Quick Question Re: Dh.

[rueyn]

If the area that's effected doesn't hurt (everyone mentions PAIN), is it still DH?

Also, if you have DH, but your household isn't gluten-free, what do you do if you have to come in contact with wheat? For instance I have to fix my 3.5-y.o. son sandwiches. Do you wear gloves or just wash your hands afterward or what?

Thanks

[glutenfreenew]

If the area that's effected doesn't hurt (everyone mentions PAIN), is it still DH?

Also, if you have DH, but your household isn't gluten-free, what do you do if you have to come in contact with wheat? For instance I have to fix my 3.5-y.o. son sandwiches. Do you wear gloves or just wash your hands afterward or what?

Thanks

hi,

been gluten free 5 years, and i prepare sandwiches and stuff for my son as well, just wash your hands really well. I try to keep the gluten seperate... my own toaster, cutting board-glass.. I have DH as well, the blisters that i started with were painful and weepy. over the years it has just become an itchyness and i still am trying to find the trigger especially for my scalp..very itchy and flaky i have tried all kinds of shampoos and am going to go corn, potato and rice free to see if it clears. hope i was helpful

[rueyn]

hi,

been gluten free 5 years, and i prepare sandwiches and stuff for my son as well, just wash your hands really well. I try to keep the gluten seperate... my own toaster, cutting board-glass.. I have DH as well, the blisters that i started with were painful and weepy. over the years it has just become an itchyness and i still am trying to find the trigger especially for my scalp..very itchy and flaky i have tried all kinds of shampoos and am going to go corn, potato and rice free to see if it clears. hope i was helpful

Thanks so much for taking the time to respond! I already know I'm severely gluten intolerant (in my body and on my skin), and I have 90% of the symptoms of DH, except for the pain. The points are weepy and itch BADLY if I so much as lightly scratch them (hard not to do some times), but no pain (should probably be grateful for that ).

Something about your scalp...I had the same issue for about a year - itching that drove me crazy and was pretty much non-stop. Guess what was an ingredient in my shampoo? Yup. Wheat. It was a Burt's Bees shampoo, and I didn't even think about the connection to gluten intolerance until after I went gluten-free in March. As soon as I stopped using it the itching went away FAST, so you're probably on the right track eliminating other possible allergens.

Desert Essence Organics makes a shampoo that specifically says "gluten-free" on the label, and Amazon has it on mega sale right now. I use the fragrance free shampoo and condition. Here are the ingredients via their website for their shampoo:

Aqueous Infusion of Certified Organic Extracts: Organic Olea Europea (Olive) Leaf (2) and Organic Macrocystis Pyrifera (Sea Kelp) (2), Organic Urtica Dioica (Nettle) (2), Organic Camellia Sinensis (Green Tea) Leaf (2), Cocamidopropyl Betaine (1), Sodium Coco Sulfate, Decyl Polyglucose (1), Polyquaternium-7, Organic Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil (2), DL-Panthenol (Pro-Vitamin B5), 1,2-Octanediol, Phenoxyethanol, Potassium Sorbate.1 Certified Organic by EcoCert 2 Certified Organic by QCS

In the meantime I give thumbs-up to Selsun Blue (the daily one with selenium sulfide). When I was transitioning between the wheat shampoo and the gluten-free stuff, it helped TREMENDOUSLY with the itching, though it stinks to high heaven I only used it once or twice a week, during my nightly shower. The ingredients from Drugstore.Com's website are:

Active Ingredients: Contains: Selenium Sulfide Lotion (1%)

Inactive Ingredients: Ammonium Laureth Sulfate, Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate, Citric Acid, Cocamide DEA, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, DMDM Hydantoin, D&C Red 33, FD&C Blue 1, Fragrance, Hydroxypropylmethylcellulose, Magnesium Aluminum Silicate, Menthol, Water Purified, Sodium Chloride, TEA Lauryl Sulfate