Atopic Eczema And Celiac Disease

[Krystens mummy]

Hello again, Just wondering if anyone else has children that suffer with atopic eczema but do not have any other allergies. We went to the allergy specialist with our daughter of ten months today. He tested for wheat rye barley and they all came back negative (which i suspected anyway with the research That I have done into celiac disease) He also said that celiac disease doesn't present with atopic eczema and that is an allergic reaction. Unfortunately she only gets the eczema when she eats GLUTEN!!!!!!!!! very frustrating. She also gets a chickenpox type rash when she is exposed to a lot of gluten, but it is a different type of eczema ( demititis herpetiformis) the type that she gets when she eats small amounts it the typical infantile eczema. Please help if you can any information is helpfull. The doctors are very laid back on the issue but this is my precious child and we have other family members to consider ( GRANDMA HAS HAD SIMILAR SYMPTOMS FOR TWO YEARS THEY STARTED WHEN SHE WENT THROUGH MENOPAUSE.) and my partner and son could be carriers. The doctors look at me like i'm overreacting to the situation maybe I am. Comments on this are quite welcome too. Thanks

[Krystens mummy]

we think it might be dermititis herpetiformis it hasn't been diagnosed. Thought Id clear that up

[dadoffiveboys]

Hello again, Just wondering if anyone else has children that suffer with atopic eczema but do not have any other allergies. We went to the allergy specialist with our daughter of ten months today. He tested for wheat rye barley and they all came back negative (which i suspected anyway with the research That I have done into celiac disease) He also said that celiac disease doesn't present with atopic eczema and that is an allergic reaction. Unfortunately she only gets the eczema when she eats GLUTEN!!!!!!!!! very frustrating. She also gets a chickenpox type rash when she is exposed to a lot of gluten, but it is a different type of eczema ( demititis herpetiformis) the type that she gets when she eats small amounts it the typical infantile eczema. Please help if you can any information is helpfull. The doctors are very laid back on the issue but this is my precious child and we have other family members to consider ( GRANDMA HAS HAD SIMILAR SYMPTOMS FOR TWO YEARS THEY STARTED WHEN SHE WENT THROUGH MENOPAUSE.) and my partner and son could be carriers. The doctors look at me like i'm overreacting to the situation maybe I am. Comments on this are quite welcome too. Thanks

I was told for years I had idiopathic urticaria and eczema (i.e. skin bumps from an unknown source... but definitely NOT DH). My baby had it so bad he was bleeding around his neck I found the source - gluten. I do not have celiac disease but I AM ALLERGIC (IgA allergy - blood tests can't test this) to Gluten and only SOME of my children get bumps as well. Since removing gluten.. magically they have NOT gotten eczema nor urticaria (surprise!?.. no).

The doctors also DISCOUNTED my high IgA Anti-gliadin blood test. That blood test is what keyed me in to the problem all along and I went gluten-free (as well as the whole family) and proved the doctor wrong. Also found my Father and all four of my boys have a problem with different symptoms. The Doctors do NOT KNOW ANYTHING Yet.. so go with your gut instinct! The doctor told me this means I have some nature of an allergy to the protein but do not experience the full auto-immune reaction. Allergy tests are for IgE (Wheat) and cannot test IgA allergy (Gluten protein). I believe the IgA Anti-gliadin DOES MEASURE gluten ALLERGY and my IgA numbers were elevated but not high enough for celiac - my wife had a value of 1 on the test.. mine was 46.. anything above 50 was considered 'positive' for Celiac but not specific enough - yeah cause it measures an ALLERGY to Gluten w/o celiac. Ironically when I cut out gluten, my other allergies got WORSE (i.e. more room for more IgE in my blood since my IgA wasn't saturating it). So your immune systems are dependant on each other. My allergist conceded the fact that since my urticaria goes away w/o gluten.. it must be the cause. It also caused reflux and asthma and none of my children have "celiac".

[wowzer]

Dermatitis herpetiformis is still celiac disease. I went through months of itchy rashes, some blistery, big eczema patches. My blood work did come back negative. I tried the gluten free diet and all the rashes and eczema went away. Milk and wheat allergies can cause eczema along with many other things. It is possible to have false negative bloodwork. Keep us posted. Wendy

[gfgypsyqueen]

I think it is very hard to get good test results on kids so young. If you think it is related to gluten, do a gluten challenge and see what happens. that is your best test right now for that age (10 mths). If the rash does not completely go away, try removing all trace levels of dairy.

