Is This Dh Or Keratosis Pilaris?

[George Knighton]

I have googled images for DH but there seems to be a variety of them. I took a picture with my camera phone in the brightest settings but I'm not sure why it still looks dark.

This is one of my arms:

This is my chest-stomach:

It basically looks like this throughout my whole body on almost every single hair follicle... even the slightest hair has this dark red bump. It looks much worst in person. I started developing these when I started college back in 2005. It started from really small bumps from a few small groups in a different parts of my body that weren't really noticeable and I enjoyed my life then. 3 years later I noticed it started spreading but I still had fun with my life here and there. 6 years later it has gotten much worst to the point where I dont want to go out anymore. It's everywhere and it just keeps on spreading. It developed much more last November 2010. During these times I visited 3 derms but no avail so I just pretty much gave up hope because I was also dangling on college tuition so I can't keep on paying for something that won't work. I itch most of the time at night hence why I have a hard time sleeping.

I have no doubt that mines is much more chronic than anyone else's here so can you guys tell me whether or not this is DH or KP? Or is it something else?

I tried many different treatments such as seabuckthorn soap, exfoiliating, drinking apple cider vinegar, the topical and ointments my derms gave me, sunbathing, and I'm just not seeing any results after doing each for 2-3 months religiously. I recently started cutting out gluten and casein from my diet but have yet to see anything I'm sure. I've gotten to the point of depression and I'm just staying at home most of the time. I became really distant with my friends for the past years and now I hardly talk to anyone... just the people on gaming forums and my folks. I even thought about ending it all and just restarting life again.

I've already went through 3 dermatologist doctors and they said its psoriasis and/or eczema, but I'm going again to another one next week hopefully to get re-diagnosed. But in the mean time, can you guys predict what this really is?

[eatmeat4good]

I think it looks like DH but as you said, on every single follicle.

My DH didn't look like any of the pictures I ever saw.

I really think there is a range of ways the rash can look depending on the antibodies in your system.

I have had active lesions for 7 years.

Do the blisters break? Peel ooze hurt?

You have an appointment with a Dermatologist coming up so I would recommend you ask for a biopsy for DH.

It certainly wouldn't hurt to rule it out. Your Derm needs to biopsy next to the lesions on clear skin where the antibodies form.

IF they won't do it....they refused to biopsy mine and several others here, and you still suspect it is gluten related or DH, you will need to be strictly gluten free AND iodine free for a significant length of time. The antibodies remain in the skin for a long time.

I also would recommend you ask to take Dapsone or read about it and see if the risks are worth it to you.

I still have active lesions after 4 months gluten free.

And oh my god they are ever more painful on exposure to slight Cross contamination or iodine.

So I asked the Dr. for Dapsone which I started today. I really am amazed that one single dose has caused immediate relief in the pain and hurting and burning. I am on 50 mg.

Dapsone is also prescribed for other skin infections. Given the length of time you have been suffering and the emotional distress it is causing, I would think hey would at least let you trial the Dapsone.

Dr. Greene wrote Celiac the Hidden Epidemic...In it he refers to the fact that the pain and itching from DH sores cannot be underestimated and it has caused suicidal ideation in some people. You are not alone. I have been there too. Mine are on my face and it destroyed my skin. I hate to go anywhere too but cannot cover mine up.

I hope this Dermatologist listens to you.

If not, you have nothing to lose by going gluten and iodine free for a long period of time.

Unfortunately Dr. Greene also says that DH patients have to be very patient patients because even with Dapsone and avoiding gluten and iodine it can take up to two years to heal the sores. The antibodies can remain in your skin for up to 10 years just waiting to be activated by gluten.

So it isn't a surprise that your gluten free attempt hasn't shown great results.

Mine didn't either.

It is a long term thing but I am getting my first relief on Dapsone after 4 months gluten free.

Whether it is KP or DH- I have read on here that both are responsive to the gluten free diet and people write that theirs resolved on gluten free.

So there is still hope.

I think you are on the right track.

I hope you find an answer and heal fast.

Sorry to go on so long.

