How Long B4 I See Results-and Can Flare Up Occur? Dh?

[ve9aa]

Hi All,

Been reading your DH forum over the past couple days. Won't bore you with too much history, but have had weird skin outbreaks pretty much all my life from time to time. (not consistently, sometime years pass between them) Usually my hands swell up with tiny bumps, either clear or redish and are filled with lots of fluid. Sometimes whole areas swell up. Sometimes just a cluster of pimples. Then a cycle of squeezing the liquid out, hopefully drying out, then cracking, bleeding, etc. That can go on for weeks or months. I can always tell when they are coming, even before I actually see or feel a bump. There's a sensation there. HArd to describe. Often it comes at night and by morning they are filled up.

Around 2 years ago I started breaking out with huge blotches, mostly on my back. They are itchy as can be. Well, they have never completely gone away. Consistent red blotches everywhere. The ones on my back always stay , whereas other smaller ones come and go on my neck/shoulders, arms/legs.

In any case there is probably more info I could bore you with but won't at this time, although it sure seems like you great folk are a patient bunch.

I have tried in the past to eliminiate certain foods and see if there was any change. None.

Doctors have just said: "Oh you have eczema Mike, you know that", or another, "oh you have psoraisis, take this cream and it'll go away". It never does. The lotions and potions I have tried do nothing. The only thing that works at all is prednisone pills, but of course the day after I come off the pills the blotches/welts come back, my hands swell up and are usually oozey and/or very itchy.

I repair stuff for work, so I need my hands or I could lose my job. Distressing!

So, not believing my various Doctors, I thought as a "last resort" I thought I would do more web searching which brought me here. Could it be wheat and/or gluten I am allergic or sensitive to? I am highly allergic to apples/peaches/nectarines and over the years have had good years and extremely terrible years with "hay fever" type of outbreaks. The past few years I USUALLY (not always) get a bad headache when I have had more than 1 or 2 beer and on ocassion that is followed by diarreahea the next day.

So, long story short, I've been off gluten only a few days now. I thought I saw a very small improvement to my hands and back already, but then a few other tiny blisters appeared this morning.

I am praying someone will say "this is normal" (what is normal anyways anymore?>LOL) and that it will take much longer to really say if I have DH or not. Will flare ups still occur even though I am gluten-free?

...and I know this last question is highly subjective and premature but if it turns out I am gluten sensitive or have DH, will there be times, (once it clears up) that I will be able to enjoy 1 sandwich or 1 slice of pizza? I can't believe in my limited searches, just how much stuff has gluten in it ! (I guess I don't have to tell you good people, huh?)

Thanks very much,

Itchy in NB,

Mike

[nasalady]

Hi Mike,

Welcome to the board!

Sorry that you're going through this....it's tough to deal with health problems which can actually affect your job. My husband is currently having a similar skin problem....we don't know what it is, exactly. He may have a combination of DH and psoriasis, or who knows? All we know is that he was gluten free, and the skin thing flared up when he had some beer (which contains gluten because of barley malt).

So he's now gluten free again, but it's certainly not going away as fast as it appeared, that's for sure!!

I've read numerous posts by DH sufferers which seem to indicate that (1) DH can take a long time to go away after you go gluten free, and (2) it can actually get worse at first before it gets better.

Also, you should know that it's pretty difficult at first to be sure that you are REALLY gluten free. Have you discarded all pots, pans, plastic containers, wooden spoons and cutting boards, etc. which either have a porous surface or have cracks/crevices where gluten can be hiding? Have you bought a new toaster? Scrubbed your kitchen and dining area down?

If you don't live alone, do you have your own area where you prepare gluten free food which no one is allowed to contaminate with gluten? Do you have your own condiments in the fridge? Your own peanut butter? Your own jelly? If not the crumbs on someone else's knife will gluten you at some point. Have you checked all of your medications, shampoos, lotions, creams, etc. for gluten? Pills usually contain starch, so they may contain gluten. The starch may be corn starch or something harmless, but you have to check.

I'm not trying to scare you, but I was CONSTANTLY being glutened until I put our whole family on the gluten free diet. Some people report being able to live in the same house with gluten as long as they're careful, but that wasn't my experience.

In any case, hopefully one of the other people who hang out here who've had more experience with DH will give you some answers soon.....

Good luck!!

JoAnn

[skyyblues]

I am in the same boat as you somewhat...I think I might have DH. I started the Gluten Free about 2 weeks ago. My stomach feels better than it has in over 20yrs. At first my rashes started to fade, then I had one of the worst reactions I have ever had. The right side of my face and left eye swelled up and broke out during the course of several hours. I had to go to the ER where they did the usual, a bunch of prednisone and benadryl. I was out of town and exposed to so much that there is no way to tell what caused it.

My hands seemed to be clearing prior to that with no new blisters or anything. I was so excited... Now I have weaned off the prednisone, as quickly as I could, and I have a full blown case of dishydrotic exzema again. I just keep seeing more and more blisters forming. I still think the diet is working and from what I have read it will probably get worse before it gets better.

I have not not de-glutened my kitchen yet but I plan on it. My husband thinks I am nuts but he does't have my issues. If I knew pig poop would help me I would roll in it, eat it whatever it took just to feel "normal". Not that I even remember what that is and I am not sure it is all that anyway! I don't mean to bore you but it was nice to see your reference to little blisters as I knew exactly what you are talking about. At least in here people understand and you don't have to feel so.........can't think of a good word to use...

Take care and thanks for reading... Sorry for rambling... May your blisters be few and far between...

Becky Racine, WI