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

Dh And Iodine Test

crimsonviolet

Recommended Posts

crimsonviolet Apprentice
crimsonviolet
Posted

I've had this weird itchy rash that comes and goes on the inside of one elbow since shortly after my 2nd son was born, so almost 3 years now. I just chalked it up to eczema, even though I could never find a pic of eczema that looked anything like it.

I started researching gluten free and I think I've finally found the answer with DH. Wow... my rash looks just like the pics! But it's in an odd place so I wasn't sure it was DH.

I decided to do the iodine test. I got the 2% iodine solution, soaked a bandaid, and put it on my arm near my rash. I had to take it off after about 30 minutes - it was intensely painful, and my arm was clearly badly burned in the shape of the bandaid. I figured I just did something stupid, after all the interwebz clearly says that iodine can burn skin, right? It was horribly painful, so I washed my arm with soap and water, coated the burn with castor oil, and wrapped it in a wet cloth overnight. This helped a lot with the pain, and in the morning I took off the cloth to find that I still had a bright red rectangle on my arm. Now, less than 24 hours later, a few blisters are popping up on the site, and my nearby rash has gotten quite bad.

Is this a positive test for DH, or did I just give myself a nasty chemical burn?

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

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


rdunbar Explorer
rdunbar
Posted

you said itchy, but is it really really itchy almost all the time?

DH is super itchy to the point of being more painful than just itchy like a mosquito bite itchy.Also, it kind of "erupts" when it flares up, and oozes.

I just found out about how iodine makes DH worse recently after suffering for years, so I'm not sure if the rash would react to iodine being applied topically.

now I'm realizing that when I've eaten lots of iodine (seafood, ect...)it got much worse.

Of course, the best test is to go 100% gluten free in your diet and lifestyle, but another one of the frustrating things about DH is that it can take up to 2 years to go away if you can manage to aviod gluten and probably casien too.

ravenwoodglass Mentor
ravenwoodglass
Posted

That does sound like a positive DH test IMHO. You did it correctly. The inside of the elbow and the backs of the knees are common places for it to show up. I at one point had DH lesions covering my legs and arms but after a couple of years it would show up just in the inside bend areas of my arms and legs. DH lesions are usually bilateral but not always. If you still have an active rash you could go to a derm and ask for them to specifically test for DH. The test would biopsy the area next to the lesion not the lesion itself.

crimsonviolet Apprentice
crimsonviolet
Posted
  • Author

Yep, when I get a flare up it burns and itches like mad. I scratch, and the lesions erupt and crust and flake and then I'm left with this nasty patch of brownish skin in the area. I'm usually very pale, so it's pretty noticeable but luckily the discoloration fades quickly. At least until the next flare...

Just out of curiosity, I had hubby do the skin test. I soaked a bandaid, and he applied it to his abdomen. He left it on for almost 24 hours and had NO discomfort. Took it off and has a patch of stained brown skin, no redness, no irritation. That was really eye-opening for me. I do think he's gluten-intolerant as well, but he has no evidence of DH.

ravenwoodglass Mentor
ravenwoodglass
Posted

Yep, when I get a flare up it burns and itches like mad. I scratch, and the lesions erupt and crust and flake and then I'm left with this nasty patch of brownish skin in the area. I'm usually very pale, so it's pretty noticeable but luckily the discoloration fades quickly. At least until the next flare...

Just out of curiosity, I had hubby do the skin test. I soaked a bandaid, and he applied it to his abdomen. He left it on for almost 24 hours and had NO discomfort. Took it off and has a patch of stained brown skin, no redness, no irritation. That was really eye-opening for me. I do think he's gluten-intolerant as well, but he has no evidence of DH.

Lucky hubby. I hope things improve soon for you. The longer you are gluten free the more the antibodies will leave your skin. Eventually your flareups will be mild as long as your not getting CC'd very often. It took a while but now when I get glutened I only get a couple little blisters that go away really quick.