[cassP]

i dont know enough to really identify KP... but your pics look like they could be DH... i had a small patch on my stomach and it too seemed like i had a blister for every hair follicle!! mine didnt show up till i was already gluten free for 3 weeks... the rash stayed there for about 4 months. when i started applying an ionized silver ointment (natural antibiotic & antiinflammatory) - it started to heal.

from what ive read on here- the antibodies can stay active for MONTHS after going gluten free- so know that it COULD take some time.

and im not surprised at all with your experience- as i have read that many Dermatologists dont even know what DH is! i dont think they even learn about it in school! i read an article about a Dermatologist who had Celiac & DH- but that she didnt even know what the DH was- and she had to do quite a bit of investigating to lead to her dx.

good luck- your rash being everywhere & so itchy sounds awful- i hope you can find your answers and relief!

PS- let me also reiterate- be careful if you decide to do what i did with the Silver ointment. i THINK my ionized silver was safe...BUT i THINK the colloidal silver and also a silver cream you can get via prescription can turn your skin GRAY- so i dont want that for you either

[shopgirl]

I don't think KP is generally itchy. It's just there. I haven't had DH but I have had KP and it's never been itchy.

[ravenwoodglass]

If it itches and the lesions leave purplish scars than it very well may be DH. Do ask a derm to biopsy next to a lesion and to look specifically for DH.

Have you had a celiac panel done? Are you having any other symptoms of celiac like stomach or intestinal issues (even if sporatic), migraines, difficulty with thought or memory, balance issues, joint and or muscle pain? While I had DH for years without any other celiac issues a lot of people will have other celiac related issues that make it easier to get a doctor to test for celiac.

As mentioned it can take a long time for the antibodies to leave the skin. However from the day I went gluten free I stopped having new outbreaks unless glutened. When your done with testing do go strictly gluten free and also make sure to avoid iodine for at least 3 to 6 months and see if things clear up.

I know this is depressing for you. When my DH outbreaks were bad I also felt like hiding as I thought they were the first thing everyone would notice. It turned out that it was most obvious to me and others didn't notice it any where near as much as I thought they did. It may be hard but don't let this stop you from living your life.

[Hopeful1950]

In my seven year search for a diagnosis I have looked at a lot of photos of eczema and psoriasis and this doesn't look like either one. I have had patches of DH that looked just like this. Not all my DH looks like this, but some of it does.

I went through 3 dermatologists also and they all sent me away with a diagnosis of "stress eczema" or "neurotic excoriations" and gave me steroid creams etc. I finally took the bull by the horns and went to an allergist. He tested for allergies and did a celiac panel. The celiac blood panel came back negative (as often happens with DH). I then ordered testing from Enterolab and went back to the allergest with test results indicating two genes for celiac and indication that I was reacting to gluten. He is a very cool doc and agreed that it is DH and we have been working on it ever since. Be persistent with the docs. Go armed with information and most of all educate yourself(this forum is the best!) I would have gone gluten/iodine free even if the doc hadn't agreed with me.

As other folks have mentioned it takes quite awhile for the antibodies to clear from your skin after eliminating gluten/iodine from your diet. Some folks get results in as little as 4 months, some up to two years and everything in between. I am 8 months gluten free and am finally seeing some relief. Dapsone is another option. It provides almost instant relief and if you can take it without side effects, it is a really good option. Years ago, getting relief from Dapsone was one of the ways they diagnosed DH. Might be worth a try if they won't, don't or can't do the proper skin biopsy for you.

I know how you feel. I stopped playing golf, riding my motorcycle, cycling etc. I have been covered (and sometimes wrapped)for 7 years. I used to go to Hawaii to see a friend every couple of years and wouldn't dream of going now because I would suffocate in the heat. I sometimes wish they could put me to sleep and wake me up when the itching is gone. It has caused me to lose countless nights of sleep. I have cried with frustration as the lesions spread over most of my body. I have felt shame when the derms told me I was doing this to myself "just to stop scratching". This forum has helped immensely...just knowing that I am not alone.

Good luck to you.

[George Knighton]

Seems like my appt had to be rescheduled due to my derm doctor being sick, but it will cost me an arm and a leg for this one.

What does the skin biopsy do? Or what am I suppose to do after I finish getting one?

My lesions look dark brown (maybe because I have brown skin), on some other follicles they look like goosebumps and the is the same color as my skin, and they itch at night while I'm sleeping most of the time. They only appear on the skin follicles which is why I was wondering if its KP. It bleeds and forms a small bump scab if I do scratch it at night unwillingly... no oozing or blisters though.

