Natural Remedies For Dh

[MacieMay]

Does anyone know or heard of any natural remedies for DH?

thanks!!

[ravenwoodglass]

Yep, stay strictly gluten free and avoid iodine. Make sure you check you toiletries, makeup, shampoos etc. You can add iodine back in after you heal a bit. I found cold compresses to help with the itching, stuff like calamine lotion made things worse. Some of the topicals that help with the itching from poison ivy and bug bites might help but make sure they are gluten free.

[lovegrov]

I have to agree. The only natural remedy I know that REALLY works is going gluten-free.

richard

[crimsonviolet]

To keep it away, avoid iodine and gluten like the PP said.

To relieve the itching, I've had good luck with cold compresses, and sometimes a little bit of castor oil or pure aloe vera gel is quite soothing.

[up late]

I found a few topical treatments that help, one was from the health food shop for rashes, it had "old man goat weed" in it which I think was the ingredient that did the trick (I've tried lots and this was the only one that worked) they no longer sell it here

The other isn't exactly natural, a spray on treatment for sunburn from the chemist with a topical anesthetic helps relieve itching. I've tried the less dilute topical anesthetics like xylocaine jelly but they tend to sting once the skin is broken.

Cool water is a much better way to quell the itch than scratching and so far been the best treatment I've found.

[Denali]

I use aloe vera plant and polysporin to help topically... ice packs for the itching... that's about it.

Any other suggestions are most welcome - I'm having a reaction right now and going out of my mind (my DH appears on my chin and jaw line. Yuck).

I found a few topical treatments that help, one was from the health food shop for rashes, it had "old man goat weed" in it which I think was the ingredient that did the trick (I've tried lots and this was the only one that worked) they no longer sell it here

The other isn't exactly natural, a spray on treatment for sunburn from the chemist with a topical anesthetic helps relieve itching. I've tried the less dilute topical anesthetics like xylocaine jelly but they tend to sting once the skin is broken.

Cool water is a much better way to quell the itch than scratching and so far been the best treatment I've found.

[MtnHarmony]

I do not have DH but I have had bad reactions to bites, etc. in the past which have caused burning and itching and the best thing for me was Plantain leaves. It's a weed that grows easily where we live - not the bananas. I crush the leaves with my teeth, but do not get my saliva on them as I want the medicine on my body, not my mouth. I normally bandage the leaves on but I have made a salve with it and water or bentonite clay (hydrated). I am highly sensitive to many things and this and bentonite clay have been my life savers. Just thought it worth mentioning. As far as any infection that may have set in from scratching - warm thyme tea heals heal and numb pain if warm enough.

[eatmeat4good]

Does anyone know or heard of any natural remedies for DH?

thanks!!

I have DH on my face, mostly on the chin and forehead. It is extremely painful and the sores would weep and ooze. Alot of people with DH say the sores are intensely itchy...mine were just intensely painful....like pins and needles all the time. I now know it was directly related to gluten. However there was one thing that helped a little with the pain while the sores were very active. I would use green tea bags soaked in warm or cool water (whichever felt better at the time) and would use them as compresses. It seemed to me to help the pain, though it never did help the healing until I got the diagnosis and went gluten free. And it only helped while it was applied....as soon as it was removed...the pain started again as bad as ever. Four days into gluten free...the pain started to go away.

[takeiteasy]

Does anyone know or heard of any natural remedies for DH?

thanks!!

I find that taking a bath (water can be hot or warm according to comfort level) with baking soda really helps me. When I can't fall asleep because of the itch I take a bath with baking soda, not any specific amount, just pour in about 1/2-1 cup, soak for about 10 minutes and after this I immediately fall asleep. If I'm too tired to take a bath I just wash the area that's burning up with backing soda mixed with a little water & get the same results.The bath works well when I'm itching all over....

Hope this helps you.

As someone else mentioned rinsing the area with cold water helps significantly too.

[Lauirel]

I am a new member here and although my story is long, I must say I am rather dissappointed by the responses to the question of whether there are natural remedies available to those suffering dermatitis herpetiformis or DH. Because there are.

