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

Varying Degrees Of D.h.?

mosaicmom

By mosaicmom
in Dermatitis Herpetiformis

Recommended Posts

mosaicmom Rookie
mosaicmom
Posted

My daughter has had DH once- perhaps twice (maybe as a baby in conjunction with a stomach flu- on her diaper area), most recent, 4 years ago, providing what she has now isn't DH.

Like I said, it has shown up more in a classic sense without a doubt- 4 yrs ago but I'm having a hard time differentiating what is on her skin now.

I thought of taking a picture and trying to load it to show the forum to get feedback- but only one computer loads chips so I haven't gotten on that.

She's had atopic dermatitits all her life, and an allergic skin reaction to peanut products when she was younger- this is different than that. That would look more like a ringworm patch, with a scaliness to it after a week, kind of thick.

This is a bunch of tiny red bumps in an area on her forearm, but not enough to be considered a blister, and definitely not acne or ingrown hair. We tried to show it to the dr. but no response. One or two within the patch are red from scratching and they don't go away easily. (background, she has to stay glutened til the end of the month).

Tiny red bumps, some a tiny bit bigger, some red and opened from itching. Not flea bites either. She has them around her knees too.

Different than the rash 4 yrs ago, different from when and if it was when she was a baby. And only in small patches around her body- another place is on the back of her neck.

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

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


ravenwoodglass Mentor
ravenwoodglass
Posted

It does sound like DH. And yes DH can change in presentation. When I was your DD's age I looked like I was covered in poison ivy 12 months out of the year. The only times I didn't have oozing sores was for a month or so during and after a heavy dose of prednisone. By my teen years it was only showing up on the inside of my joints at the elbows and knees and the bottom of my feet and on my face it looked like severe acne. In adulthood it was mostly on my scalp, neck, face and my shoulders (I had long hair and used gluteny shampoos and hairdyes) with only occasional outbreaks on my arms and legs. My derm kept telling me I had 'pickers acne' even though he had no answer when I asked him if acne itched and burned. His answer for the blisters were that I had an infection from picking but he again had no answer for why the clear fluid in them burned the adjacent skin. He also never remarked on the scarring. DH leaves distinctive purple scars that take a very long time to fade.

Can you get her in to see a dermatologist? Some of them are now a bit more 'up' on DH than they were back then. He can biopsy the areas beside the lesions to look for the antibodies. Stay with her while he biopsies and if he biopsies the lesions themselves you will know that he doesn't know what he is doing with DH and to ignore it if he says that he has firmly decided that it isn't.

A diagnosis of DH is a diagnosis of celiac and many of us are blanketed under the atopic dermatitis diagnosis for years when derms are not familiar with it.

mosaicmom Rookie
mosaicmom
Posted
  • Author

Thank you for your reply. It's a web I'm trying to untangle from... all the misinformation for almost 17 yrs. I'm so frustrated.

I can't say that hers turn purple. What's funny is, I get like... one bump occasionally that ends up turning purple... but I'm not the one being tested and it surely isn't enough to go in there.

I'm going to cling to the one time it was DH, though the ped back then said it was contact metal reaction. NO! It spread everywhere like chicken pox looked, but wasn't.

Again, thank you.

mosaicmom Rookie
mosaicmom
Posted
  • Author

Ravenwood...

If the bumps are as I described, which aren't blistered, can a biopsy even be done? Do they just scrape?

ravenwoodglass Mentor
ravenwoodglass
Posted
Ravenwood...

If the bumps are as I described, which aren't blistered, can a biopsy even be done? Do they just scrape?

Yes the area beside these could still be biopsied. They would use a very small 'punch' to take a bit of tissue. They do numb the skin first and it is not something that is really scarey or painful. In addition DH is not the only skin effects that we can get. My DD gets excema and my DS used to have small raised bumps all over his chest. Kind of like chicken skin. They never got red or itched and I can not for the life of me remember what the doctor called them. He had them most of his life. After a couple of months gluten-free they were gone.

Archived

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

Go to topic listing
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):


  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      131,539
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748
    Josiemc
    Newest Member
    Josiemc
    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

    • knitty kitty
      Unusual bright yellow but odourless discharge

      By knitty kitty · Posted

      Yes, I, too, have osteoporosis from years of malabsorption, too.  Thiamine and magnesium are what keep the calcium in place in the bones.  If one is low in magnesium, boron, selenium, zinc, copper, and other trace minerals, ones bone heath can suffer.  We need more than just calcium and Vitamin D for strong bones.  Riboflavin B 2, Folate B 9 and Pyridoxine B 6 also contribute to bone formation and strength.   Have you had your thyroid checked?  The thyroid is important to bone health as well.  The thyroid uses lots of thiamine, so a poorly functioning thyroid will affect bone heath.  
    • Celiac50
      Unusual bright yellow but odourless discharge

      By Celiac50 · Posted

      That sounds so very likely in my case! I will absolutely ask my doctor on my next bone check coming up in March... Thanks a lot! 
    • trents
      Unusual bright yellow but odourless discharge

      By trents · Posted

      Calcium levels as measured in the blood can be quite deceiving as the body will rob calcium from the bones to meet demands for it by other bodily functions. Also, supplementing with calcium can be counterproductive as it tends to raise gut pH and decrease absorption. More often than not, the problem is poor absorption to begin with rather than deficiency of intake amounts in the diet. Calcium needs an acidic environment to be absorbed. This is why so many people on PPIs develop osteoporosis. The PPIs raise gut pH. And some people have high gut PH for other reasons. Low pH equates to a more acidic environment whereas high pH equates to a more basic (less acidic) environment.
    • Celiac50
      Unusual bright yellow but odourless discharge

      By Celiac50 · Posted

      Kind thanks for all this valuable information! Since my Folate was/is low and also my Calcium, there IS a chance I am low in B vitamins... My doctor only measured the first two, oh and Zinc as I has twisted her arm and guess what, that was mega low too. So who knows, until I get myself tested properly, what else I am deficient in... I did a hair mineral test recently and it said to avoid All sources of Calcium. But this is confusing for me as my Ca is so low and I have osteoporosis because of this. It is my Adjusted Ca that is on the higher side and shouldn't be. So am not sure why the mineral test showed high Ca (well, it was medium in the test but relative to my lowish Magnesium, also via hair sample, it was high I was told). But anyway, thanks again for the VitB download, I will look into this most certainly!
    • ElisaAllergiesgluten
      Allergy medication: cetirizine by the HealthA2Z is it gluten free?

      By ElisaAllergiesgluten · Posted

      Hello good afternoon, I was wondering if anyone has ever brought their anti-allergy pills? I have been wanting to use their Cetirizine HCI 10mg. They are called HealthA2Z and distributed by Allegiant Health.I’m also Asthmatic and these allergies are terrible for me but I also want to be sure they don’t have any sort of gluten compound.    I have tried calling them but to no avail. Has anyone ever used them? If so, did you had any problems or no problems at all?    thank you
×
×
  • 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.