Some other symptoms I am experiencing are confusion, dizziness, memory loss (takes me awhile to remember some things), heavy sleeping (my alarm goes off at 6am but I get up to turn it off then go back to sleep), using number-two most of the time in the mornings (but thats really the only time I use the bathroom every day), atopic dermatits/ or psoriasis on my back and some parts of my body (was told it could be conjunctioned with DH), dandruff and flaky scalp, Angular Chilitis (has gone away after doing that dishwash technique), and I think thats about it.

Also, Dapsone looks very risky. I'm only 22, male, and if possible I'd like to just get rid of certain things if it can help.

[eatmeat4good]

From my reading the biopsy will show IgA antibodies in the skin next to a lesion. It is considered a positive diagnosis for Celiac if they find the antibodies there. The biopsy has to be next to a lesion on the clear skin.

If it is postive then you would go on a gluten free diet for life and avoid iodine until the sores are healed which for some is a few months and for others longer.

I hope this dermatologist is knowledgeable about DH and you get a good biopsy.

[ravenwoodglass]

Seems like my appt had to be rescheduled due to my derm doctor being sick, but it will cost me an arm and a leg for this one.

What does the skin biopsy do? Or what am I suppose to do after I finish getting one?

My lesions look dark brown (maybe because I have brown skin), on some other follicles they look like goosebumps and the is the same color as my skin, and they itch at night while I'm sleeping most of the time. They only appear on the skin follicles which is why I was wondering if its KP. It bleeds and forms a small bump scab if I do scratch it at night unwillingly... no oozing or blisters though.

Some other symptoms I am experiencing are confusion, dizziness, memory loss (takes me awhile to remember some things), heavy sleeping (my alarm goes off at 6am but I get up to turn it off then go back to sleep), using number-two most of the time in the mornings (but thats really the only time I use the bathroom every day), atopic dermatits/ or psoriasis on my back and some parts of my body (was told it could be conjunctioned with DH), dandruff and flaky scalp, Angular Chilitis (has gone away after doing that dishwash technique), and I think thats about it.

Also, Dapsone looks very risky. I'm only 22, male, and if possible I'd like to just get rid of certain things if it can help.

At times celiac disease or gluten intolerance can attack the brain before it attacks the gut full force. I had neuro and skin problems for years before my GI issues became more than a 'gee I must have a stomach bug or maybe I have lactose intolerance' sort of thing. You may want to do a good strict trial of the gluten free diet for at least a couple of months after you have had all the celiac related testing you choose to do. I also passed on the Dapsone. KP can be sometimes related go gluten intolerance. If it is KP and not DH you may still get some relief from the diet.

[George Knighton]

Really quick question, after ingesting some doughnuts and Lunchables, some parts of my body had parts of red patches... what does this mean? Gluten tolerance?

[cassP]

Really quick question, after ingesting some doughnuts and Lunchables, some parts of my body had parts of red patches... what does this mean? Gluten tolerance?

maybe, OR Allergies ontop of intolerances. maybe allergies to wheat, or all the preservatives and nitrates in lunch meats & donuts ?? im sure there's also a lot of corn byproducts in those processed foods-

[George Knighton]

Does anyone have a picture of what DH actually looks like? According to Google images it looks like hives that form crust on top of them and welts... others show just red bumps blisters that bleed out...

Here's what KP looks like:

It's basically hair follicles forming a plug around the hair.

[itchy]

Here's a URL for site that has images that approximate what mine looked like at their worst.

Open Original Shared Link

Image 13 or 16 would be like my DH, which manifested on my arms. Ugly eh? Makes me realise how much progress I've made.

[bincongo]

Here's a URL for site that has images that approximate what mine looked like at their worst.

Open Original Shared Link

Image 13 or 16 would be like my DH, which manifested on my arms. Ugly eh? Makes me realise how much progress I've made.

Thanks for the URL site. My back looks like the ladies back and I haven't been diagnosed with DH yet. I am a Celiac and have been gluten free for 7 months. I didn't have the rash before, at least not to this extent, only a occasional bump off and on. Don't know why it decides to show up now. Thanks for the info.

[cahill]

Here's a URL for site that has images that approximate what mine looked like at their worst.

Open Original Shared Link

Image 13 or 16 would be like my DH, which manifested on my arms. Ugly eh? Makes me realise how much progress I've made.

great link

the first picture is what my DH looks like now ,,I am 54.. Picture 49 was what it looked like the first time I remember the rash ,I was 17 it was on my forearms