoid it, too.

You can pretty much be allergic to any food. It might be wise to got to an allergist and get tested. If that isn't possible, then try keeping a food diary and see if there is anything that stands out as possibly causing a reaction. And keep in mind that the reaction time for each person can vary from a few seconds to 24 hours (and sometimes more), so be a bit broadminded at first when doing the diary. And once you pinpoint something you will need to eliminate that food for at least a week and then try it agian with other foods that you know you don't have a problem with. If your itchies went away and then returned duing that testing period, then you know what bothers you. And sometimes it might be more than one food...

In my opinion allergy testing was much simpler than the diary method, but not always possible...

God bless,

Mariann

P.S. I also have DH and Psoriasis, and they are all very different. Don't know how some doctors could confuse any of them.

[YankeeDB]

Also consider your laundry soap. Some of these are very irritating.

[Don C]

I do have celiac disease, but I have never had sores, and the posting relating to DH don't seem to apply to me. Benadryl does help some, but I can only take it at night because it knocks me out and sleeping on the job is NOT a good thing.

I had the same itching problem for months before I was found to be celiac disease. My entire body and scalp itched and had to sleep clothed on top of my bed to stop the itching at night! I had nothing visible on the surface of the skin. No doctor knew the cause. After three weeks on a gluten-free diet the itching was completely gone. It is not DH because there are no visible signs. Itching skin is sometimes called dry or sensitive skin. Try Eucerin lotion.

I am new to this celiac disease thing, but reading the messages here indicate to me that if a person is on a gluten-free diet and gets glutenized they may get celiac disease symptoms that they never had in their pre-diagnosis days. A complete list of symptoms can be found by Googling (Celiac Disease symptoms) There are a few common symtoms that almost all doctors know, but many that are not well known such as dry skin, anxiety, and depression.

Good internet sources (search on dry skin at WebMed and Mayo Clinic).

Don C.

[mamaw]

Yes I used to itch like a dog with fleas on my arms and back of neck!!!!!!!!!! It would just happen and I couldn't put a certain food or soap to blame it on . I used to take atarax for it as benedryl didn't help me. I now think it was a combo of many things. I don't get itchy since I changed to gluten-free and also I only bathe in Miracle II . I love this stuff I use it for everything, bathe the animals,the kids ,dishes, floors just about everything.It has no chemicals in it. I truly have reactions to all kinds of natural cleaners,soaps, smoke, perfume and so on.My skin feels better and most of all I have only itched once in two years. It lasts for ever as you only need a drop or two. I don't sell it but I know you can purchase on the web but I get it from a dealer and I think they are the best price out there so if your interested please pm me for their info.

mamaw

[jerseyangel]

Mamaw--I have the Miracle ll also. My sister suggested it to me--she and her husband love it. I liked it, but don't use it too often. You are the only other person I've heard mention it. Sounds like you really love it. I think I'll get it out and give it another try

[mamaw]

JerseyAngel

by all means get that out and use it!!!! It took a few weeks before I noticed a difference. Do you have the neutralizer ? I love that as I drink that , add it to the soap when I wash my hair and so on. When I feel a stuffy nose coming on I snuff it up my nose and the stuffiness goes away. I use the gel for my hair and use it like a styling gel. My skin doesn't feel like leather anymore. Most of all no chemicals I think is the most important.....

good luck

mamaw

[Claire]

I had constant itching - with no rash - for 10 years before I was tested and told that I had a Type II Delayed Food Reaction to wheat barley and rye. At that time no one was talking about gluten.

With the widespread itching topicals were not a practical option. I used Solarcaine. I sprayed myself from head to toe - every night so I could sleep. I am gluten-free now and only get a touch of that problem if I get gluten accidently. I do not have celiac. Claire

[jerseyangel]

JerseyAngel

by all means get that out and use it!!!! It took a few weeks before I noticed a difference. Do you have the neutralizer ? I love that as I drink that , add it to the soap when I wash my hair and so on. When I feel a stuffy nose coming on I snuff it up my nose and the stuffiness goes away. I use the gel for my hair and use it like a styling gel. My skin doesn't feel like leather anymore. Most of all no chemicals I think is the most important.....

good luck

mamaw

Thanks! Yes, I do have the neutralizer, too. I bought it last summer when I had a terrible case of poison ivy. I believe it helped it to heal faster. I agree about the chemicals--there are so few ingredients in there as it is. I will definately try the neutralizer as a hair gel--I can't find a natural one that I like.

