Jump to content
  • 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):



    Celiac.com Sponsor (A1-M):


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

Skin Rash


angie-thomas52

Recommended Posts

angie-thomas52 Newbie

Okay, so I have been gluten free for almost 3 years now (yay!) and after I was diagnosed with Celiac, I also developed dermatitis herpetiformis, lactose intolerance and the onset of Crohn's. Long story short, in the last two weeks I have developed a rash on my arms and legs that seems to be spreading and clustering closer together, however it isn't spreading onto my abdomen, hands or feet. It itches like crazy, and I have tried just about everything to soothe it and nothing works. I use all gluten-free hair, skin, etc. products due to the dermatitis, I haven't switched laundry detergents or anything like that and it clearly isn't any form of poison ivy or anything like that because my boyfriend hasn't gotten it and we live together. Anyway, I'm wondering if it is a dairy allergy or something along those lines and am hoping that someone else has dealt with this and can help me out. Thanks!!


Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):



Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):



Mother of Jibril Enthusiast

What does the rash look like? Is it red? Is it flat or raised? How long do the individual spots take to go away? Have you tried hydrocortisone cream? Be careful with it, but that tends to work for hives. It might be autoimmune and not a true allergy (caused by food, detergent, etc...).

angie-thomas52 Newbie
What does the rash look like? Is it red? Is it flat or raised? How long do the individual spots take to go away? Have you tried hydrocortisone cream? Be careful with it, but that tends to work for hives. It might be autoimmune and not a true allergy (caused by food, detergent, etc...).

The rash isn't red, it is flesh colored (until I start digging at it, of course) and they really haven't gone away for two full weeks. I will say that if my mind is off of it itching like crazy, I don't notice all that much. They are raised spots, and I can see them even if I haven't been scratching. But, like I said before, it is spreading and clustering all over my arms and legs, but not onto my hands, feet or abdomen. I've tried googling several things that I have thought it may be, but can't find a definite solution tot he problem. I've done the hydrocortisone and it simply doesn't work. I still put it on, for peace of mind, but it doesn't work. I'm going to try and cut out dairy tomorrow to see if that relieves my symptoms.

Mother of Jibril Enthusiast

It doesn't sound like hives then... so it's probably not an allergic reaction! What about keratosis pilaris? That's a flesh-colored rash with tiny raised spots that clusters on the arms and legs.

Open Original Shared Link

One other quick thought... some kind of insect (scabies?). A dermatologist could take a scraping and probably figure it out pretty quickly :(

angie-thomas52 Newbie
It doesn't sound like hives then... so it's probably not an allergic reaction! What about keratosis pilaris? That's a flesh-colored rash with tiny raised spots that clusters on the arms and legs.

Open Original Shared Link

One other quick thought... some kind of insect (scabies?). A dermatologist could take a scraping and probably figure it out pretty quickly :(

I know quite a bit about keratosis pilaris (I used to be an esthetician) and I'm fairly confident that it isn't that particular condition. I, at first, thought it may have been some sort of bug because it began after I was golfing on Father's Day with my family---but I wasn't sure if an insect bite, etc. would last this long.

Today I got one giant bump on my leg that was exactly like a hive, but then it went away and I didn't get anymore. It has now spread onto my behind (terrific, right?) so I'm starting to get concerned.

I'm sure everyone is wondering why I just don't go see a doctor and that is because I don't have any health insurance. I'm up to my eyeballs in medical debt due to the colonoscopies, endoscopies, etc. that I had to have w/o any insurance. I am trying to avoid going to the doctor, but I may have to just go : (

Guest caz

What about pityriasis rosea??

cheers caz

rlbcabjm Newbie

I too am dealing with a crazy rash on my arms. Mine are tiny red raised bumps that are forming a huge raised patch on both of my forearms and are now extending up past my elbows. They are extremely itchy. I don't have blisters that I can see, but when I scratch them I can feel a watery liquid. Even though it has raised bumps my skin feels slick like everything is burned together. I have had them since last Wednesday and no medicine is working on it. I suspected my daughter as having celiac and she was diagnosed with DH in May. I went gluten free with her to make it easier on her. We both ended up getting glutened last week. She has a few bumps, I have a ton. Any ideas what this could be. Thanks, Claudia


Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):



Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):



Angels~Exist Newbie

I am very pale and I have tan/brown rashes from the top of my arm to halfway to my elbow. They are round/oval raised patches. They don't itch. My doctor suggested that they may be a type of celiac rash.

