Biopsy=worthless

[brizzo]

So, my biopsy from my "scalp rash" came back as minor superficial dermatitis. Well, that was with the biopsy taken without immunoflouresence and took directly from the involved site....due to doctor incompetence! Well, I have been gluten-free for three weeks now with marked improvement..my next step is enterolab... Man, Doctors suck! Well....I have 2 questions for the board about DH.

1. How long after starting a gluten-free diet did it take for your skin to clear up totaly?

2. When you accidently ate gluten after being clear on a gluten-free diet, how long did it take the subsequent flare up to show and then go away again?

Much love,,,b.

[CarlaB]

I have a scalp rash that I do not think is DH. I talked to my doc, and my testing shows low adrenal function, low thyroid and anemia (just got it today, not a surprise). Low adrenal function can go along with constant inflammation, and doc thinks this is why I have a rash. I've been gluten-free for nine months, treating adrenals (diet, supplements and lifestyle changes) for three weeks and rash is just now starting to go away. Don't know if that helps, but it's my experience!

[brizzo]

hey carla, thanks for the reply. I had all my labs drawn, and doc says that I am healthy (as far as blood work goes ) from head to toe....still scratching head......"literaly!" =) thanks, b.

[chrissy]

do you consider the biopsy worthless because it did not show DH?

maybe what you have on your scalp really "IS" minor superficial dermatitis.

[CarlaB]

hey carla, thanks for the reply. I had all my labs drawn, and doc says that I am healthy (as far as blood work goes ) from head to toe....still scratching head......"literaly!" =) thanks, b.

Yea, my blood work is all normal, too ... I went to an MD that is more open to alternative medicine ... so she did some less conventional testing that showed all my "sub-clinical" problems. Technically, I'm very healthy

[brizzo]

yes, I do believe it is DH, because a gluten-free diet has completely eliminated my symptoms with the exception of a few "spots". I thought the biopsy was useless, because she did not even consider doing a biopsy for DH using immunoflouresence. She said that test was "very expensive" , and didn't want to utilize it at first. I am FULLY insured!... she just acted like DH doesn't exist... My mother is Celiac for God sakes..... A gluten-free diet eliminates the rash for the first time in 3 yrs w/o medicine... Doctors absolutely blow me away... don't get me wrong, I know there are good daoctors out there.. I just haven't met any lol

[ravenwoodglass]

1. How long after starting a gluten-free diet did it take for your skin to clear up totaly?

2. When you accidently ate gluten after being clear on a gluten-free diet, how long did it take the subsequent flare up to show and then go away again?

Much love,,,b.

It took a few months for me because in the begining I was clueless to topical gluten and CC. Once I eliminated gluten completely my skin clears in a couple weeks. The deposits can remain in the skin for a couple of years waiting for a trace to make tham active again.

When I accidentally get gluten the rash and itching start within a few hours. This takes a couple weeks to subside if I don't get any more and reactivate the sores. Before I became a anti gluten maniac the sores would take weeks or months to heal, now that I have been gluten-free for a few years they heal much more quickly.