How To Know If You Have Dh?

[raisin]

All of the information is so complicated and scientifically worded, I can't figure out how to tell if I have DH or not.

First, I react to gluten that is not consumed, more than just topically, and there are conflicting claims to whether or not that is even possible. One possibility offered was "DH people react to topical gluten exposure." Here are the topical reactions I have:

• The skin on the back of my hands is strange looking, rough, and may flake off - sometimes they break/cut when washed and the rough areas often hurt.
  
• I often get very small (often red) bumps (mainly near collar bone) that are solid and may itch, don't go away unless I scratch them off.
  
• Skin breaks out (acne or rash??) when I have been glutened, or touch gluten.
  
• Sometimes get "cuts" that won't heal until a few days after glutening passes.
  
• I have been diagnosed eczema, for generalized irritated skin, sometimes displaying clusters of small red dot (not bumps) or scratched-like irritated patches (rashes?) but eczema lotions don't help, and it's triggered by gluten. My arms/legs, ribs, hands, and chest/neck are most effected by this.
  

[Mother of Jibril]

I also have an itchy rash that seems related to food (allergies/intolerances), but the biopsy said it was not DH... a biopsy is the only way to know for sure.

Another clue is the location of the rash. I get it on mostly on my hands and places where clothing rubs against my skin (upper arms, waistband). DH tends to cluster on the knees and elbows.

[lovegrov]

I guess it could be DH but sounds more like a contact allergy. If your dermatologist an';t tell by looking (mine could) biopsy is the way to go.

BTW, your condition sounds nothing like my DH. Mine was itchy nasty clear blisters mainly on elbows, knees, buttocks, scalp. No flaking, cutting or small red bumps.

richard

[sugarsue]

Have you had blood tests yet for gluten intolerance or celiac? It reminds me of a few things, I have a friend who can't touch gluten or breaks out in a bad rash where the gluten touches her.

My dd (7) gets exczma, itchy skin and itchy bumps (not yet diagnosed as DH) when she eats gluten over a period of time.

GOOD LUCK

[raisin]

Oh trust me, I am a celiac. But I have never been to a dermatologist, and can't afford it right now.

That's exactly what happens to me. My skin reacts whether I eat it or touch it.

When I was younger I had some problems with my elbows and knees, but I don't remember much. It isn't related to my clothing lines, though.

Can anyone give me a non-scientifically worded description of DH?

[ravenwoodglass]

This link is from the NIH's Celiac Awareness Campaign it may be helpful.

Open Original Shared Link

[raisin]

That is much easier to understand than the other pages I've read.

But I am still unsure if I could have DH or not.. I do get small bumps that itch and I can't seem to stop scratching at, they occur in (very small) clusters, and often on both sides of my body at once, but it's mainly my shoulder/upper back/chest/neck area. I have gotten them on my hands (especially index fingers and thumbs) too. I can get similar bumps on my face is someone who touched gluten touches it.

[Nantzie]

All of the information is so complicated and scientifically worded, I can't figure out how to tell if I have DH or not.

First, I react to gluten that is not consumed, more than just topically, and there are conflicting claims to whether or not that is even possible. One possibility offered was "DH people react to topical gluten exposure." Here are the topical reactions I have:

• 
  
• The skin on the back of my hands is strange looking, rough, and may flake off - sometimes they break/cut when washed and the rough areas often hurt.
  
• I often get very small (often red) bumps (mainly near collar bone) that are solid and may itch, don't go away unless I scratch them off.
  
• Skin breaks out (acne or rash??) when I have been glutened, or touch gluten.
  
  
• Sometimes get "cuts" that won't heal until a few days after glutening passes.
  
• I have been diagnosed eczema, for generalized irritated skin, sometimes displaying clusters of small red dot (not bumps) or scratched-like irritated patches (rashes?) but eczema lotions don't help, and it's triggered by gluten. My arms/legs, ribs, hands, and chest/neck are most effected by this.
  

Almost the same thing happens to my hands. Just the backs of my hands including my lower knuckles but not my fingers or thumb. The skin gets all dry and kind of lizardy or something.. And the skin on my knuckles splits (the little cuts). It's reddish and hurts like hell, but I don't remember it being itchy. Mine doesn't flake off.

The first time I ever got this was after I went gluten-free and I had some wheat based vodka. My skin split for the first several days, then started getting better, but it took three weeks for my hands to look normal. It took a few more run-in's with wheat based vodka (because most people can tolerate it fine) before I really was convinced it was the vodka and not some other type of reaction not related to gluten. It always happened within 15 minutes of drinking the vodka and you could sit there and watch it happen. Now when we go out I get either potato vodka or Ciroc vodka (made from grapes). The funny thing is that I don't get glutened otherwise. But myhands feel like they're on fire for a week so it's not worth it at all.

Ever since the first time I got this reaction, it has become on of the symptoms I get when I get glutened normally too. I hadn't thought of whether it was a topical reaction though. Maybe? I always thought that it had to be an ingested reaction, but next time it happens I'll have to see if it's something that might have been more likely to have just gotten ON my skin rather than ingested.

