Jump to content
  • Welcome to Celiac.com!

    You have found your celiac tribe! Join us and ask questions in our forum, share your story, and connect with others.




  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A1):



    Celiac.com Sponsor (A1-M):


  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Our Content
    eNewsletter
    Donate

How Long Between Eating Gluten And Getting Dh ?


GFinMN

Recommended Posts

GFinMN Apprentice

can anyone tell me how long it takes between accidentally eating gluten and the DH rash showing up? i am trying to trace back my foods and figure out what is glutening me. i saw a dermotologist and she said it could be 2 weeks or more between eating the food and the DH rash. however, it seems sooner than that for me. i'm really not sure. is it different with everyone?

i have introduced two new foods into my very limited diet - skippy natural peanut butter which i was told is gluten-free and also wellshire farms turkey beef sticks. i am not sure which one is causing the DH rash. i am going off both just to be safe, but i would like to know which it is.

thank u!


Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):



Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):



April in KC Apprentice
can anyone tell me how long it takes between accidentally eating gluten and the DH rash showing up?

I don't know if this is an individual thing, but I'm happy to share my experiences. I'm still paying attention to my own symptoms to try to nail down a timeline. From my recollections, it goes something like this.

My DH rash is not severe (elbows only, red itchy spots only - hasn't bubbled up much from mild glutenings), but it seems like it shows up 24-48 hours after I ingest gluten. Sometimes I wake up with the spots the day after I had other symptoms of a glutening. Sometimes it seems like it's the second day after a glutening. Sometimes I feel the itch before the spots are visible. I do know that the rash tends to stay around for a while after it shows up. The worst itchiness passes within a few days, but then the thickened skin takes a while to disappear. I frequently get canker sores along with my DH spots.

Taking a hot shower or immersing skin in warm water causes the redness to be more visible and defined.

April

ItchyMeredith Contributor

I just found out that my rash is DH so I can't tell you from personal experience. I just stopped eating gluten.

But....I read that the average span of time is 12 weeks but it could be even a couple of years. DH is extremely unpredictible. The rash you have now could be from gluten you ate yesterday or many months ago.

Check out this site:

Open Original Shared Link

GFinMN Apprentice

thanks so much for the replies. i was thinking mine was more like april's where it seems to show up within 48 hours (i get it on my elbows too), but that is very interesting about the months later thing and how unpredictable DH is. i know i got glutened at the dentist about 3-4 weeks ago too. yeesh - this is tough figuring it out!

thanks again!

trishydee Rookie

Hi!

I'm new here so I'm sorry for posting so late-I don't know if anyone's even reading this thread still...anyway, when I've been "glutenized" my lips and the inside of my nostrils (weird, huh?) start burning, then the rash happens the next day or two.

Adding to the list of odd things that cause a DH reaction: Aleve (the medicine) It has sent me screaming to the emergency room in the past!

lucy cat55 Newbie

This DH episode, my second in 6 weeks is the worst ever. It started in my eye & face, lip,cheek. I have sores on the palms of my hands & as an last resort, I have reluctantly begun taking Dapsone. I am on day 4 of this rx w/out relief; in fact, the inflammation is spreading to my waist, feet & hands. My fingers are very swollen.

My dermatologist told me it was probably some recipe change in a product I have been eating all along & b/c the addition of wheat gluten is so low, it does not have to be listed as an ingredient.

I am religioulsy particular about my foods & have been on a gluten-free diet for 5 yrs.

I read that the plastic containers, pots, dishes can be contaminated...does anyone know about this?

As well, how long does it take for Dapsone to be effective?

DO I need a higher dose? I am on 50mg/day

Thank you.

ravenwoodglass Mentor
thanks so much for the replies. i was thinking mine was more like april's where it seems to show up within 48 hours (i get it on my elbows too), but that is very interesting about the months later thing and how unpredictable DH is. i know i got glutened at the dentist about 3-4 weeks ago too. yeesh - this is tough figuring it out!

thanks again!

The reaction to gluten in the form of DH is going to show up anywhere from an hour to 3 or four days after contact. The antibodies that cause the reaction take a long time to clear out of the skin. The least little bit of gluten will reactive the antibody response causing the sores to appear. After someone has been completely, strictly gluten-free for a couple of years the antibodies will have dissapated. The severity and presentation of the rash will then change.

In my personal experience this took a full 2 years. Now after 5 years strictly gluten-free, that includes my toiletries and soaps etc, when I do get glutened I now get one or two very tiny DH sores that heal quickly. Before this I was constantly covered in DH sores, thought to be poison ivy by some doctors and labeled contact dermatitis by others and even pickers acne. The tiniest but of gluten for the first couple years would result in large oozing sores and a great deal of hair loss. I have clearer and itch free skin now at 50 than I had for my entire life since the DH started at age 4.


Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):



Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):



  • 3 weeks later...
sedunk Apprentice
I just found out that my rash is DH so I can't tell you from personal experience. I just stopped eating gluten.

But....I read that the average span of time is 12 weeks but it could be even a couple of years. DH is extremely unpredictible. The rash you have now could be from gluten you ate yesterday or many months ago.

Check out this site:

Open Original Shared Link

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.


