Dh Sensitivity Increasing?

[J in Cincy]

On average my DH has been better with a gluten-free diet (additional benefit to 50 mg/day Dapsone) and I have been eating gluten-free for ~6 months. However, I have occasional, seemingly random, outbreaks and it doesn't seem to be getting much better when I thought it was supposed to clear up completely. And without Dapsone I get an immediate rash (<1 day) despite eating gluten-free. It is frustrating.... my wife and kids are not gluten-free so there is likely small amounts of CC but it has got to be very small amounts. It seems like I am either getting more sensitive or it will just take time .... the doctor seems to think that it should be immediate i.e. no gluten = no dh rash & blisters. I am curious to hear how long it has taken people to heal or eliminate symptoms with a gluten-free diet and if they are more sensitive now than before going gluten-free.

Thanks for your response!

[RiceGuy]

From what I've read, once you develop DH, it never completely goes away. However, the occurrence of breakouts is apparently expected to be fairly minimal for most people who adhere to a 100% gluten-free diet. Some may find it necessary to use medication I suppose.

Still, I'd suspect there may be some CC, based on your description. Have you checked shampoos, soaps, skin/hair care products, detergents, etc? Does anyone use wheat flour in your home? Are there often bread crumbs left on the table or counters? Are you sharing a toaster with the rest of the family? Do you use wooden spoons, cast iron pans, wooden cutting boards, or anything with porous surfaces, which other family members use? Are you sharing pots and pans with non-stick surfaces or scratches? When you wash dishes, do you wash your own separately, with a dedicated gluten-free dish sponge/cloth, and gluten-free soap?

I hope you get it figured out soon!

[ang1e0251]

My DH only flares now when exposed to gluten repeatedly. I made chocolate cake recently & ate it frequently over the weekend and bingo! DH! My Dutch chocolate was cc'd. Had to get rid of it and I'll have to buy new. If you have gluten still in the house you could be cc'ing yourself or ingredients like spices that you eat daily or repeatedly when they are used in cooking. Mine was old & I realized I used to put a spoon in the flour and then in the chocolate without washing. (Pre celiac disease)

I would keep a food journal for awhile and write down the correlating symptoms. It's very helpful to track down sneaky gluten. Sometimes you just have to be a detective.