Iodine Skin Patch Test

[lizard00]

So, a couple a days ago I posted about some concern for my son having DH. I decided today to try the patch test to see if he reacts to the iodine before I drag him to the dermatologist and try to get his skin biopsied... that just doesn't seem as though it would go well.

Anyway, my husband and I are also doing it. Myself moreso as the control, my husband wanted to do it to see if it caused any sort of reaction on him. Has anyone had any success with the test? I know it was the old school way of diagnosing, so I was just curious to see if anyone had done it and then used the info with the doctor.

I diagnosed myself with celiac and had a hard time getting a diagnosis, so I really am trying to do this correctly for my son, if it turns out he does have celiac. Not so much for us, but for school, etc. This is the beginning of the process, but I am trying to figure out what's up with the rash and the dark circles under his eyes.

[Crimson]

There are several posts about iodine patch tests. If you use the search box you can see all the threads that have mention of it. You may have to go from the form that they show to standard form when you click on the links. It's in the right hand side of the thread, a drop box. Hit switch to standard.

I posted the picks of my iodine patch test. I also did one on my husband... it did NOT react. He left his on a bit longer than I did. And it stained the skin, but no blister.

Mine blistered like mad! I posted a pick of that as well.

The dermatologist that I went to called it a chemical burn. Then they did a biopsy ON a lesion that I had a week later rather than beside it. The test didn't tell me anything.

I've considered going back because my skin is still rashing out. But, given that I'd have to raise hell and bring in information for them to know HOW to do the test for the DH....

not worth it.

That's just my opinion. I'm not sure what I'd do if it were my kid. I would say to use the SMALLEST band aid that you can find! If he has it, it's going to burn and sting and itch like hell! Then it will blister and scar. So, make it as easy on him as you can.

I hope you find a good dermatologist!

Good luck!

I see that you are IgA deficient. What tests did they do to confirm that?

[missybean]

So, a couple a days ago I posted about some concern for my son having DH. I decided today to try the patch test to see if he reacts to the iodine before I drag him to the dermatologist and try to get his skin biopsied... that just doesn't seem as though it would go well.

Anyway, my husband and I are also doing it. Myself moreso as the control, my husband wanted to do it to see if it caused any sort of reaction on him. Has anyone had any success with the test? I know it was the old school way of diagnosing, so I was just curious to see if anyone had done it and then used the info with the doctor.

I diagnosed myself with celiac and had a hard time getting a diagnosis, so I really am trying to do this correctly for my son, if it turns out he does have celiac. Not so much for us, but for school, etc. This is the beginning of the process, but I am trying to figure out what's up with the rash and the dark circles under his eyes.

I can't seem to get a firm diagnoses either. My primary believes I probably have DH and told me to go gluten free and it as helped tremendesly but I think I just got glutened because I have a big hive on my knee that hurts and itchs so bad..it looks like it has fluid under it too. I want to do the past test as well but I'm afraid. If you do it and you get a reaction does that mean its definite for have DH? I'm courious to see how it goes for you. Let us know. My daughter also has had dark circles since birth and a naturopathic doc told me it looks like your daughter has some allergies....I said what are you talking about and she said see how she has those dark circles under her eyes and I said yeah and she said those are called allergic shiners. Huh, interesting. I hope you have a good doc and they will do the skin biopsy but don't get discouraged if it comes back negative. Trust your instincts. Good luck. Also I was wondering as well what is the test called to see if you are IgA deficient, because I was looking at one of my tests and there was one that said iga levels were 0. I don't understand that....shouln't it be something?

[missybean]

There are several posts about iodine patch tests. If you use the search box you can see all the threads that have mention of it. You may have to go from the form that they show to standard form when you click on the links. It's in the right hand side of the thread, a drop box. Hit switch to standard.

I posted the picks of my iodine patch test. I also did one on my husband... it did NOT react. He left his on a bit longer than I did. And it stained the skin, but no blister.

Mine blistered like mad! I posted a pick of that as well.

The dermatologist that I went to called it a chemical burn. Then they did a biopsy ON a lesion that I had a week later rather than beside it. The test didn't tell me anything.

I've considered going back because my skin is still rashing out. But, given that I'd have to raise hell and bring in information for them to know HOW to do the test for the DH....

not worth it.