I realize the original posting date of this particular question was in September, and here it is in the last days of December. Hence my addition would be considered late after the fact. But here I am reading this, and perhaps the information I have to add will benefit others in which read this at this later date.

PABA or Para-Amino Benzoic Acid taken orally by mouth and cited by varying references from 200 mgs 4 to 5 times per day and up to 9,000 to 12,000 mgs per day as an alternative treatment for dermatitis herpetiformis. May I suggest the best sources for dosages would be from the online medical journals using cross reference search terms, PABA, dermatitis herpetiformis. You can also use these search terms in your address bar for more general online information as well.

Additional information would also apply to the cross linking of collagen fibers in DH, the relation to IgA depostion and cross linking, and PABA's role in preventing the abnormal cross linking occuring in DH.

Also applicable to the occurence of Vitiligo which seems to occur quite frequently alongside Celiac and especially DH, and resulting from a lack of all B vitamins due to the malabsorption and intestinal dysbiosis associated with Celiac.

DMAE or Dimethylethanolamine can also be used topically alongside the oral dosages of PABA. This is a salt of PABA and something I have found helpful for the crazy itch associated with DH.

PABA is considered an alternative to Dapsone therapy.

Good luck.

LaurieL

[mushroom]

There does seem to be some question as to the safety of oral PABA, especially at higher doses, and especially with regard to the liver (as well as vitiligo. )

Open Original Shared Link

Safety Issues

PABA is probably safe when taken at a dosage up to 400 mg daily. Possible side effects at this dosage are minor, including skin rash and loss of appetite. 8

Higher doses are a different story, however. There has been one reported case of severe liver toxicity in a woman taking 12 g daily of PABA. 9 Fortunately, her liver recovered completely after she discontinued her use of this supplement. Also, a recent study suggests that 8 g daily of PABA can cause vitiligo, the patchy skin disease described previously. 10

Clearly, there are questions that need to be answered about the safety of high-dose PABA therapy. You shouldn

[Lauirel]

There does seem to be some question as to the safety of oral PABA, especially at higher doses, and especially with regard to the liver (as well as vitiligo. )

Open Original Shared Link

Safety Issues

PABA is probably safe when taken at a dosage up to 400 mg daily. Possible side effects at this dosage are minor, including skin rash and loss of appetite. 8

Higher doses are a different story, however. There has been one reported case of severe liver toxicity in a woman taking 12 g daily of PABA. 9 Fortunately, her liver recovered completely after she discontinued her use of this supplement. Also, a recent study suggests that 8 g daily of PABA can cause vitiligo, the patchy skin disease described previously. 10

Clearly, there are questions that need to be answered about the safety of high-dose PABA therapy. You shouldn't take more than 400 mg daily except under medical supervision.

PABA may interfere with certain medications, including sulfa antibiotics . 11,12

Safety in young children, pregnant or nursing women, or those with serious liver or kidney disease has not been determined.

These same safety considerations are also associated with Dapsone Therapy.

The theory behind the complications is due to the nutritional deficiencies that occur alongside the occurence of Celiac. One of the main nutritional deficiency associations is that of the B vitamins and folate metabolism. Both either made or absorbed in the affected intestines of the Celiac patient. And further correlation to methylation problems resulting from the lack of either Vtiamin B 12 or folate and with resulting methylation blocks and its associated deficiencies.

As far as safety in children, pregnant, or nursing women, or those with serious liver or kidney disease, just about anything pharmeceutical or alternative would be the appropriate caution.

Every story has multiple viewpoints, thanks for bringing more discussion to this issue. I was hoping for such.

LaurieL

[Lauirel]

Some additional information concerning folate and PABA.

Folate, once known as vitamin B - 9, is named after the dark green leafy vegetables it was first extracted from. "Folium" is Latin for leaf.

Folic acid contains three parts: pteroic acid, glutamic acid, and para-aminobenzoic acid (PABA).

