I Need Itch Info. Fast!

[dakota girl]

OK, guys, I've been reading you all for 2 yrs., since I was diagnosed August of '06. All your talk has been invaluable, but now I really need to ask an indelicate question. What is with this awful anal itch? Is it just me? Has anyone had it? I am as gluten free as I knowingly can be...I read every label, don't cheat, etc... Please advise!

[curlyfries]

OK, guys, I've been reading you all for 2 yrs., since I was diagnosed August of '06. All your talk has been invaluable, but now I really need to ask an indelicate question. What is with this awful anal itch? Is it just me? Has anyone had it? I am as gluten free as I knowingly can be...I read every label, don't cheat, etc... Please advise!

I don't have that problem, but if you put in *anal itching* in the search box you will find a lot of opinions on that subject.

[YoloGx]

Hi,

I didn't see much that was very extensive or that helpful on this subject on the boards so I think its of value to discuss it here now.

I have this problem too along with vulvar swelling and itching and flaking. Recently I developed a crack a couple of inches up away from my anus--so its not hemerroids. Not only is it uncomfortable and embarrassing but its hard on the sex life if you get my drift...

I discovered for me it has a lot to do with candida overgrowth. I was given a trial antifungal at Planned Parenthood when I had this checked out last fall and it really worked. I have put off getting more since the anti fungal can be hard on the liver etc. and this winter/spring I had to take two courses of antibiotics to save my kidneys after getting CC'd repeatedly and got some kind of bacterial infection in my lungs.

So up til now I just haven't felt strong enough to take the anti fungal. Plus I understand that even with the AMA anti fungal it comes back if one doesn't follow an anti candida diet. Certainly one week of the AMA treatment was not long enough for me.

So for now recently I have been taking homeopathic remedies for this itching and rash etc. (gluten-free suppositories and gel) which does really seem to help as well as the usual herbal remedies and probiotics as long again as they are gluten-free! By the way, I have found that for the probiotics to be more effective they need to be enterically coated. Ditto with the garlic.

Nevertheless, although better, I still have to avoid fruit for now and may also have to cut out all gluten-free grain flours etc. I already discovered that for now dried beans are out.

I am thinking I may also be low on essential fatty acids since the ones I had ran out. I plan to start grinding fresh flax seed again in my little electric coffee grinder to see if that will help. I am also thinking of starting to take selenium and zinc again since I tend to be low on minerals and both help with all kinds of things like connective tissues and skin.

When its really bad sometimes I put on Indian Healing clay (bentonite)--which seems contradictory to what one might figure should work but I find it really does take the itch away without harm to my skin. Kind of messy but its white and just washes out. It pulls all the swelling and itching out.

Fresh aloe vera has also helped to some extent as well as licorice root powder. I have found even better try barberry root powder to kill the candida.

Avoid anything with alcohol in it (this almost goes without saying) even if its gluten-free alcohol.

I am considering buying some grapefruit seed extract and making a wash from it to clear the area of excess candida/fungus. I am allergic to it internally but think it will be OK externally... For those that aren't allergic to it, its a great anti-fungal. Just make sure you only use a few drops in lots of water since its extremely intense otherwise and will burn you.

I don't think I am allergic to the nightshade family, however some here on the boards are and have found this causes the itching. If nothing else works I will try going off of it too.

Hope this begins a good discussion! And lets do compare notes if we have any successes.

Bea

[feelingbetter]

I had the anal itching a few months back. I have been gluten-free/cf for 5 months. I have been on the specific carb diet for about 3 months. I went from being very very sick to feeling the best I have in my whole life. We have a specialist here where I live and this md has celiac herself. She claimed that the patients in her practise who followed the SCD were the ones with the best recovery.

Best Always

Brenda

[Fiddle-Faddle]

Panty-liners can cause all kinds of itching in delicate places! The back edge of the liner--which is plastic--can end up irritating the anal area.

Try loose cotton underwear, NO panty liners (change underwear half-way through the day if you have to), NO panty-hose, etc.

Also, make sure you are scrupulously clean after pooping--especially after a slightly mushy "celiac" poop--these can be very hard to clean. Use baby wipes instead of toilet paper, and wipe until it's really clean!

[jerseyangel]

Another cause can be acidic foods--coffee, orange juice, chocolate, tomatoes, spices, etc. I found that after I went gluten-free, I would get the itching as things began to affect me in that way that they never had before. I have to be very careful with citrus--maybe a splash in some tea once in a while and that's it. Same with tomato products.

Try wiping with toilet paper moistened with plain water--and take a bath if possible instead of a shower, or at night. You want to keep the area as clean and dry as possible.

Hope you can get some relief soon

[Juliebove]

You could try the OTC yeast infection creams. You can also buy special mild soap for yeast infections. I got some online and also some drops to put in my bath. What really helped me was stopping the use of tampons. I don't know why but those seemed to cause yeast infections with me. After I stopped using them, I have had only one and it was related to antibiotics.

I agree on the liners. I don't use those.

[JNBunnie1]

Keep in mind, not everything is food or Celiac related. You're talking about sudden anal itching. You might've just had a bit o' tear that's healing, or you might wanna spend some time googling pinworms.