That's just my opinion. I'm not sure what I'd do if it were my kid. I would say to use the SMALLEST band aid that you can find! If he has it, it's going to burn and sting and itch like hell! Then it will blister and scar. So, make it as easy on him as you can.

I hope you find a good dermatologist!

Good luck!

I see that you are IgA deficient. What tests did they do to confirm that?

Crimson, I'm wondering as well what tests they do to confirm IgA deciency. I have read some of your other posts and I saw your pics of your patch tests and your DH blisters. Did a doc biopsy your blister or did they dismiss it?

[lizard00]

Well, he wore the bandaid patch for about 10 hours. I put it on him shortly after he went to sleep and he insisted I take the bandaid off as soon as he woke up.

His skin isn't broken out, that I can tell. He says his arm hurts, but when I ask him to tell me how it feels, he says "it hurts like brown." So, I'm not really sure that I proved anything or not. The solution was 2%, but I thought it was worth a shot.

I'm trying to figure out which to pursue first: allergies, or a dermatologist. I feel that the two are related, but I'm just not sure which direction we're going yet. His pediatrician says his rash is eczema... might be, but doesn't look like eczema I've seen on anyone else.

As for the IgA test, that was done with my celiac panel. It's a blood draw and it is SUPPOSED to help the doctor interpret the results better. If you have low IgA, then the IgA based tests are not so valid.... in my case, the PA didn't pick up on that, told me my low IgA was fine and to be happy I didn't have celiac. The good thing that came out was that I found out I was IgA deficient, for future reference.

[angieInCA]

When I was diagnosed with DH I did not have an active blister but I had an appointment with my Dermatologist so I went anyway. He did the Iodine patch test on me. He applied the iodine and a bandage and told me to come back in the morning. The patch itched and hurt all night long and wne I went in to the Dr. and removed the bandage I had a cluster of blisters, he biopsied and DH was confirmed.

Recently, I have been suspecting my Daughter (20) had DH so I did the patch test on her at home. To make her feel better my Husband and I did it with her. I have been gluten-free for almost a year at this point. My Husband had no response whatsoever, while the patch was on no itching or burning. My Daughter had one very large blister raise up and she complained of constant itching the whole time she had the bandage on. I (with confirmed DH being gluten-free) had a reaction of feeling like I was being burned with a cigerette the whole time the patch was on. When it was removed I had a large cluster of very tiny blisters that itched and burned. They scabbed over and it looked like I had a second degree burn, much like I had been burned by oven door or rack.

My Daughter has an appointment with our Dermatologist in a couple of weeks. She is really bummed at the thought of having DH but I'm happy she is finding out now instead of 47 years later like me.

[angieInCA]

His skin isn't broken out, that I can tell. He says his arm hurts, but when I ask him to tell me how it feels, he says "it hurts like brown." So, I'm not really sure that I proved anything or not. The solution was 2%, but I thought it was worth a shot.

meant to comment on this........

Watch it for a few days. If the sopt is hurting it may still develope a blisters or it my be more like a chemical burn and scab over.

The biopsy is really painless. They just scrape a few skin cells of the skin surrounding a breakout not the blister itself.

For years I had Dr's aspirating the blisters and testing the fluid with nothing ever coming back conclusive. They just weren't testing the right way or for the right thing

[lizard00]

Thanks Angie

Since you've had it done, does it matter where it's done? I noticed the rash on his back down to the sides of his bottom, not his arm. I tested his arm b/c I figured if it did break out, it would be less irritated there.

[angieInCA]

Mine was done on my arm, outside above my elbow. BUT, I have had breakouts in tha area before. I tested my Daughter in the same area because she has had breakouts in that same area.

How old is your son? I would try to test in an area that is close to his normal pattern of breakout but won't be easily scratched by little hands. THe Dermatologist explaind to me that they think (but not sure) DH travels around the body much like Herpes or shingles along the central nervous system and erupts in areas that are weak. I have had DH patches for years in one area that now hasn't had a breakout for 3 ro 4 years but have breakouts in new areas. Hard to explain but I have had DH eruptions in every place imaginable but never all at once. For a while it concentrates on my legs then move up to my hips and buttocks and then to my back and scalp and then down my arms then back to my shins.....never a rhyme or reason but when I'm breaking out on my legs I don't have breakouts on my arms....it moves.

