Celiac And Acne And Excema?

[Mally-bug]

I am VERY new to this whole thing. I'm doing ok with the diet BUT I am really hoping my eczema and acne are caused by gluten and will clear up! I also have a very itchy scalp. Anybody out ther have these problems or am I alone?

[SheilaW]

Hi, My daughter is the Celiac. She doesn't have eczema, but she did have the really bad rash. Two things have really helped her. One being the diet and two being this Lotion bar that we tried. I was told by the consultant that it helped with eczema, so I thought that I would try it on her. It is "Lemongrass Spa Grapefruit Lily Lotion and Massage BAR" make sure that it is the bar that you get. They run about $10 a piece but well worth it. They have another scent to. Go to www.lemongrassspa.com. They are made here in CO. Once I started using this for her, she has not had a rash since. They also carry shampoo and such but I don't know if it works the same.

I hope that his helps

Have a great day!

[Eriella]

My acne/ allergy spots cleared up now that I have been gluten-free for a while. This is especially true if you had constipation issues, because you would have built up toxins inside of your body which make it react with the acne. Good luck with yours!

[gdobson]

My son had a rash/acne on his face since he first started oatmeal cereal as a baby. It started clearing up immediately after going gluten free, but it took 2 years to clear up completely. Now he is spotless.

[Mally-bug]

thanks so much for th replies! my acne is getting a little better, not too much though. my mom also researched something about salicylic acid and how you can be allergic to that as well. unfortunately it is the active ingredient in most, if not all, of the acne treatment washes that i have been trying. -not saying that i have a salicylic acid intolerance, but it is definitely possible, so i have been trying a different line of washes by Aveno without that specific acid in it. working so far...

[Mally-bug]

oh, i just read the reply about the Lotion bar...

thank you so much for that, i will definitely look it up-maybe the shampoo products will help with the itchy scalp!

you guys are awesome!

[confusedks]

I just wanted to say you should be careful with Aveeno because a lot of their stuff has oats, etc. in it. Just wanted to give you a head's up!

Kassandra

[Mally-bug]

oh gosh, good call. im so new to this, its hard to remember half the time that wheat is in just about everything!

[Granny Garbonzo]

I didn't read the other answers to your problems, but I will quickly tell you what worked for me.

I am 50 yrs old and have known I had celiac for about 20yrs, and I have had, and sometimes still have, the exact skin problems you describe. I was told by a dermatologist that I had Rosacea and was given a topical antibiotic with an alchohol base in an aplicator bottle with a dobber on the end. It works beautifully!

I just use head and shoulders original formula for my scalp itch.

And the doc told me to use white wash cloths, no dyes, and to avoid foods with stimulants, like chocolate and coffee, and to avoid red food colorings...seriously.

I've also heard the iodine irritates the skin problems, like iodized salt.

I use natural soaps and take lots of vitamins and herbs to make up for the low nutrition levels, and I flourish and am one of the healthiest people I know, except when I get some sneaky form of gluten....still happens....be extreme about caring for your body, it has to last you a long time.

Granny

[Mally-bug]

I didn't read the other answers to your problems, but I will quickly tell you what worked for me.

I am 50 yrs old and have known I had celiac for about 20yrs, and I have had, and sometimes still have, the exact skin problems you describe. I was told by a dermatologist that I had Rosacea and was given a topical antibiotic with an alchohol base in an aplicator bottle with a dobber on the end. It works beautifully!

I just use head and shoulders original formula for my scalp itch.

And the doc told me to use white wash cloths, no dyes, and to avoid foods with stimulants, like chocolate and coffee, and to avoid red food colorings...seriously.

I've also heard the iodine irritates the skin problems, like iodized salt.

I use natural soaps and take lots of vitamins and herbs to make up for the low nutrition levels, and I flourish and am one of the healthiest people I know, except when I get some sneaky form of gluten....still happens....be extreme about caring for your body, it has to last you a long time.

Granny

thanks for all the advice, it really does help. it honestly might be too hard to give up coffee but everything else definitely seems do-able! keep passin that wisdom on...

[Guest PhilosophyGirl]

Whenever I accidentally ingest some gluten, my acne flares up, along with many other symptoms. Once I've been back on my gluten-free diet for a while though, it does clear.

[x1x-Stargirl-x1x]

yes... i have horrible eczema (sp?)

it does get better when i don't have any gluten or milk. i also have a horrible dandruff problem. i don't have acne, most other people my age do, but i guess i wash my face a lot. i kinda have to cause i do karate and my headband gets all sweaty....

but yeah, i do think it is from gluten and also i get it bad when i swim in a creek. pools i'm okay with. i swim so much it better be okay!

.::STARGIRL::.

[wowzer]

My eczema finally went away when I went gluten free. I'm 52 years old and went gluten free the beginning of the year. I grew up with a celiac sister, so I was eating at least gluten light for my teenage years. I ended up with adult acne. I'm sure it probably was due to gluten. I used to have the itchy scalp and always itched after a shower. I thought it was from scents, but I'm sure now it was gluten. My scalp and body don't itch after a shower anymore. Good Luck, Wendy

[JennyC]

My son has been gluten free for six months and his eczema has still not gone away. I tried to take him off of his medication, but the eczema came back. The only thing that works for him is Elidel (sp?).

[hathor]

I'd never gotten over always having some blemishes, although limiting fat and going off dairy really helps. (My daughter breaks out whenever she has dairy.)

At the beginning of the year, I had a test result from Enterolab indicating a soy intolerance. I never noticed a reaction to the stuff at all. But I thought I would go off it and see what happened, if anything. Lo and behold, my face completely cleared up and has stayed clear.

I read in "Food Allergy Survival Guide" that a soy allergy or intolerance (their terminology folks -- I know these are different ) can sometimes be subtle and skin issues are common.