My daughter has had a terrible rash since she was an infant. They tried every cream and medication and nothing helped. The rash was extremely itchy and also included a blistered bleeding diaper rash. She has never tolerated dairy well, and never ate anything like real cheese or yogurt, but when all trace levels of dairy were removed the rash got better. When she eats the slightest dairy, the rash comes back. But the rash still came and went and we couldn't always pin point exactly what was bothering her. After inconclusive biopsy and blood work for celiacs, made her gluten-free. She is now gluten-free/CF and no more rash. The rash comes back when glutened. For her the trace levels of dairy or cross-contamination with dairy really make a big difference.

[dandelionmom]

Eczema can also flare up when the child is under stress (it doesn't just mean allergies), I think that's why my daughter's eczema has totally cleared up now that she's gluten-free.

[mom with gf toddler]

Hello, my 2 year old had a rash on his face/mouth for over a year before being diag with celiac disease. my ped told me it was from his binky/after starting his gluten-free diet we have yet to have the rash come back/and we did give up binky with no results before that. He does also have food allergies, but would get hives from eating the food he is allergic to. My gastro doc said that the rash on his mouth was def related to eating gluten. He has been gluten-free since March 2007 and has gained 8 pounds and grown sooo much taller. Not sure if this will help at all.

[Krystens mummy]

Thanks for all your advice. She has been gluten free for about six weeks now and every trace of eczema has gone. We did have a flare a few weeks ago when someone gave her a pureed apple with a wheat based thickener in it. It was the only thing she had that was different in her diet for a few weeks so we were pretty sure it was that. This also came with irritability and flatulence but because it was the norm when she was on a normal diet we olny really noticed it when she became gluten free. weve never had the dh type looking eczema looked at because it went away soon after we took gluten out of her diet and to get it back we would have to pump gluten into her body for days and that is not going to happen to my 10 month old baby. (This is what the allergy specialist suggested we do!)

[buffettbride]

My daughter had atopic eczema prior to her Celiac dx. Just weird patches of dry, flakey, red skin on her shins. It responded well to the cream our doctor subscribed for eczema cream (I don't remember the name of the rx).

However, it cleared up and has remained clear completely since she started eating gluten-free in May.

[JennyC]

Hmm. My son has gets really dry flaky skin behind his ears and skin build up in his arm pits. The only thing that clears it up is Elidel, so I assume it's eczema. A month ago, five months gluten free, I tried to take him off Elidel but his symptoms returned. He was tested for other allergies and all came back negative. I concerned that I'm missing something...

[buffettbride]

Hmm. My son has gets really dry flaky skin behind his ears and skin build up in his arm pits. The only thing that clears it up is Elidel, so I assume it's eczema. A month ago, five months gluten free, I tried to take him off Elidel but his symptoms returned. He was tested for other allergies and all came back negative. I concerned that I'm missing something...

Our son is very prone to eczema. We have a L1 steroid cream (he can't take Elidel) we used to clear it up when it was really bad and after his showers we cover him head-to-toe in moisturizer which seems to keep us on top of it. He's about due for a follow-up allergy testing (he tested low positive for peanuts at 13 months and he's almost 4).

[trustyourguts]

My ds almost 3 and dd almost 6 both have been dx's with gluten enteropathy. When they get the dry patchj of skin I give them Benadryl and it seems to help. My daughter's is by her left eye about the size of a half dollar.

It's worth a try.

[shan]

Mine gets exzema from eating dairy - any kind the tiniest amount - and she'll scratch for two days straight till she is full of blood and her skin is rough like sand paper... Poor kid! At those times i put moisteriser on her 3-4 times a day, all over her body and it clears up, although it takes approx 5 days for it all to go.

She also gets the itches if i give her new clothes and i don't wash it before she wears them. My guess is that the shops put chemicals in the clothes... anyone else have this?

[tdads]

Quick History:

37, recently diagnosed with celiac. Because I was diagnosed and this is hereditary, my Mother and Grandmother were also checked out because my grandmother had stomach cancer at age 38.

Mother tested negative, grandmother positive. The doctor said my Mother's sensitivity level is not as bad as mine and my grandmothers, but she should cut back on gluten to see if her constipation, eczema, ADD etc... subsided, which it has.

My 16 and 5 year old boys have always had eczema, upset tummies with spit up when on formula. My 16 year old has issues in the bathroom, but really won't share. He just gets up from the table during dinner and goes to the bathroom. Since my diagnosis, I have started experimenting with their gluten intake. I believe they too have an intolerance, unsure at what level. Will get them tested. Even if their test comes back positive, I will eliminate gluten completely from their diet as well.

