Jump to content

  • You are not alone. Join Celiac.com for trusted gluten-free answers and forum support.



  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A1):
    Celiac.com Sponsor (A1-M):

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
      134,198
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      10,442
    kay rose
    Newest Member
    kay rose
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):

  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.7k
    • Total Posts
      1m
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):

  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • Russ H
      Coeliac or not coeliac

      By Russ H · Posted

      Do you have the standard range for the test results you received? A level of anti-tTG2 antibodies at least 10x the standard range is almost certainly (>98%) due to coeliac disease. Moderately raised levels can be caused by other conditions as well as coeliac disease. Accuracy of the No-Biopsy Approach for the Diagnosis of Celiac Disease in Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis It is possible to have latent or early stage coeliac disease without histological changes visible by microscope. As has been suggest in this thread, if the repeat test comes up negative and serology is high, request an HLA genetic test from your specialist. Only 40 % of the population carries an HLA gene variant enabling the development of coeliac disease - if you test negative for this, it is quite unlikely that you have coeliac disease.  
    • Wheatwacked
      The Struggle Has Overtaken Me

      By Wheatwacked · Posted

      Hi @Ginger38, By now you know that these things improve without gluten. I once saw an interview with a corporation executive where he proudly declared that his wheat products are more addictive than potato chips. Dr Fuhrman (Eat to Live) said find foods that are friendly to you to be friends with.  
    • cristiana
      Coeliac or not coeliac

      By cristiana · Posted

      Hi @CC90 Ah... that is very interesting.  Although it is very annoying for you to have to go through it all again, I would say that almost sounds like an admission that they didn't look far enough last time?   I could be wrong, but I would not be at all surprised if they find something on the next attempt.  Coeliac damage can be very patchy, as I understand it, so that's why my own gastroenterologist always likes to point out that he's taken lots of samples!  In the kindest possible way (you don't want to upset the person doing the procedure!) I'd be inclined to tell them what happened last time and to ask them in person to take samples lower down, as  if your health system is anything like the one in my country, communication between GPs, consultants and hospitals isn't always very good.  You don't want the same mistake to be made again. You say that your first endoscopy was traumatic?  May I ask, looking at your spelling of coeliac, was this done at an NHS hospital in England?  The reason for the question is that one of my NHS diagnosed friends was not automatically offered a sedative and managed without one.  Inspired by her, I tried to have an endoscopy one time, in a private setting, without one, so that I could recover quicker, but I had to request sedative in the end it was so uncomfortable.    I am sorry that you will have to go through a gluten challenge again but to make things easier, ensure you eat things containing gluten that you will miss should you have to go gluten free one day. 😂 I was told to eat 2 slices of normal wholemeal bread or the equivalent every day in the weeks before , but I also opted for Weetabix and dozens of Penguin chocolate biscuits.  (I had a very tight headache across my temple for days before the procedure, which I thought was interesting as I had that frequently growing up. - must have been a coeliac symptom!)  Anyway, I do hope you soon get the answers you are looking for and do keep us posted. Cristiana  
    • CC90
      Coeliac or not coeliac

      By CC90 · Posted

      Hi Cristiana   Yes I've had the biopsy results showing normal villi and intestinal mucosa.  The repeat endoscopy (requested by the gastro doc) would be to take samples from further into the intestine than the previous endoscopy reached.      
    • Wheatwacked
      Coeliac or not coeliac

      By Wheatwacked · Posted

      Transglutaminase IgA is the gold-standard blood test for celiac disease. Sensitivity of over 90% and specificity of 95–99%. It rarely produces false positives.  An elevated level means your immune system is reacting to gluten.  Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity (NCGS) does not typically cause high levels of tTG-IgA. Unfortunately the protocols for a diagnosis of Celiac Disease are aimed at proving you don't have it, leaving you twisting in the wind. Genetic testing and improvement on a trial gluten free diet, also avoiding milk protein, will likely show improvement in short order if it is Celiac; but will that satisfy the medical system for a diagnosis? If you do end up scheduling a repeat endoscopy, be sure to eat up to 10 grams of gluten for 8 - 12 weeks.  You want  to create maximum damage. Not a medical opinion, but my vote is yes.
×
×
  • Create New...