MissyJoy Rookie
I know quite a bit about keratosis pilaris (I used to be an esthetician) and I'm fairly confident that it isn't that particular condition. I, at first, thought it may have been some sort of bug because it began after I was golfing on Father's Day with my family---but I wasn't sure if an insect bite, etc. would last this long.

Today I got one giant bump on my leg that was exactly like a hive, but then it went away and I didn't get anymore. It has now spread onto my behind (terrific, right?) so I'm starting to get concerned.

I'm sure everyone is wondering why I just don't go see a doctor and that is because I don't have any health insurance. I'm up to my eyeballs in medical debt due to the colonoscopies, endoscopies, etc. that I had to have w/o any insurance. I am trying to avoid going to the doctor, but I may have to just go : (

What if it isn't an insect bite, but its chiggers that you picked up while you were golfing? If you had to hunt for any balls in the woods or tall grass, it may be that they got on you and burried in your skin. I've had chiggers from hiking in the woods, and they cause a terrible itch. Its just a thought to consider. If you think it may be chiggers, I only know of one way to kill them - use fingernail polish on every little bump until they suffocate and die - I know its gross.....

DreamWalker Rookie

Aside from the hydrocortisone cream what else have you tried? Since it's flesh colored, it definitely doesn't sound like DH. Yet, I thought I'd mention this anyhow. Post celiac disease diagnosis, my GI told me to take benadryl when I broke out in a reddish blistery-looking, very itchy rash on my face. (Although, I was glutened the night before.) Anyhow, after about two and half weeks & no response to benadryl, I emailed the company (still new at the gluten-free thing and a bit naive) who told me they were unsure if the product was safe due to shared facilities. I stopped taking benadryl, switched to prednisone, and by week three the rash was noticeably better.

Although, yours doesn't sound like DH or an allergic reaction, when I was little I kept developing white rashes (very itchy) all over my arms, legs, etc in the summer. My grandmother took me to an allergist & as it turned out I was allergic to grass. The rashes were rather resistant to the creams I was prescribed. (Ah. Sorry. Too young to remember what their formal names were.) Yet, eventually, they'd subside & only returned if I played in the grass in shorts/short sleeves. Then they seemed to disappear until I was 19 & one summer I couldn't get the white rashes on my arms to leave for three months. Prednisone was the only thing that calmed them down.

Archived

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


  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):



  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      131,549
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748

    Blough
    Newest Member
    Blough
    Joined

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):


  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.4k
    • Total Posts
      1m

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):





  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):



