Could Rash/swellings Be Dh?

[Indigo - Brighton -UK]

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.

[ravenwoodglass]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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

[Mother of Jibril]

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.

[nasalady]

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