Hmmm... Interesting..

Hey, at least now we know there's more than one of us..

Nancy

[Nantzie]

I found this article about eczema, which I've thought might sound like my hand reaction. Open Original Shared Link They mention allergens (including wheat) being a trigger.

It's possible that they just haven't put 2 and 2 together yet to specifically connect some types of eczema with celiac like they have with DH.

[raisin]

That is very interesting.

Mine also does not extend to my fingers or thumbs, but effects all of my knuckles and not the lower part of the back of my hand. It may only flake because of how often I wash my hands, I couldn't say for sure. It started for me while I was on vacation, and yes, came in contact with wheat. My hands also get that "on fire" sensation sometimes, but I had not payed attention or connected it to gluten before, that is probably the case!

Thanks for the article Nancy.

[wjones3044]

This is my first post. I have two gene markers for Celiac disease and have been gluten free since late '07, for intuitive reasons in lieu of proof. Recently I find myself hypersensitive to soy, confirmed by eliminating the stuff from my diet and then ingesting vegetable oil (on accident).

So, to get to the point, I have at least three distinct types of rashes and a recurring itchiness. Sometimes after eating I feel like there are pins and needles under the skin--even when I can't trace the source of any contamination. Part of my problem (our problem?) is the conflicting information out there. I read the post about wheat vodka...distilled spirits "should be safe," right? For that matter, soy oil should be safe, too, but my own experiment confirms this is not the case.

I take a lot of nutritional supplements. Try getting a soy-free vitamin E. Not easy. Most fish oil, multivitamins, etc. exist in a nebulous realm of ambiguity. I'm going nuts.

Thank God for wine.

So, to get to the questions:

1) Booze, ok or no?

2) Supplements--if they don't explicitly say "soy free" "gluten free" am I in trouble?

I feel better than I've felt in my life, I should say. I feel like there's one nagging problem that I can't solve. Where is the hidden contaminant???

William

[raisin]

Here's the cold hard truth.. "should be safe" means "people with very mild allergies can usually consume them without noticeable issues." If it has the word wheat, without "-free" behind it, or "buck" in front, and your a celiac.. You're probably going to get sick. Same goes with soy This includes wheat grass, considered safe for celiacs only by non-celiacs and people with minimal sensitivity.

supplements were poisoning the hell out of me for a long time! Ones labeled gluten-free actually did me in. I know how distressing that can be. A safe and well-praised brand is Kirkman : Open Original Shared Link - They make both fishoils and vitamins .. and much more, low prices too.

I couldn't answer you on the booze; I would think it can't be very healthy to drink (excluding minimal wine) while healing, though?

If you're using any soaps, moisturizers, shampoos, deodorants, or anything topical, you may need to call the company and find out if it's gluten free, and if there is chance of contamination on their product line if your sensitive.

[TES]

All of the information is so complicated and scientifically worded, I can't figure out how to tell if I have DH or not.

First, I react to gluten that is not consumed, more than just topically, and there are conflicting claims to whether or not that is even possible. One possibility offered was "DH people react to topical gluten exposure." Here are the topical reactions I have:

• The skin on the back of my hands is strange looking, rough, and may flake off - sometimes they break/cut when washed and the rough areas often hurt.
  
• I often get very small (often red) bumps (mainly near collar bone) that are solid and may itch, don't go away unless I scratch them off.
  
• Skin breaks out (acne or rash??) when I have been glutened, or touch gluten.
  
• Sometimes get "cuts" that won't heal until a few days after glutening passes.
  
• I have been diagnosed eczema, for generalized irritated skin, sometimes displaying clusters of small red dot (not bumps) or scratched-like irritated patches (rashes?) but eczema lotions don't help, and it's triggered by gluten. My arms/legs, ribs, hands, and chest/neck are most effected by this.
  

I have the rough areas on thumb and two fingers on right hand. They also crack or split. I don't have any itchy areas and I didn't have any trouble with skin until after going gluten free. I also thought it could be topical, but after doing some extreme things, I have found that it is just after ingesting (hidden) gluten. And it heals after gluten is out of my system. Cracks, ("cuts") never scab over, they just disappear or close up. No lotion helps them.

[raisin]

My diet is so clean of hidden glutens they could use me as the poster child for "fanatical gluten-free living" Sadly.. that wasn't the cause of my skin problems. Well.. at least not most of them.

After Nantzie's posts I started looking into, and thinking about my symptoms over time. I did find a topical allergen causing my eczema, along with other symptoms. It was the only thing all my soaps had in common, as I have no other topical products, and the reaction was worst on my hands, caused my hands to burn/sting every time I washed them. (coconut oil)

However, the small itchy red bumps I get in my general upper chest/shoulder/neck area, they seem completely unrelated to the alergy. I think they are caused by gluten, but I still don't know if it's DH.