[Crimson]

Crimson, I'm wondering as well what tests they do to confirm IgA deciency. I have read some of your other posts and I saw your pics of your patch tests and your DH blisters. Did a doc biopsy your blister or did they dismiss it?

He totally dismissed the iodine patch test. They did biopsy a lesion that did not show IgA. They had no answer directly for it. Just that it would have shown up on the pathology report if they had found it.

I currently have a new blister on the patch test area. It's been breaking out ever since I did my little experiment!

But I figure that I would have to go in with print offs of information on HOW to correctly biopsy for DH and probably fight to get it done that way.

I'm really not in the mood for it. I will however, be mentioning it to the allergist when I go on Tuesday.

lizard00, I hope you kid is doing ok!

[angieInCA]

He totally dismissed the iodine patch test.

Unbelievable! My Dr used the iodine patch test to raise a blister to do a biopsy and yours totally dismisses it! I wish these Doctors would get on the same page

[angieInCA]

His skin isn't broken out, that I can tell. He says his arm hurts, but when I ask him to tell me how it feels, he says "it hurts like brown." So, I'm not really sure that I proved anything or not. The solution was 2%, but I thought it was worth a shot.

I've been thinking about his statement, I love how kids express themselves

Maybe he means it hurts like a bruise or tender to the touch, that is how mine felt before it scabed over.

[lizard00]

He is 4, which explains saying it hurts like brown! He let me touch it about a half hour ago, still not looking blistery (but his back doesn't look blistery, either), but when I rubbed my finger over it, he said ow. (The spot where I did mine is ever so slightly sensitive, but it's from pulling the bandage off. Definitely doesn't hurt.) So, it is quite possible that it feels like a bruise or it's tender.

I hate to try it again without knowing how this is going to end. I guess maybe if nothing happens, which I'm hoping it doesn't, then I'll try an area right around where his rash is now. I was trying to avoid this area because I figured that clothes would irritate it. Guess we'll have to wait and see.

Thanks for your help. I'll keep everyone posted!!

[lizard00]

So here's how things are now with his arm.

It never really broke out or anything, that I could see. But his arm is still very dark in that patch, and I noticed it felt much rougher than the rest of his skin. But, he said it didn't hurt and it doesn't look like he was scratching it. So, today I noticed that that patch of his skin on his arm is peeling. Mine and my husband's just faded away. That area of my skin feels slightly drier than the rest, but it's not peeling.

Any thoughts on that? His rash actually seems to be clearing up. Maybe we've escaped for now.

[angieInCA]

So here's how things are now with his arm.

It never really broke out or anything, that I could see. But his arm is still very dark in that patch, and I noticed it felt much rougher than the rest of his skin. But, he said it didn't hurt and it doesn't look like he was scratching it. So, today I noticed that that patch of his skin on his arm is peeling. Mine and my husband's just faded away. That area of my skin feels slightly drier than the rest, but it's not peeling.

Any thoughts on that? His rash actually seems to be clearing up. Maybe we've escaped for now.

This sounds very much like my last reaction to the iodine test. The (what I called a large patch of tiny blisters) area was about the size of a nickle because I only did a small bandage. The blisters were microscopic but scabed over quickly then when completely dried out it peeled off much like I had burned myself.

If it was not hurting or itching it might be a bit of a chemical burn but I'm not sure how often people experience a chemical burn from iodine.

[lizard00]

Yeah, I'm not so sure what it is either. I'm thinking about trying it somewhere on his back or closer to where the rash actually is. Strange...

[nasalady]

So here's how things are now with his arm.

It never really broke out or anything, that I could see. But his arm is still very dark in that patch, and I noticed it felt much rougher than the rest of his skin. But, he said it didn't hurt and it doesn't look like he was scratching it. So, today I noticed that that patch of his skin on his arm is peeling. Mine and my husband's just faded away. That area of my skin feels slightly drier than the rest, but it's not peeling.

Any thoughts on that? His rash actually seems to be clearing up. Maybe we've escaped for now.

Could it be that small blisters actually formed and popped before you removed the bandage? The fact that it's peeling is bit suspicious.