Folate is an important coenzyme in your body which helps to move carbon units about, and is necessary for the synthesis of nitrogen-containing purines and pyrimidines, which are essential for the synthesis of nucleotides... which make up your RNA and DNA. Folate is also necessary for making the heme (the iron-containing, nonprotein part of hemoglobin) for your red blood cells

Too little folate causes nutritional megoblastic anemia (that's large, immature red blood cells that can't carry oxygen well and is often found by high CO2 levels of the patient). Yet another condition associated alongside Celiac patients as well as pernicious anemia or the macrocytic anemias and with strong associations to Vitamin B 12 deficiencies as well within the methylation cycle of which is directly associated with the folate cycle and the sulfuration arm cycle.

For more information on these particular cycles, one could type in keywords folate cycle, Vitamin B12 cycle, and instead of finding these under the web tab in your upper left corner of your searches, you would click on the images tab, and have pictures of the cycles themselves.

LaurieL

[Lauirel]

Here is some more information concerning sulfonamide antibiotics, Dapsone, and the inhibition of dihydropteroate synthetase or pteridine synthetase. It is the step of which PABA must go through in order to become tetrahydrofolic acid.

Sulfonamides, including Dapsone inhibit dihydropteroate synthetase and there for inhibit the folate synthesis pathway.

A dihydropteroate synthetase inhibitor is a drug that inhibits the action of dihydropteroate synthetase. Most are sulfonamides.

Tetrahydrofolate synthesis pathway

In bacteria, antibacterial sulfonamides act as competitive inhibitors of the enzyme dihydropteroate synthetase, DHPS. DHPS catalyses the conversion of PABA (para-aminobenzoate) to dihydropteroate, a key step in folate synthesis. Folate is necessary for the cell to synthesize nucleic acids (nucleic acids are essential building blocks of DNA and RNA), and in its absence cells will be unable to divide. Hence the sulfonamide antibacterials exhibit a bacteriostatic rather than bactericidal effect.

Folate is not synthesized in mammalian cells, but is instead a dietary requirement. This explains the selective toxicity to bacterial cells of these drugs. These antibiotics are used to treat pneumocystis jiroveci pneumonia, urinary tract infections, and shigellosis as well as DH.

Two examples are dapsone and sulfamethoxazole.^[1]

Another example is the antimalarial sulfadoxine.^[2]

Open Original Shared Link

^{As an antibacterial, dapsone inhibits bacterial synthesis of dihydrofolic acid, via competition with para-aminobenzoate for the active site of dihydropteroate synthetase.[5]} Though structurally distinct from dapsone, the sulfonamide group of antibacterial drugs also work in this way.

When used for the treatment of skin conditions in which bacteria do not have a role, the mechanism or action of dapsone is not well understood.

Dapsone has anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory effects.^[6] Dapsone blocks myeloperoxidase, which has been suggested to be its mechanism of action in treating dermatitis herpetiformis.^[7] Myeloperoxidase converts hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) into hypochlorous acid (HOCl) as part of the respiratory burst in neutrophils to kill bacteria. HOCl is the most toxic and potent oxidant generated by neutrophils, which can potentially cause significant tissue damage in many inflammatory diseases. The respiratory burst uses large quantities of oxygen, and a single neutrophil may produce enough HOCl in one second to destroy 150 bacteria.^[8] In the absence of chloride ions or when there is excess hydrogen peroxide, the myeloperoxidase is converted to its inactive form. Dapsone reversibly inhibits myeloperoxidase activity by promoting the formation of an inactive intermediate of the enzyme, thus preventing the conversion of hydrogen peroxide to hypochlorous acid, an extremely potent neutrophil oxidant.^{[9][10][11][12][13]} Myeloperoxidase inhibition has also been suggested as a mechanism for a neuron-sparing effect in inflammatory neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer disease and stroke ^[14]

^{Alzheimers also being associated as a fiber producing disease and correlations to Celiac patients as well by the abnormal cross linking in collagen formation.}

Open Original Shared Link

Of which Neutrophil concentrations are associated alongside the IgA depostion in Dermatitis Herpetiformis.

