Itch-o-rama!

[momxyz]

I felt I had been doing so good.... I'm almost 7 weeks gluten free, with one weekend of falling off the wagon a month ago...

but just last weekend I was happy to report no new spots and old ones starting to heal, although slowly.

And then, at the end of this week! An Attack! Today, burning and itching returned, and although I forcibly restrained my self from scratching after I woke up, even w/o scratching some of the spots started to blister and exude fluid, all by themselves...

And I have new spots... no new "geography" affected, thank goodness, but new spots around old ones... and everybody is angry and red, instead of "tame" brown.

Ok so I am looking back over the last few days... Friday I was at a conference, and lunch was provided. I had been hoping we would have the chance to order and select, or at least salad would be on the menu. Fat chance. Boxed lunches Apple, sandwich, and potatoe chips. I had the apple but was still hungry, so ate the middle of the sandwich - turkey, cheese, lettuce. thought that was ok.

Along comes Saturday. I have my usual "on the go" breakfast, coffee, OJ, banana, homemade rice crackers. I'm volunteering, and mid afternoon, I have to use the bathroom. One, twice, three times.... this is not me. My daughter has had GI symptoms, my tummy and tract have been to this date copestetic, and it's the rash that's been my incentive to go gluten-free along with my daughter.

So this morning I am really bumming because I really want to lick this rash w/o oral drugs. Yes. the hydrocortisone cream provided relief very quickly, but, I really did not want to add to my collection of leopard spots.

Is this unusual, to be worse after getting better?

[mushroom]

Sorry, but it is definitely not safe to eat the filling out of a gluten sandwich. That filling has been put there by gluten-touching hands and has itself been touching gluten--plenty of cc there. I am sorry that you are feeling bad afterwards, but t'was not a wise decision. Yes, after you have been gluten free it is normal to have a worse reaction to gluten. Your body has been getting used to not having to deal with it, so when it encounters it again it is outraged and goes bonkers to a greater or lesser extent depending on the individual. Hope you are feeling better soon. If nothing else, it has taught you how careful you must be...

[momxyz]

thank you for your reply...

part of me knew better, having had one reaction after a weekend away. but the amount encountered this time was so much less than the last "off the wagon" exposure I really was surprised.

I have to fill out an online evaluation of the conference, and I am going to mention the need for choice for luncheons. The business that was catering this conference was very local and I have been able to get take out from them before (salads). All the organizers would have had to do was either included a salad, or let people choose from the take out menu when they signed in for the day.

[ChemistMama]

Yep, mushroom is right, no picking from the sandwich!

Unfortunately, whenever you go to a conference, it'll be your responsibility to ask the organizers for the contact info for the caterers so you can plan a gluten-free meal beforehand. I had to do the same at a recent high school reunion, and fortunately they were extremely nice and accomodating.

If you're in doubt, there are several heat-and-eat items you can take with you, Hormel has a whole gluten-free list, and there are several gluten-free Healthy Choice soups in the pull tab cans (Healthy Choice is a ConAgra brand and they will label any gluten present.). Taste of Thai has several box noodle meals that you add water and heat in the microwave, too.

I'm sorry about the itching, it stinks!! By the way, don't go crazy with the hydrocortisone, my dermatologist says that it can hinder healing. Try Sarna lotion with pramoxamine. My DH got worse before it got better, too. Hang in there! I'm 9 months gluten-free and things have calmed down a lot.

[ang1e0251]

So this morning I am really bumming because I really want to lick this rash w/o oral drugs. Yes. the hydrocortisone cream provided relief very quickly, but, I really did not want to add to my collection of leopard spots.

You can lick the rash by not licking the inside of a gluten sandwich! Sorry, just couldn't resist. Now that you know that gluten that is too small for you to see can cause you to react, take it as a lesson and be more cautious. It's your responsibility to check your meals. You can never assume you'll have choices or safe food. You have to be the one to make sure or just bring your own food. Even if I had arranged for food, I would bring back up food. There can be a mixup and there you are hungry.

[momxyz]

I'm sorry about the itching, it stinks!! By the way, don't go crazy with the hydrocortisone, my dermatologist says that it can hinder healing. Try Sarna lotion with pramoxamine. My DH got worse before it got better, too. Hang in there! I'm 9 months gluten-free and things have calmed down a lot.

Ok, I have tried to use your advice here - yesterday I tried going without the hyrocortisone and almost made it thru my work day with feeling itchy witchy. I did put a little on after work. Today was better still and after work, I had to stop by the grocery store, which has a fairly decent pharmacy section. Probably not as big a selection as say Rite Aid, but decent enough.

Well I did find Sarna lotion, but under active ingredients, it only listed camphor and menthol, not pramoxine. Perhaps it was mentioned somewhere else on the bottle; I have gotten so focused on reading ingredients that I immediately checked the drug facts section on the back of the bottle....

So I kept looking. I did find Gold Bond's medicated anti itch cream. It's active ingredients are 1% pramoxine along with 1% menthol. No Camphor tho. ( I believe the purpose of Camphor is like an analgesic?)

So I got that. Putting it on I could really feel (and smell) the Menthol.

Ok, and to all the other posters, the scolding is duly accepted and appreciated!

[positivenrgfairy]

when I used to get it (not having any clue what was causing it) the only think that made it go away was a hydrocortizone shot.

Hope you feel better!

[ChemistMama]

There's actually two types of Sarna lotion, one with the menthol and camphor, and one that's labeled for sensitive skin that has the pramoxine- the bottle has a purple outline around the product name. There's another one called Dermarest senstive, the regular has hydrocortisone but the sensitive formula has pramoxamine.

If you're sores are on your arms or legs, one thing that I and another DH sufferer found that helps are compression gloves/stockings. Not pretty, but I have very bad DH on my right calf, and that stocking helped with the itching and it kept me from scratching. Not pretty, but effective!

[momxyz]

There's actually two types of Sarna lotion, one with the menthol and camphor, and one that's labeled for sensitive skin that has the pramoxine- the bottle has a purple outline around the product name. There's another one called Dermarest senstive, the regular has hydrocortisone but the sensitive formula has pramoxamine.

If you're sores are on your arms or legs, one thing that I and another DH sufferer found that helps are compression gloves/stockings. Not pretty, but I have very bad DH on my right calf, and that stocking helped with the itching and it kept me from scratching. Not pretty, but effective!

thanks for the explanation on the different types of lotions.

I can see how the stockings would be helpful; I've been doing something sort of similar. My worst spots are from the ankle to mid calf. After applying the lotion, I wrap a single layer of gauze around my legs in those region, then put on pantyhose. Not pretty but I normally wear pants to work anyways. Like you said, keeps me from scratching!

Things are getting much better with time tho.