Jump to content
This site uses cookies. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. More Info... ×
  • 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):
    GliadinX



    Celiac.com Sponsor (A1-M):
    GliadinX


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

Could Rash/swellings Be Dh?


Indigo - Brighton -UK

Recommended Posts

Indigo - Brighton -UK Newbie

Hi I am new to the site. I have been gluten free since last spring but accidently had gluten in November.

I need to ask if people think my facial rash/swellings sounds like DH. I get a swollen red rash on my face (normally cheeks and nose) the point at which it starts sometimes blisters. As it goes down the skin peels off - it normally lasts 5 days. It doesnt go down quicker with antihistamine or steroids. It feels very sore to the touch there is a stronger pain around the edges and it can itch as it goes down but not badly.

When I have the swellings my eosinophil count in my blood is raised and I can feel unwell with it. There is an improvement as well as in my stomach problems (diagnosed IBS, negative one site biopsy for coeliac but with gluten in diet only 2 weeks before and there was a high eosinophil count in villi, there was one polyp) with the gluten free diet and when I accidently seived my childrens pasta and then mine in the same colander that night it came up worse than it had for months and my stomach flared up to.

Does this sound like DH? Its undiagnosed despite pursuing loads with unhelpful dermatologists and I coincided with the start of my stomach problems after my youngest son was born.

I also have asthma and rhinitus (no improvement in those yet) but I live in hope.


Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
GliadinX
Little Northern Bakehouse



Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):
Food for Life


ravenwoodglass Mentor

It could be gluten related but it is really hard to say. Normally DH doesn't appear on the face but that doesn't mean it can't show up there. One thing I would do is go back to your derm and ask them to biopsy looking specifically for DH. They have to biopsy next to the lesion not the lesion itself. Here is a link to some info from the US National Institute of Health that has info on DH and on the biopsy procedure.

Open Original Shared Link

Indigo - Brighton -UK Newbie
  ravenwoodglass said:
It could be gluten related but it is really hard to say. Normally DH doesn't appear on the face but that doesn't mean it can't show up there. One thing I would do is go back to your derm and ask them to biopsy looking specifically for DH. They have to biopsy next to the lesion not the lesion itself. Here is a link to some info from the US National Institute of Health that has info on DH and on the biopsy procedure.

Open Original Shared Link

Thanks I am not looking forward to going back because they discount me quite a bit butit looks like it is the best idea.

Mother of Jibril Enthusiast

Have you ever looked at the symptoms of lupus?

One of them is a "butterfly-shaped" rash over the cheeks and nose. People with lupus tend to be very sensitive to the sun... so sensitive that you could get a sunburn just from sitting by a sunny window. It's also associated with arthritis, fatigue, and a low-grade fever (although the symptoms can really vary from person to person) and the same gene (HLA-DQ7) that can cause gluten and cow's milk intolerance, allergic rhinitis, and grass/pollen allergies.

Here's one website for more information:

Open Original Shared Link

Unfortunately, lupus can be difficult to diagnose. ANA (anti-nuclear antibodies) is one test that's commonly used, but it's not specific for lupus... people with other autoimmune disorders can have positive results. Even apparently "healthy" people can sometimes have positive results. But... it's not good to have your immune system making antibodies against your own organs.

Pregnancy is a common trigger for autoimmune disorders... it was for me <_<

Indigo - Brighton -UK Newbie

Yes I spent some time considering Lupus. I have had the ANA test and it was negative. I am not sensitive to the sun. I have had the rash about 9 years and there has been no sign of organ damage.

The rash does seem to be responding to a coeliac diet but when I just went very low gluten (everything except for traces) the rash continued.

I definitely have auto immune complications. I also get a high eosinophil count and have had pulminary eosinophilia which started also caused liver function problems and a high vit B12 level. That stopped when I stopped using an inhaler which had soya in it.

Indigo - Brighton -UK Newbie

Is it common practice to get genetic tests done in the US. It is not ever offered in the UK?

Mother of Jibril Enthusiast

Some doctors in the US will order genetic testing (so your insurance will pay for it), but it's not very common. I had to order and pay for the test myself. I don't have an official diagnosis of celiac disease, but I do have the DQ8 gene, a couple of other autoimmune disorders, and the diet has REALLY helped. That's enough to keep me gluten-free!

I also found it interesting when DQ7 turned up. Problems like grass and pollen allergies, sinusitis, depression, thyroid disorders, and lupus are very common in my dad's family.


Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Lakefront Brewery
Food for Life



Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):
GliadinX


nasalady Contributor

Another possibility to consider, if it's not DH, would be psoriasis. There are 5 different types of psoriasis (and at least one of them causes blisters); it can appear on the face. Psoriasis is an autoimmune disease.

Good luck! I hope you get some answers soon!

JoAnn

Archived

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


  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):
    Little Northern Bakehouse



  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      130,585
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748

    Billie Turrieta
    Newest Member
    Billie Turrieta
    Joined

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):
    Lakefront Brewery


  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.3k
    • Total Posts
      1m

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):
    GliadinX




  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):
    Little Northern Bakehouse



  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • Rejoicephd
      Thank you @knitty kitty I really appreciate that suggestion as a way to reset and heal my gut - i will look into it !! 
    • Ginger38
      I also had high eosinophils which I’ve never had before either - could that be due to gluten consumption? 
    • knitty kitty
      You're welcome! Be sure the patient eats at least ten grams of gluten per day for a minimum of two weeks prior to repeating antibody testing.   Some people unconsciously reduce the amount of gluten in their diet because the feel unwell.  Three grams of gluten per day is sufficient to produce symptoms.  Only at ten grams or more is the immune system provoked to raise the antibody production high enough so that the antibodies leave the digestive tract and enter the blood stream where they can be measured.   Read the comments below the article...  
    • Wamedh Taj-Aldeen
      Thanks for your response and thoughts. Total IgA is normal. HLA DQ2/DQ8 came as heterozygous and the interpretation of the lab that the risk of coeliac disease is mild to moderate. Thyroid function test is normal. I agree that the best way is to repeat tTG antibodies in 6 months time as the result was not massively high.  
    • knitty kitty
      Welcome to the forum, @Wamedh Taj-Aldeen, How is the patient's thyroid?   You could check for thiamine deficiency which can cause the thyroid to either become hyper or hypo.  TTg IgA can be high in both hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism.  tTg IgA can also be high if patient is taking medications to stimulate the thyroid as in hypothyroidism.   Thanks for visiting!  Keep us posted!
×
×
  • Create New...