When your body thinks wheat (gluten) is a foreign substance and the antigen's attack the food, some people may have a higher tolerance than others, therefore it goes undetected with the blood work. But that does not mean they do not have a gluten issue. If your child responds better without gluten, then I wouldn't hesitate to eliminate it completely.

It isn't the life sentence it sounds like. It is a very healthy way of living and my family has become healthier eaters because of it. We eat more fruits and vegetables, and use different flour. We do not buy "boxed" items, but eat basically what grows out of the ground.

Our energy levels are so much higher, we fight less because we are awake, and our bathroom issues are almost gone. All of this within a week of my diagnosis.

Best of luck.

[peaksembroidery]

Hello again, Just wondering if anyone else has children that suffer with atopic eczema but do not have any other allergies. We went to the allergy specialist with our daughter of ten months today. He tested for wheat rye barley and they all came back negative (which i suspected anyway with the research That I have done into celiac disease) He also said that celiac disease doesn't present with atopic eczema and that is an allergic reaction. Unfortunately she only gets the eczema when she eats GLUTEN!!!!!!!!! very frustrating. She also gets a chickenpox type rash when she is exposed to a lot of gluten, but it is a different type of eczema ( demititis herpetiformis) the type that she gets when she eats small amounts it the typical infantile eczema. Please help if you can any information is helpfull. The doctors are very laid back on the issue but this is my precious child and we have other family members to consider ( GRANDMA HAS HAD SIMILAR SYMPTOMS FOR TWO YEARS THEY STARTED WHEN SHE WENT THROUGH MENOPAUSE.) and my partner and son could be carriers. The doctors look at me like i'm overreacting to the situation maybe I am. Comments on this are quite welcome too. Thanks

This is almost like I'm reading my Son's pre- celiac diagnosis. He had Eczema since he was a new born and then it was more severe as he grew. At about age 10-11 years old he had severe demititis herpetiformis. They really didn't even know what he had. He was on prednisone for a week and antibiotics. He was in so much pain. That lead to him having more episodes like that and then to severe stomach pain and blood in his stools. He didn't have diarreah but he had constipation. The Gastro Doc ran the standard Gastro bloodwork not even thinking he would have any possitive results for celiac. But guess what! He was possitive with every blood test, and biopsy performed. Thank Goodness! He has been gluten free for 1 year now and is doing so much better. We know immediatly when he has a contamination to gluten. We try to be extremly careful but some times it will happen. The pain comes back with vengence. But, he has not had even one episode with his skin since being off gluten. It is amazing. I remember the Dr.s having me soak him in Oatmeal baths as a toddler. Then he would be 100 times worse. Go figure! I hope your kids are all doing well now too.

Thank you

Tammy

[MaryannG]

Hmm. My son has gets really dry flaky skin behind his ears and skin build up in his arm pits. The only thing that clears it up is Elidel, so I assume it's eczema. A month ago, five months gluten free, I tried to take him off Elidel but his symptoms returned. He was tested for other allergies and all came back negative. I concerned that I'm missing something...

Jenny,

If you are think you might be giving your child gluten but are unsure, perhaps see a nutritionist. It really helped me! I made a food log by brand name of what my child ate and was able to determine the culprit! good luck!You can always post questionable foods on here and we can all help you determine if it is gluten free.

[Fiddle-Faddle]

Interesting timing.

I just took my son to a dermatologist today for some horrendous skin rash which seems to include both psoriasis AND impetigo.

But this dermatologist totally understands celiac (I know, I nearly fainted).

According to him, pediatric dermatitis herpetiformis (considered to be "celiac of the skin") looks exactly like atopic eczema--but he said that if it responds to a gluten-free diet, he considers it to be an automatic diagnosis of DH/celiac/gluten intolerance, no further testing needed.

While he decided to control my son's rash with medication (which is something I tend to hate, and he wants to use both oral antibiotics and a topical steroid), he did say that as soon as we get it under control, he is all for looking for the cause, which he said could be environmental (for example, inhaling who-knows-what as a result of house renovations, or changed chemicals in the school swimming pool, or change of cleaning solutions either at school or at home) or a reaction to something in the diet. He also said that in that office, they see a lot of autoimmune skin conditions triggered by vaccines--but ultimately needing a gluten-free diet, and that's the first time I have ever heard a doctor say that.

[beulahgrrl]

Interesting timing.

I just took my son to a dermatologist today for some horrendous skin rash which seems to include both psoriasis AND impetigo.

But this dermatologist totally understands celiac (I know, I nearly fainted).