  • 2 months later...
crimsonviolet Apprentice
crimsonviolet
Posted
  • Author

Just realized I never added to this thread... a few days after hubby's "negative" test, I noticed that his skin at the test site was peeling like mad. It never did "blister" but the test certainly caused some skin damage. Now the question is, what does that really mean?

He's become increasingly sensitive to gluten since he took it out of his diet, so needless to say we're staying gluten-free.

Archived

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

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


  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      131,428
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748
    Nancy lang adler
    Newest Member
    Nancy lang adler
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):

  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.4k
    • Total Posts
      1m
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):



  • Who's Online (See full list)

    • There are no registered users currently online
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):


  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • knitty kitty
      Major Glutening

      By knitty kitty · Posted

      So sorry to hear you are going through this!   What OTC med did you take?  
    • knitty kitty
      Struggling to get into a good pattern

      By knitty kitty · Posted

      Yep,yep,yep, called it from experience.  I've lived through SIBO and Candida myself.  I get a different sorts of reactions to dairy, high sugar consumption, and gluten.  I react to Casein, the protein in dairy.   Try the AIP diet.  Dr. Sarah Ballantyne designed it and is a Celiac herself.  Her book, the Paleo Approach, has been most helpful.
    • knitty kitty
      Gluten Allergy

      By knitty kitty · Posted

      Yes, I know.   Without sufficient Folate, Cobalamine, and Pyridoxine, the body can't get rid of high homocysteine levels.  High homocysteine levels make one restless, interferes with sleep and resembles ADHD symptoms.  High homocysteine levels occur in Celiac Disease.  Chronic high histamine levels lead to high homocysteine levels. Impact of supplementation with vitamins B6 , B12 , and/or folic acid on the reduction of homocysteine levels in patients with mild cognitive impairment: A systematic review https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34058062/ Homocysteine, Pyridoxine, Folate and Vitamin B12 Levels in Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30267523/ Simplifying the B Complex: How Vitamins B6 and B9 Modulate One Carbon Metabolism in Cancer and Beyond https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9609401/ Prevalence of hyperhomocysteinemia in adult gluten-sensitive enteropathy at diagnosis: role of B12, folate, and genetics https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15952099/ Homocysteine, Vitamins B6 and Folic Acid in Experimental Models of Myocardial Infarction and Heart Failure-How Strong Is That Link? https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35454125/
    • Rejoicephd
      Struggling to get into a good pattern

      By Rejoicephd · Posted

      You called it @knitty kitty.  I went to another health care provider for another opinion, and based on some tests they did, they suggested I might also be dealing with a fungal issue (candida and/or mold).  I saw that you mentioned before in this chain that some people on this forum also get Candida infections.  So it seems that I am possibly dealing that issue in my gut as well. I think some of the symptoms that I've been not able to understand now make a lot of sense within this context (such as why eating dairy and sugar sometimes causes me to get headaches, joint pain, chills, feel like I have the flu... if these things are making the candida infection worse by feeding the candida, and then my body responds by trying to fight it off, then I basically am fighting off an infection, which is exactly what it feels like).  The flu-like reaction that I get when I eat dairy is a distinct reaction than the one I get from getting glutened (which is also bad, but different: headache, sharp abdominal pains, gas, diarrhea). That's what made me think there was something else at play. 
    • lmemsm
      Supplements for those Diagnosed with Celiac Disease

      By lmemsm · Posted

      I'm concerned about calcium.  I don't think I'm getting enough especially since I ended up having to get off dairy when I went gluten free.  However, if you have too much calcium, it can deposit in the wrong places and you can get thinks like bone spurs.  I'd like find a decent supplement for that.  Was thinking of looking into the algae based calcium supplements since they're more natural than some of the others available, but seem rather expensive.  When possible, I try supplement with food sources.  One or two Brazil nuts usually have the full RDA for selenium.  One Barbados cherry has the daily RDA for vitamin C.  I also use seaweed to help supplement iodine since I don't use iodized salt.
×
×
  • Create New...