Jump to content
This site uses cookies. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. More Info... ×

  • 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

Negative Blood Test, But Is This Dh?

scootRN

By scootRN
in Dermatitis Herpetiformis

Recommended Posts

scootRN Rookie
scootRN
Posted

I have just recently had a blood test for celiac that was negative, and am waiting to get a referral to a GI doctor to have a biopsy. I have pretty much all the symptoms of celiac, and am wondering if this rash I have is related.

I get a rash periodically on my fingers on both hands, and in the same places on each hand, and also on each elbow. They are red and swollen (so much so sometimes that I have trouble bending my fingers), and eventually raises into fluid filled blisters. They are very painful and itch like crazy. It takes forever for them to go away, and when they do, the area stays red for a long time, and I have a ton of scars on my fingers and elbows now from where they have been.

Does this sound like DH? I have read about it being on elbows, but I haven't seen very much about hands...and that is my main problem area.

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

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


mushroom Proficient
mushroom
Posted
  On 4/28/2010 at 10:43 PM, scootRN said:

I have just recently had a blood test for celiac that was negative, and am waiting to get a referral to a GI doctor to have a biopsy. I have pretty much all the symptoms of celiac, and am wondering if this rash I have is related.

I get a rash periodically on my fingers on both hands, and in the same places on each hand, and also on each elbow. They are red and swollen (so much so sometimes that I have trouble bending my fingers), and eventually raises into fluid filled blisters. They are very painful and itch like crazy. It takes forever for them to go away, and when they do, the area stays red for a long time, and I have a ton of scars on my fingers and elbows now from where they have been.

Does this sound like DH? I have read about it being on elbows, but I haven't seen very much about hands...and that is my main problem area.

Those sound like classic DH symptoms. Make an appt. with a dermatologist to get a biopsy of an area next to a lesion to test for antibodies. (The biopsy must be from clear skin adjacent to an active lesion.) A diagnosis of DH is a diagnosis of celiac disease. Period.

Archived

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

Go to topic listing
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):


  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      130,248
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748
    Stephen of the West
    Newest Member
    Stephen of the West
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):

  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.3k
    • Total Posts
      1m
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):



  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):


  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • Zuma888
      Hypothetical question about antibodies

      By Zuma888 · Posted

      Thank you so much.
    • knitty kitty
      Hypothetical question about antibodies

      By knitty kitty · Posted

      You have one gene for Celiac.  You have a second autoimmune disease, Hashimoto's thyroiditis, which is frequently found at a higher rate with Celiac.  HLA genes carry autoimmune disease genes like Celiac and Hashimoto's and diabetes and others.   You have Celiac symptoms of reacting after gluten.  You said "I am however still suffering from the effects of the gluten challenge (food sensitivities, slight brain fog, weird stool, fatigue, swollen thyroid, bodyaches)."  And your anti-thyroid antibodies increase after gluten exposure.  While tTg IgA does not directly attack the thyroid, gluten exposure does trigger the  immune system to produce antibodies against the...
    • Zuma888
      Hypothetical question about antibodies

      By Zuma888 · Posted

      Thanks @Scott Adams! I guess my question now is: do the celiacs who can get away with regular contamination without villi damage as you mentioned have to be strict about cross-contamination ? 
    • Zuma888
      Hypothetical question about antibodies

      By Zuma888 · Posted

      Thank you very much @knitty kitty! I'm glad you brought up the point about histamine. I have been taking an antihistamine after meals where I don't feel so good and never knew why it helped so much. At first I thought I might have a food allergy, but I recently did a food allergy test and I actually have ZERO food allergies. Regarding your last point about the stages of grief, are you saying it's likely that I have celiac? I have Hashimoto's BTW and I know for sure that gluten causes an autoimmune response to my thyroid as my anti-TPO and anti-Tg go up and my throat feels swollen. Could the symptoms be due to that autoimmune response?
    • knitty kitty
      Hypothetical question about antibodies

      By knitty kitty · Posted

      @Zuma888, The antibodies produced in response to gluten are made in the intestines.  When the body is provoked sufficiently, the antibodies overflow out of the intestines and into the blood stream.  Once in the blood stream, the antibodies can be measured with tTg IgA tests.  Three grams of gluten per day for two weeks minimum is enough gluten to make you feel the symptoms of having been glutened, but the antibodies are not in sufficient quantity to be measured in the blood. Ten grams of gluten per day for a minimum of two weeks is required to get the anti gluten antibodies at a high enough level in the blood stream to be measured by tTg IgA tests. So, no, occasional cross...
×
×
  • Create New...