[Lollipop]

I had the same problems with an itchy scalp. Make sure to double check your shampoo, mine had wheat in it!

becca

[Auntie Lurlynn]

thanks so much for th replies! my acne is getting a little better, not too much though. my mom also researched something about salicylic acid and how you can be allergic to that as well. unfortunately it is the active ingredient in most, if not all, of the acne treatment washes that i have been trying. -not saying that i have a salicylic acid intolerance, but it is definitely possible, so i have been trying a different line of washes by Aveno without that specific acid in it. working so far...

try unprocessed honey, get from a beekeeper if you can. my mom gets really bad pimples and all she does is dab a little on the infected area, sometimes she goes to bed with it on her face, sometimes she just lets it sit for a little while

[Auntie Lurlynn]

yes... i have horrible eczema (sp?)

it does get better when i don't have any gluten or milk. i also have a horrible dandruff problem. i don't have acne, most other people my age do, but i guess i wash my face a lot. i kinda have to cause i do karate and my headband gets all sweaty....

but yeah, i do think it is from gluten and also i get it bad when i swim in a creek. pools i'm okay with. i swim so much it better be okay!

.::STARGIRL::.

what do you do about your dandruff, i hav it really bad too

[Lollipop]

I have had really bad itchy scalp. we originally thought it was caused by a dry scalp but it turned out that there was wheat in my shampoo. You might want to double check the ingredients on all your hair products. (I just realized I already posted that earlier) Also, I use head and shoulders for dandruff, and my haircutter lady told me that if you use conditioner, just use it on the bottom part (she told me to hold my hair like in a ponytail and then do the part that hangs out)

becca

[Auntie Lurlynn]

I have had really bad itchy scalp. we originally thought it was caused by a dry scalp but it turned out that there was wheat in my shampoo. You might want to double check the ingredients on all your hair products. (I just realized I already posted that earlier) Also, I use head and shoulders for dandruff, and my haircutter lady told me that if you use conditioner, just use it on the bottom part (she told me to hold my hair like in a ponytail and then do the part that hangs out)

becca

Thanks, I've been trying to get conditioner on my scalp to see of it would help,so that could be part of the problem

[ISGoddess]

I have had eczema every winter for years -- til I quit eating wheat due to wheat allergy. The acne issue I can't speak to, though. I do check ALL moisturizers, shampoos, etc. for wheat/gluten because of the potential for eczema and yes, the itchy scalp and itchy ears (which is essentially dandruff/dry skin in your ears.

[Daughter-of-TheLight]

Halloo! I have acne and terrible Dandruff. My gluten-free diet hasn't helped these much. What I do though, is I use a wonderful magical lovely thing called T-gel. It takes a while to get used to the smell in the shower, but the smell washes out. ^^ It's great, though you can't use it every day. I also go to my dermatologist and use another wonderful thing called Ziana. It workes over a period of time, though for quick fixes I use Cortisone 10.

[magnet4miracles]

I am VERY new to this whole thing. I'm doing ok with the diet BUT I am really hoping my eczema and acne are caused by gluten and will clear up! I also have a very itchy scalp. Anybody out ther have these problems or am I alone?

I am 46 and started a wheat free diet 10 years ago...my adult acne cleared up right away! I went from pimples to wrinkles! Stick with the diet it gets much easier the longer you stay on it and your body responds...slowly but surely!!..... another GREAT side effect is easy weight loss! stay away from sugar too.

[IsoscelesKramer]

I went to my doctor recently to find out why i was breaking out (but ONLY around the lower part of my face - what started him thinking it might be food-related) and he believes its, in fact, gluten related. In fact, he thinks most of my weird ailments are gluten related. (i'm in my late 20s and already have the first stages of arthritis. I also have numbness in my hands that he thinks might be attributed to gluten.. anyway..)

I tried going gluten free but i've only been at it a short time. A lot of problems cleared up or got better quite rapidly. Less back pain, NO cramps and NO hives/rashes (i was getting a TON of those before) The acne hasn't cleared up yet but skin, especially sick skin, is stubborn and that may take time.

BUT you're VERY RIGHT to go with gluten-free body washes/shampoos etc. I switched to those today and am hoping to see some improvement.

Someone already said it here but Aveeno is FULL of wheat.. if it works for you, great! But if your problem is wheat-related, it may not work for long..

Cutting gluten out of the diet is hard.. because even foods you wouldn't suspect may contain gluten or were 'glutenized' during the processing. If you can manage fresh foods and dishes made from scratch, you can have a much better control over your diet than if you trust packaged foods.

What we need out there is a site for gluten-free consumer products in general. Its easy to find lists of foods and recipes but very, very hard (so far) to find a list of other kinds of products that are gluten-free. Bert's Bees products tend to have a good gluten-free record. I've switched to their shampoo/conditioner.

Oh, also, watch what detergents you're using. And fabric softners. Allergies in general can cause skin issues. Change your pilowslips and sheets twice as often as normal.

Oh and yes! Itchy skin!! I used to have a REALLY BIG itchy skin problem. My scalp, my chest, my back. I got hives and rashes but i itched constantly, whether i was hiving or not. Since fixing my diet, the itchy skin has gone WAY, WAY down. I rarely itch at all anymore.

Good luck.. i totally know what you're going through.

[Nicole S.]

I am VERY new to this whole thing. I'm doing ok with the diet BUT I am really hoping my eczema and acne are caused by gluten and will clear up! I also have a very itchy scalp. Anybody out ther have these problems or am I alone?

I am 3 1/2 wks into gluten free diet, and trying to figure out other foods that are still bothering me. Seeing Allergist tomorrow. I hope I get some results. Anyway, having major cystic acne on my face. Devastating, after having to change your diet so drastically!