LaurieL

[chelebelle]

There is an ointment at drug-stores, Wal-Mart's, etc, called Blue-Star Ointment. I use it, and it works really well. I have noticed that my DH gets worse when I use moisturizing soap, such as Oil of Olay w/ moisturizer. I use Dial, and it works really well. I was diagnosed at 15, and the doctor who diagnosed me had never even heard of Celiac. It was not wide-spread back then, and there was little information about the effect of eating gluten, even when you are allergic. I recently did my own research, finally, and I am happy to say that I will be starting my new gluten-free diet in a few weeks. I want to make sure I have everything I need before I start, because I don't want to start then end up having to eat gluten. I am also a diabetic, with extremely low-running blood sugars (in the 20s!), and sometimes I do not have much of a choice as to avoiding gluten. Anyhow, I am extremely excited! I live in Noblesville, Indiana, and a woman recently opened a gluten-free bakery here. I am getting a bread machine next week, to make my own gluten-free bread when I choose to. I am very excited, wish me luck! I am hoping that my life-long rashes will finally go away!

[HDG-MA]

I am a new member here and although my story is long, I must say I am rather dissappointed by the responses to the question of whether there are natural remedies available to those suffering dermatitis herpetiformis or DH. Because there are.

I realize the original posting date of this particular question was in September, and here it is in the last days of December. Hence my addition would be considered late after the fact. But here I am reading this, and perhaps the information I have to add will benefit others in which read this at this later date.

PABA or Para-Amino Benzoic Acid taken orally by mouth and cited by varying references from 200 mgs 4 to 5 times per day and up to 9,000 to 12,000 mgs per day as an alternative treatment for dermatitis herpetiformis. May I suggest the best sources for dosages would be from the online medical journals using cross reference search terms, PABA, dermatitis herpetiformis. You can also use these search terms in your address bar for more general online information as well.

Additional information would also apply to the cross linking of collagen fibers in DH, the relation to IgA depostion and cross linking, and PABA's role in preventing the abnormal cross linking occuring in DH.

Also applicable to the occurence of Vitiligo which seems to occur quite frequently alongside Celiac and especially DH, and resulting from a lack of all B vitamins due to the malabsorption and intestinal dysbiosis associated with Celiac.

DMAE or Dimethylethanolamine can also be used topically alongside the oral dosages of PABA. This is a salt of PABA and something I have found helpful for the crazy itch associated with DH.

PABA is considered an alternative to Dapsone therapy.

Good luck.

LaurieL

Never too late, LaurieL!!  I become so frustrated with some of the DANGEROUS information handed out by uninformed 'people' out here on the internet! There is a lie going around, endangering lives, in regards to drinking lite beer.

THANK YOU for sharing this! Dapsone is a very dangerous drug. I can't wait to get some DMAE out of the frig & try it!

Had to take a moment & thank you for sharing, a little 'hope'. I am EXHAUSTED from living with this STALKER! I got my 1st breakout on my ankle, after sitting cross legged in my fresh sod. That was 14 yrs ago. (I had been diagnosed by my chiropractor 16 yrs ago w/celiac). Since the 1st time, the DH spred to both ankles, then spread over my entire feet. Then my hands. They would swell, I can't hold the steering wheel. They are hot, itch sooo bad, blisters come, & my entire hands peel until I have raw hands. I won't go into other details, but as you know, what a nightmare!!  No blisters for a record time of 3 (THREE) months! At present the skin is softening, healing, swelling is gone. BUT THE ITCHING HASN'T STOPPED.  I will find out the doses I need, & go drop some liquid on my hands. 

I pray it works for me, then I too, can pass it on, maybe help someone else.  Thanks again.