  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):



  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      131,547
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748

    gizmo1jazz2
    Newest Member
    gizmo1jazz2
    Joined

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):


  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.4k
    • Total Posts
      1m

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):





  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):



  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • Scott Adams
      Your post demonstrates the profound frustration and isolation that so many in the Celiac community feel, and I want to thank you for channeling that experience into advocacy. The medical gaslighting you endured for decades is an unacceptable and, sadly, a common story, and the fact that you now have to "school" your own GI specialist speaks volumes about the critical lack of consistent and updated education. Your idea to make Celiac Disease a reportable condition to public health authorities is a compelling and strategic one. This single action would force the system to formally acknowledge the prevalence and seriousness of the disease, creating a concrete dataset that could drive better research funding, shape medical school curricula, and validate the patient experience in a way that individual stories alone often cannot. It is an uphill battle, but contacting representatives, as you have done with Adam Gray, is exactly how change begins. By framing it as a public health necessity—a matter of patient safety and protection from misdiagnosis and neglect—you are building a powerful case. Your voice and your perseverance, forged through thirty years of struggle, are exactly what this community needs to ensure that no one else has to fight so hard just to be believed and properly cared for.
    • Scott Adams
      I had no idea there is a "Louisville" in Colorado!😉 I thought it was a typo because I always think of the Kentucky city--but good luck!
    • Scott Adams
      Navigating medication safety with Celiac disease can be incredibly stressful, especially when dealing with asthma and severe allergies on top of it. While I don't have personal experience with the HealthA2Z brand of cetirizine, your caution is absolutely warranted. The inactive ingredients in pills, known as excipients, are often where gluten can be hidden, and since the FDA does not require gluten-free labeling for prescription or over-the-counter drugs, the manufacturer's word is essential. The fact that you cannot get a clear answer from Allegiant Health is a significant red flag; a company that is confident its product is gluten-free will typically have a customer service protocol to answer that exact question. In situations like this, the safest course of action is to consider this product "guilty until proven innocent" and avoid it. A better alternative would be to ask your pharmacist or doctor to help you identify a major national brand of cetirizine (like Zyrtec) whose manufacturer has a verified, publicly stated gluten-free policy for that specific medication. It's not worth the risk to your health when reliable, verifiable options are almost certainly available to you. You can search this site for USA prescriptions medications, but will need to know the manufacturer/maker if there is more than one, especially if you use a generic version of the medication: To see the ingredients you will need to click on the correct version of the medication and maker in the results, then scroll down to "Ingredients and Appearance" and click it, and then look at "Inactive Ingredients," as any gluten ingredients would likely appear there, rather than in the Active Ingredients area. https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/   
    • Scott Adams
      What you're describing is indeed familiar to many in the Celiac community, especially in the early stages of healing. When the intestinal villi are damaged from Celiac disease, they struggle to properly digest and absorb fats, a condition known as bile acid malabsorption. This can cause exactly the kind of cramping and spasms you're seeing, as undigested fats can irritate the sensitive gut lining. It is highly plausible that her reactions to dairy and eggs are linked to their higher fat content rather than the proteins, especially since she tolerates lean chicken breast. The great news is that for many, this does improve with time. As her gut continues to heal on a strict gluten-free diet, her ability to produce the necessary enzymes and bile to break down fats should gradually return, allowing her to slowly tolerate a wider variety of foods. It's a slow process of healing, but your careful approach of focusing on low-fat, nutrient-dense foods like seeds and avocado is providing her system the best possible environment to recover. Many people with celiac disease, especially those who are in the 0-2 year range of their recovery, have additional food intolerance issues which could be temporary. To figure this out you may need to keep a food diary and do an elimination diet over a few months. Some common food intolerance issues are dairy/casein, eggs, corn, oats, and soy. The good news is that after your gut heals (for most people who are 100% gluten-free this will take several months to two years) you may be able to slowly add some these items back into your diet after the damaged villi heal. This article may be helpful: Thank you for sharing your story—it's a valuable insight for other parents navigating similar challenges.
    • Beverage
      I had a very rough month after diagnosis. No exaggeration, lost so much inflammatory weight, I looked like a bag of bones, underneath i had been literally starving to death. I did start feeling noticeably better after a month of very strict control of my kitchen and home. What are you eating for breakfast and lunch? I ignored my doc and ate oats, yes they were gluten free, but some brands are at the higher end of gluten free. Lots of celics can eat Bob's Red Mill gluten-free oats, but not me. I can now eat them, but they have to be grown and processed according to the "purity protocol" methods. I mail order them, Montana Gluten-Free brand. A food and symptoms and activities log can be helpful in tracking down issues. You might be totally aware, but I have to mention about the risk of airborne gluten. As the doc that diagnosed me warned . . Remember eyes, ears, nose, and mouth all lead to your stomach and intestines.  Are you getting any cross contamination? Airborne gluten? Any pets eating gluten (they eat it, lick themselves, you pet them...)? Any house remodeling? We live in an older home, always fixing something. I've gotten glutened from the dust from cutting into plaster walls, possibly also plywood (glues). The suggestions by many here on vitamin supplements also really helped me. I had some lingering allergies and asthma, which are now 99% gone. I was taking Albuterol inhaler every hour just to breathe, but thiamine in form of benfotiamine kicked that down to 1-2 times a day within a few days of starting it. Also, since cutting out inflammatory seed oils (canola, sunflower, grapeseed, etc) and cooking with real olive oil, avocado oil, ghee, and coconut oil, I have noticed even greater improvement overall and haven't used the inhaler in months! It takes time to weed out everything in your life that contains gluten, and it takes awhile to heal and rebuild your health. At first it's mentally exhausting, overwhelming, even obsessive, but it gets better and second nature.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

NOTICE: This site places This site places cookies on your device (Cookie settings). on your device. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use, and Privacy Policy.