  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • Scott Adams
      Your post demonstrates the profound frustration and isolation that so many in the Celiac community feel, and I want to thank you for channeling that experience into advocacy. The medical gaslighting you endured for decades is an unacceptable and, sadly, a common story, and the fact that you now have to "school" your own GI specialist speaks volumes about the critical lack of consistent and updated education. Your idea to make Celiac Disease a reportable condition to public health authorities is a compelling and strategic one. This single action would force the system to formally acknowledge the prevalence and seriousness of the disease, creating a concrete dataset that could drive better research funding, shape medical school curricula, and validate the patient experience in a way that individual stories alone often cannot. It is an uphill battle, but contacting representatives, as you have done with Adam Gray, is exactly how change begins. By framing it as a public health necessity—a matter of patient safety and protection from misdiagnosis and neglect—you are building a powerful case. Your voice and your perseverance, forged through thirty years of struggle, are exactly what this community needs to ensure that no one else has to fight so hard just to be believed and properly cared for.
    • Scott Adams
      I had no idea there is a "Louisville" in Colorado!😉 I thought it was a typo because I always think of the Kentucky city--but good luck!
    • Scott Adams
      Navigating medication safety with Celiac disease can be incredibly stressful, especially when dealing with asthma and severe allergies on top of it. While I don't have personal experience with the HealthA2Z brand of cetirizine, your caution is absolutely warranted. The inactive ingredients in pills, known as excipients, are often where gluten can be hidden, and since the FDA does not require gluten-free labeling for prescription or over-the-counter drugs, the manufacturer's word is essential. The fact that you cannot get a clear answer from Allegiant Health is a significant red flag; a company that is confident its product is gluten-free will typically have a customer service protocol to answer that exact question. In situations like this, the safest course of action is to consider this product "guilty until proven innocent" and avoid it. A better alternative would be to ask your pharmacist or doctor to help you identify a major national brand of cetirizine (like Zyrtec) whose manufacturer has a verified, publicly stated gluten-free policy for that specific medication. It's not worth the risk to your health when reliable, verifiable options are almost certainly available to you. You can search this site for USA prescriptions medications, but will need to know the manufacturer/maker if there is more than one, especially if you use a generic version of the medication: To see the ingredients you will need to click on the correct version of the medication and maker in the results, then scroll down to "Ingredients and Appearance" and click it, and then look at "Inactive Ingredients," as any gluten ingredients would likely appear there, rather than in the Active Ingredients area. https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/   
    • Scott Adams
      What you're describing is indeed familiar to many in the Celiac community, especially in the early stages of healing. When the intestinal villi are damaged from Celiac disease, they struggle to properly digest and absorb fats, a condition known as bile acid malabsorption. This can cause exactly the kind of cramping and spasms you're seeing, as undigested fats can irritate the sensitive gut lining. It is highly plausible that her reactions to dairy and eggs are linked to their higher fat content rather than the proteins, especially since she tolerates lean chicken breast. The great news is that for many, this does improve with time. As her gut continues to heal on a strict gluten-free diet, her ability to produce the necessary enzymes and bile to break down fats should gradually return, allowing her to slowly tolerate a wider variety of foods. It's a slow process of healing, but your careful approach of focusing on low-fat, nutrient-dense foods like seeds and avocado is providing her system the best possible environment to recover. Many people with celiac disease, especially those who are in the 0-2 year range of their recovery, have additional food intolerance issues which could be temporary. To figure this out you may need to keep a food diary and do an elimination diet over a few months. Some common food intolerance issues are dairy/casein, eggs, corn, oats, and soy. The good news is that after your gut heals (for most people who are 100% gluten-free this will take several months to two years) you may be able to slowly add some these items back into your diet after the damaged villi heal. This article may be helpful: Thank you for sharing your story—it's a valuable insight for other parents navigating similar challenges.
    • Beverage
      I had a very rough month after diagnosis. No exaggeration, lost so much inflammatory weight, I looked like a bag of bones, underneath i had been literally starving to death. I did start feeling noticeably better after a month of very strict control of my kitchen and home. What are you eating for breakfast and lunch? I ignored my doc and ate oats, yes they were gluten free, but some brands are at the higher end of gluten free. Lots of celics can eat Bob's Red Mill gluten-free oats, but not me. I can now eat them, but they have to be grown and processed according to the "purity protocol" methods. I mail order them, Montana Gluten-Free brand. A food and symptoms and activities log can be helpful in tracking down issues. You might be totally aware, but I have to mention about the risk of airborne gluten. As the doc that diagnosed me warned . . Remember eyes, ears, nose, and mouth all lead to your stomach and intestines.  Are you getting any cross contamination? Airborne gluten? Any pets eating gluten (they eat it, lick themselves, you pet them...)? Any house remodeling? We live in an older home, always fixing something. I've gotten glutened from the dust from cutting into plaster walls, possibly also plywood (glues). The suggestions by many here on vitamin supplements also really helped me. I had some lingering allergies and asthma, which are now 99% gone. I was taking Albuterol inhaler every hour just to breathe, but thiamine in form of benfotiamine kicked that down to 1-2 times a day within a few days of starting it. Also, since cutting out inflammatory seed oils (canola, sunflower, grapeseed, etc) and cooking with real olive oil, avocado oil, ghee, and coconut oil, I have noticed even greater improvement overall and haven't used the inhaler in months! It takes time to weed out everything in your life that contains gluten, and it takes awhile to heal and rebuild your health. At first it's mentally exhausting, overwhelming, even obsessive, but it gets better and second nature.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

NOTICE: This site places This site places cookies on your device (Cookie settings). on your device. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use, and Privacy Policy.