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What Does Dh Look And Feel Like?


michelley65

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michelley65 Rookie

About 5 years ago when I started having stomach issues(going through a divorce)I also started getting these little red bumps here and there,usually around my hairline and neck,shoulders and a few on my face.They sort of resembled an acne pimple,but when I tried to squeeze it(sorry..thats gross,I know)it wouldnt burst,but it would eventually open and sting and hurt also.Every one of these would take forever to heal(weeks to a month or more)and then I would end up with a purple scar that takes months to go away.I know what an acne pimple feels like..and this is not it...but I dont know for sure what HD feels or looks like.I self diagnosed myself with gluten intolerance a few months ago,and have read that with celiac disease you can have HD,but what about gluten intolerance?I had two blood tests for celiac and they both came back negative,but I feel so much better since going gluten free.


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mushroom Proficient

About 5 years ago when I started having stomach issues(going through a divorce)I also started getting these little red bumps here and there,usually around my hairline and neck,shoulders and a few on my face.They sort of resembled an acne pimple,but when I tried to squeeze it(sorry..thats gross,I know)it wouldnt burst,but it would eventually open and sting and hurt also.Every one of these would take forever to heal(weeks to a month or more)and then I would end up with a purple scar that takes months to go away.I know what an acne pimple feels like..and this is not it...but I dont know for sure what HD feels or looks like.I self diagnosed myself with gluten intolerance a few months ago,and have read that with celiac disease you can have HD,but what about gluten intolerance?I had two blood tests for celiac and they both came back negative,but I feel so much better since going gluten free.

The tell-tale is the long-lasting purple scar, and the pain. This definitely sounds like DH, and DH is celiac diseae. There are many false negatives on the blood testing. And your positive response to the gluten free diet reinforces this self-diagnosis, especially if you have had no more red bumps lately.

michelley65 Rookie

The tell-tale is the long-lasting purple scar, and the pain. This definitely sounds like DH, and DH is celiac diseae. There are many false negatives on the blood testing. And your positive response to the gluten free diet reinforces this self-diagnosis, especially if you have had no more red bumps lately.

So,then you cant have DH with gluten intolerance...only celiac disease?Hhhhmm..makes me wonder just how much these doctors really know about celiac disease.Thankyou for your quick reply.:)

lovegrov Collaborator

This sounds nothing like my DH. Never had purple scars for one. My DH was like the blisters you get from a burn or poison ivy, not red spots. And VERY, VERY, VERY, VERY itchy. I also never had DH on my face.

Did I mention that it itched like crazy?

richard

michelley65 Rookie

This sounds nothing like my DH. Never had purple scars for one. My DH was like the blisters you get from a burn or poison ivy, not red spots. And VERY, VERY, VERY, VERY itchy. I also never had DH on my face.

Did I mention that it itched like crazy?

richard

I can't say that mine are ever itchy...they just hurt and leave a purple scar...that takes forever to go away.

lovegrov Collaborator

I can't say that mine are ever itchy...they just hurt and leave a purple scar...that takes forever to go away.

DH is ALWAYS extremely Itchy. One description of it I heard went something like "it feels like you're covered with poison ivy and wrapped in a wool blanket filled with hay and red ants." It's VERRRRRRY itchy (and somewhat painful, but more itchy).

richard

RoseTapper Newbie

You seem to have described facial DH quite well--and it DOES take months sometimes for them to go away, and they leave purple scars that take even longer to disappear.


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Glamour Explorer

I got purple scars on some areas, especially in the beginning. I still have remnants of a few of the first places.

Lily127 Rookie

I'm also confused about this. I had a strange experience upon embarking on the diet. After 3 days of being gluten-free I broke out in this wierd VERY ITCHY bleeding rash. I only had a few. One on my arm, a few on my legs, etc but boy did it itch and it didn't look like anything I've ever seen. Now I have scars where they were that are taking very long to go away.

For me, they bled as soon as I scratched but not scratching wasn't an option given the itch was so extreme. I thought perhaps the gluten-free diet was causing my body to purge what was left. I really don't know. Since being on gluten-free for about 6 weeks now no more have come back and the scars are healing nicely but short of the biopsy I had done on my face (not cancer thankfully) nothing has ever itched this much

L

I got purple scars on some areas, especially in the beginning. I still have remnants of a few of the first places.

  • 2 months later...
Me and DH Newbie

DH is ALWAYS extremely Itchy. One description of it I heard went something like "it feels like you're covered with poison ivy and wrapped in a wool blanket filled with hay and red ants." It's VERRRRRRY itchy (and somewhat painful, but more itchy).

I concur. I did find that Clobetasol Propionate cream 0.05% relieved the symptoms and promoted quick healing.

I also found that the symptoms wouldn't show up immediately, it took about a day, and the symptoms peaked at about 3 days after consumption (w/o the cream).

  • 2 months later...
psychologist2b Rookie

:)My rash has lasted for over 2 months. It burned soooo bad and itched, oozed, bled...it's nasty. I have it on my scalp, face, neck, upper back, lower back, arms. I tried Dapsone, but I felt fatigued so I stopped. The DH flared up when I stopped the Dapsone; the amount of sores quadrupled! I tried corticosteroid creams which helped the itch and burn, tons of anithistamines which don't really do much and protopic ointment. I got so tired of feeling like a walking disease that I decided to ZAP the DH with both red light therapy and UV therapy...I noticed that when I stopped tanning, the rash got worse as well...I began tanning again in a regular bed, daily for about 5-7 minutes and add the red light bed (back to back) for 10 minutes. My DH is so much better already. It's been 4 days and the rash is totally drying out and healing. For over 2 months this nasty rash burned sooo bad and itched, oozed all over my sheets and shirts, etc...and 4 days of light therapy is clearing the disgusting thing! I was going to post pics but I haven't figured that out yet. Anyway, if any of you haven't tried phototherapy, I highly recommend it

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