According to him, pediatric dermatitis herpetiformis (considered to be "celiac of the skin") looks exactly like atopic eczema--but he said that if it responds to a gluten-free diet, he considers it to be an automatic diagnosis of DH/celiac/gluten intolerance, no further testing needed.

While he decided to control my son's rash with medication (which is something I tend to hate, and he wants to use both oral antibiotics and a topical steroid), he did say that as soon as we get it under control, he is all for looking for the cause, which he said could be environmental (for example, inhaling who-knows-what as a result of house renovations, or changed chemicals in the school swimming pool, or change of cleaning solutions either at school or at home) or a reaction to something in the diet. He also said that in that office, they see a lot of autoimmune skin conditions triggered by vaccines--but ultimately needing a gluten-free diet, and that's the first time I have ever heard a doctor say that.

I know this is an old post, but my 3 yr old son's previously diagnosed eczema has just gone completely out of control in the last two weeks. I've been considering going gluten-free but have been putting it off ,and putting it off as we practically LIVE on bread and pasta around here. But finally, today is the day!

I'm so sick of the hydrocortizone that I baste him in daily, but now has no effect.

And this is what caught MY eye, "According to him, pediatric dermatitis herpetiformis (considered to be "celiac of the skin") looks exactly like atopic eczema--but he said that if it responds to a gluten-free diet, he considers it to be an automatic diagnosis of DH/celiac/gluten intolerance, no further testing needed".

But could it be "just eczema" that happens to be caused by a food sensitivity or truly Celiac if it miraculously clears up after going gluten-free? I've just never had any dr tell me anything other than "it's eczema, here's the hydrocortizone"....so I'm confused.

My dr. refuses to acknowledge it could be food related, but the poor kid has had just about every skin condition (chicken pox, foliculitis, staph, the list goes on...) known to man with no other apparant triggers. Except, of course, the chicken pox. But it's like the eczema just makes him more prone to get all this other stuff...

He also eats constantly, sleeps poorly nowdays and seems to always be congested, snotty and coughing (he's been like that since the eczema started at about 6 months, so....). But no GI symptoms except for more frequent BM's lately.

I'm very impatient about going gluten-free...but for a celiac diagnosis he needs to be eating gluten normally? I'm sorry I have strung together so many ideas, here, I feel like I've jumped in over my head by finding this site. So.much.information! =)

Thanks in advance!!

~KC

[OBXMom]

I know this is an old post, but my 3 yr old son's previously diagnosed eczema has just gone completely out of control in the last two weeks. I've been considering going gluten-free but have been putting it off ,and putting it off as we practically LIVE on bread and pasta around here. But finally, today is the day!

I'm so sick of the hydrocortizone that I baste him in daily, but now has no effect.

And this is what caught MY eye, "According to him, pediatric dermatitis herpetiformis (considered to be "celiac of the skin") looks exactly like atopic eczema--but he said that if it responds to a gluten-free diet, he considers it to be an automatic diagnosis of DH/celiac/gluten intolerance, no further testing needed".

But could it be "just eczema" that happens to be caused by a food sensitivity or truly Celiac if it miraculously clears up after going gluten-free? I've just never had any dr tell me anything other than "it's eczema, here's the hydrocortizone"....so I'm confused.

My dr. refuses to acknowledge it could be food related, but the poor kid has had just about every skin condition (chicken pox, foliculitis, staph, the list goes on...) known to man with no other apparant triggers. Except, of course, the chicken pox. But it's like the eczema just makes him more prone to get all this other stuff...

He also eats constantly, sleeps poorly nowdays and seems to always be congested, snotty and coughing (he's been like that since the eczema started at about 6 months, so....). But no GI symptoms except for more frequent BM's lately.

I'm very impatient about going gluten-free...but for a celiac diagnosis he needs to be eating gluten normally? I'm sorry I have strung together so many ideas, here, I feel like I've jumped in over my head by finding this site. So.much.information! =)

Thanks in advance!!

~KC

I'm sorry your little guy is having such a hard time. Have you seen an allergist? I would look for a pediatric allergist who specializes in food allergies, if you haven't already seen one. With the constant congestion, even if it is celiac disease, there is probably an allergic component going on. Many times celiac and allergies do go hand in hand, and a pediatric allergist could also do some celiac bloodwork. If you are seeing a doctor even about serious eczema that denies the possibility of a dietary component, I think you are seeing the wrong doctor. Once I read that 20% of all eczema is related to a dairy allergy. Have you tried eliminating dairy?

Many of us feel "over our heads" with this stuff - there is just so much to learn. If you start modifying your child's diet before seeing a doctor, I would get a notebook and write down everything he eats and any symptoms each day. Good luck!