[Mme]

Vinegar baths and switching to eco laundry and household products(e.g., Seventh Generation, Ecover) can really help itchiness and contact allergies, as well as allergic asthma. You can also put vinegar in your laundry in the rinse cycle: it helps a lot with sheets and things you wear next to your skin (undies, socks).

I've never had the all over itchiness that was described, but I get weird rashes, eczema, and general skin bizarro behavior.

Oh, use organic apple cider vinegar, if you can. The white stuff is derived from petroleum.

Good luck and speedy calming!

Mme

PS The neutralizer sounds great. Must try.

[plantime]

Oh, use organic apple cider vinegar, if you can. The white stuff is derived from petroleum.

??????? This I have never heard. I was always told the white vinegar was derived from wheat.

[Mme]

??????? This I have never heard. I was always told the white vinegar was derived from wheat.

The best article I've found on this is an article on kosher vinegar fermentation because the base of the vinegar affects the categories of kosher that it falls under. According to this article, white vinegar is most commonly made from a base of petroleum derivative or from grains, which can be rye/barley/wheat/spelt or rice and corn. There are also other sources. The article gives the example of New Zealand, where white vinegar is fermented from whey.

Open Original Shared Link

This is Open Original Shared Link It suggests that corn is more prevalent as a basis for grain vinegar. It also talks about whether biochemistry of fermentation and whether vinegar can contain gluten (basic answer according to the articles I've seen: no way, no how, e.g. Open Original Shared Link that classifies vinegar reactions as a sort of gluten-free urban myth).

Clearly this is a bit of a pickle, pun intended. I knew the vinegar sourcing problem from the natural food community, which was very worried about petroleum derivatives and foodstuffs. I'm just getting into the gluten free community and its questions about vinegar safety.

[BRUMI1968]

I had the itchies,mostly on the back of my head,on my spine, and down my rib cage. I thought maybe it was from where the chlorine was hitting me when I take hot showers (which in the winter, I do probably twice a day from being cold, probably from severe anemia). Anyway, I started puting lotion on after I get out of the shower, but I think being gluten free for over a week has been the clincher. Even the scaly skin on my ankles is gone. My doctor said the reason the bony parts of me are itching more than the others is because they don't have a layer of fat.

Anyway, good luck. You might want to get a shower head filter to make sure it is not chlorine.

[Cape]

I do have celiac disease, but I have never had sores, and the posting relating to DH don't seem to apply to me. Benadryl does help some, but I can only take it at night because it knocks me out and sleeping on the job is NOT a good thing.

I have the itchy legs, underarms, back and so on. Apples. Big problem. Everything with apples in them makes me itch. It's just been since I've been gluten free that I noticed it. There are a ton of other fruits that cause the itch though. Strawberries and pineapple are other culprets. I am not allergic to any foods; I am highly sensative and intolerant to many now, which I attribute to Leak Gut Syndrom (LGS).

Hope this helps.

I just got off of the Corn topic. How could I forget corn being one of my biggest itch culprets! Corn is in everything, vitamins, OTC meds like the ibuprofin drugs, and salt, not sea salt, though. I suggest you read the corn topic. Robin and others have so much helpful information.

Cape

[ajay]

JerseyAngel

by all means get that out and use it!!!! It took a few weeks before I noticed a difference. Do you have the neutralizer ? I love that as I drink that , add it to the soap when I wash my hair and so on. When I feel a stuffy nose coming on I snuff it up my nose and the stuffiness goes away. I use the gel for my hair and use it like a styling gel. My skin doesn't feel like leather anymore. Most of all no chemicals I think is the most important.....

good luck

mamaw

OK, not to be a cynic or anything, but I found this on the FDA site:

"Use of Products Could lead to Severe Infections

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is advising consumers not to use Miracle II Neutralizer and Miracle II Neutralizer Gel products manufactured by Tedco, Inc., in West Monroe, Louisiana because the products are bacterially contaminated and have not been proven to be safe and effective. Use of these products could pose a risk of serious adverse events such as infections, particularly in children, the elderly, and individuals with weakened immune systems who are particularly susceptible to illness. "

I couldn't find out which bacteria they referred to, and I think that makes a difference.

My only other concern is that I also can't find an ingredient list for the stuff, which always makes me nervous. Anyone know what's in it?

Thanks!