Carol

[HDG-MA]

There is an ointment at drug-stores, Wal-Mart's, etc, called Blue-Star Ointment. I use it, and it works really well. I have noticed that my DH gets worse when I use moisturizing soap, such as Oil of Olay w/ moisturizer. I use Dial, and it works really well. I was diagnosed at 15, and the doctor who diagnosed me had never even heard of Celiac. It was not wide-spread back then, and there was little information about the effect of eating gluten, even when you are allergic. I recently did my own research, finally, and I am happy to say that I will be starting my new gluten-free diet in a few weeks. I want to make sure I have everything I need before I start, because I don't want to start then end up having to eat gluten. I am also a diabetic, with extremely low-running blood sugars (in the 20s!), and sometimes I do not have much of a choice as to avoiding gluten. Anyhow, I am extremely excited! I live in Noblesville, Indiana, and a woman recently opened a gluten-free bakery here. I am getting a bread machine next week, to make my own gluten-free bread when I choose to. I am very excited, wish me luck! I am hoping that my life-long rashes will finally go away!

Our stories are so similar, I do relate to "life-long rashes". I will also pick up this ointment, I keep searching for something to 'tame' the itch. 16 yrs ago, I was diagnosed by my chiropractor, (while the neuro doc, who had ordered all of the tests we asked for, was going to put me on some med, & told me I had mono , also.) My chiro read the labs, & said, chronic fatigue (Epstein Barr Virus), & celiac. The body became healthy, healthy (!!) except for the rashes, blisters, swelling & itching, attacking my hands, both feet, then back & forth for the last 14 yrs.

I am learning  about 'salt'--that it is even in purified water, probably IODIZED, creating constant outbreaks. So I drink distilled, & use Celtic sea  salt, which you may want to check out. seasaltsociety is the website. May even help with your blood sugar.

I wish you all the blessings that come with your new journey! It is not hard to live  pretty much gluten free, & the mind clarity, energy, peace, memory refreshed, sure make it worth the changes! Good Luck, and there are so many good recipes & info. on the net. (And  there are, some morons who give bad information.)  We learn alot about ourselves, this life, with much research.

[kareng]

Our stories are so similar, I do relate to "life-long rashes". I will also pick up this ointment, I keep searching for something to 'tame' the itch. 16 yrs ago, I was diagnosed by my chiropractor, (while the neuro doc, who had ordered all of the tests we asked for, was going to put me on some med, & told me I had mono , also.) My chiro read the labs, & said, chronic fatigue (Epstein Barr Virus), & celiac. The body became healthy, healthy (!!) except for the rashes, blisters, swelling & itching, attacking my hands, both feet, then back & forth for the last 14 yrs.

I am learning  about 'salt'--that it is even in purified water, probably IODIZED, creating constant outbreaks. So I drink distilled, & use Celtic sea  salt, which you may want to check out. seasaltsociety is the website. May even help with your blood sugar.

I wish you all the blessings that come with your new journey! It is not hard to live  pretty much gluten free, & the mind clarity, energy, peace, memory refreshed, sure make it worth the changes! Good Luck, and there are so many good recipes & info. on the net. (And  there are, some morons who give bad information.)  We learn alot about ourselves, this life, with much research.

 

 

This thread is 3 years old.  We have some very recent discussions of DH.  You might get someone answering back on one of those? 

[mastercelo]

Here's what's helping for me:

 

Skin:

 

- Organic Jojoba oil on the body 2x a day (in the morning and before going to bed). It helps the itching and redness. I also tried Avocado Oil, but it seems that jojoba oil works better for me.

Open Original Shared Link

- Organic argan oil on the face and scalp. Also 2x a day.

- When I shower, I use Dr. Bronner's Magic Soap. My favorite is based on hemp oil (the green label).

 

Diet:

 

- Only real, unprocessed food. And, if it's prepared, I want to know how it was done. When I eat out, I tend to choose the safest route and only order salads with dressing on the side, in case I don't know what's in it.

- At home, I steam my vegetables or eat them raw. I also eat a lot of fat (avocado, olive oil) and beans (lentils, pinto, chicken peas). The ratio of fat/protein/carbs may vary from person to person.

- No sugar or artificial sweeteners.

- No grains, including whole grains.

- Nothing that spikes my blood sugar level, including juice fruits. I only eat whole fruits and not a lot of them.