[lynn729]

hi,

oh yes!

I had the anal itch until recently! I was given Taclonex and it quieted down the itching about 90%. I was also given cortisone shots in all the active areas that did not react to the taclonex. Yes even in my crack. It seems my diet is helping keep the itching at bay.

i hope you find relief. i've been there!

lynn

[YoloGx]

Just wanted to report eating a more Paleo diet by going off all grains and more vegetables plus fresh gound flax seed so far seems to be helping reduce my "itchy b%$@#ies" a great deal.

For now I am avoiding fruit and yogurt as well. This should help cure the candida/fungus amongus and seems to be making a big difference even in the crack as well as the exterior of my nethers.

The gel homeopathic also seems to be helping as well as the pao de arco and oregano oil and enterically coated probiotics plus enterically coated garlic. However I was already using these items with less success before this recent change in diet.

I may need to go off of vinegar as well since I noticed increased redness after using some in my salad.

Am not sure yet about the tomatoes and green pepper and potatoes. Though sugar wise I suppose I shouldn't buy any more potatoes for a while.

I am tempted to eat the wild elderberries since they seem like they have very little if any sugar. But am going to wait a few days and then challenge it.

Haven't had to use any barberry today since the itch has greatly reduced. It mostly doesn't itch at all except this morning and this evening for a little so I put on more of the homeopathic gel and it once again stopped.

The crack meanwhile is obviously healing as is the skin around the vulva--less red and greatly reduced flaking and peeling. This is just day two on this diet for me so I have high hopes--especially when I start taking the barberry root powder again. However I like to go off barberry every once in a while since its so strong. I may get some neem tomorrow to replace it in the meantime.

There is no place else I could ever go into such graphic detail as here; hope I haven't offended anyone. But really this has been a bane to me for 4 years now ever since I was on some very heavy antibiotics to get rid of a bacterial infection which may have been caused by a tick bite. It worked with my heavy duty herbs praise to the gods, however the itch came in afterwards with a vengeance and has just kept on staying around driving me crazy. At one point I thought it was herpes but thankfully it isn't. Then it got even worse after another 2 courses of antibiotics this spring to get rid of both a lung infection and kidney infection after getting CC'd several times after I had gone off all trace glutens.

I am so glad a new friend of mine reminded me about the Paleo diet! As well as someone here saying that 20% of those who have celiac are grain sensitive in general and thus really shouldn't be eating grains at all. I think I can handle eating washed and cooked whole quinoa but even that for now I am going to avoid to see how this goes.

Bea

[dakota girl]

Just wanted to report eating a more Paleo diet by going off all grains and more vegetables plus fresh gound flax seed so far seems to be helping reduce my "itchy b%$@#ies" a great deal.

For now I am avoiding fruit and yogurt as well. This should help cure the candida/fungus amongus and seems to be making a big difference even in the crack as well as the exterior of my nethers.

The gel homeopathic also seems to be helping as well as the pao de arco and oregano oil and enterically coated probiotics plus enterically coated garlic. However I was already using these items with less success before this recent change in diet.

I may need to go off of vinegar as well since I noticed increased redness after using some in my salad.

Am not sure yet about the tomatoes and green pepper and potatoes. Though sugar wise I suppose I shouldn't buy any more potatoes for a while.

I am tempted to eat the wild elderberries since they seem like they have very little if any sugar. But am going to wait a few days and then challenge it.

Haven't had to use any barberry today since the itch has greatly reduced. It mostly doesn't itch at all except this morning and this evening for a little so I put on more of the homeopathic gel and it once again stopped.

The crack meanwhile is obviously healing as is the skin around the vulva--less red and greatly reduced flaking and peeling. This is just day two on this diet for me so I have high hopes--especially when I start taking the barberry root powder again. However I like to go off barberry every once in a while since its so strong. I may get some neem tomorrow to replace it in the meantime.

There is no place else I could ever go into such graphic detail as here; hope I haven't offended anyone. But really this has been a bane to me for 4 years now ever since I was on some very heavy antibiotics to get rid of a bacterial infection which may have been caused by a tick bite. It worked with my heavy duty herbs praise to the gods, however the itch came in afterwards with a vengeance and has just kept on staying around driving me crazy. At one point I thought it was herpes but thankfully it isn't. Then it got even worse after another 2 courses of antibiotics this spring to get rid of both a lung infection and kidney infection after getting CC'd several times after I had gone off all trace glutens.

I am so glad a new friend of mine reminded me about the Paleo diet! As well as someone here saying that 20% of those who have celiac are grain sensitive in general and thus really shouldn't be eating grains at all. I think I can handle eating washed and cooked whole quinoa but even that for now I am going to avoid to see how this goes.

Bea

[dakota girl]

Thx 4 the replies! I'll look into several of your suggestions! It helps loads just to know that you may not be as crazed as you are afraid you might be! I'm thinking the chocolate I thought was safe may be a culprit...or one of possible things to use to pinpoint origin of the 'itchy b%$@#ies'...love the phase, so true! I am eating a flax sunflower seed kinnikinik (too tired to check spelling) bread, and a soy flour muffin mix...maybe should lay off them for a determiner. Thank you to all who replied! This forum is invaluable! Happy Monday!