When You've Been Glutened...

[lub2bmom]

I have to vent -- i am 99% positive i have DH -- i went gluten free in August 2011 after suffering 6 years of unexplained hives -- and the hives went away --- i recently put on some nail polish that had gluten in it and ate at a mexican resturant where I beleive the chips were not 100% corn like they said... so I know have a nice batch of hives on my hands... that of course get worse as I scratch the in my sleep and now are creeping on my wrists. UGH!! Frustrating. End Vent.

Question: Everyone is different - how long does it take for your to have a reaction after being glutened and how long do they tend to last for you since going gluten free (minus the mistake when your glutened). If that makes sense? I figured anyone with DH or celiac for that matter would understand the phrase... glutened! Thanks in advance for your replies!

[bartfull]

My symptoms are mostly skin related too. Well, that plus unbearable insomnia. I have found that when I get glutened or corned (corn is a BIG problem for me), by the next day my psoriasis is already flaring, and by the NEXT night, I can't sleep. Once the source of the "poisoning" is removed, within about two days my psorasis STARTS to heal (takes weeks before it is completely healed), and the insomnia goes away fairly quickly - a night or two.

[rosetapper23]

I usually end up with DH within half an hour of eating either gluten or a lot of iodine. If you feel you have DH, you need to be careful to avoid BOTH gluten AND iodine. That said, once my DH starts up, it takes 2-3 months before I'm only left with scars.

[itchy]

I wish I could say. I rarely get a direct response from being 'glutened'. I've accidentally consumed gluten without any noticeable reaction, and I've had responses that I couldn't connect to an exposure.

In other instances the reaction has come with a couple of hours after a suspicious event, and the effects have lasted for several days.

Overall it's been almost two years since I went strictly gluten free, and the lesions are mostly gone. The ones I still have are much less angry, but still sting at certain times of day. Extrapolating forward, I predict they will be pretty much gone in 3-6 months.

I don't pay much attention to iodine but haven't been able to detect an effect. It's possible that avoiding iodine would have saved me some trouble, or maybe not.

[lub2bmom]

I am thinking i need to avoid iodine too -- tamari sauce has it in there and last night i had some on my rice and by the end of the night the hives got WORSE! ugh. Any suggestions for a gluten free iodine free sauce for rice and veggies?

My hives seem to take this path: tiny red bumps that itch... then they are scratched ... the then turn to circle shaped hives with flat tops, but still raised, that still itch incredibly ... then they turn to painful hives... then they scar. usually stay 2-3 weeks at a min. now that i'm gluten free. A part of me says i should get a doctor test done to confirm it's DH, but i've suffered now for 6 years wtih this and have a doctor bill like you would not beleive i'm trying to pay off from test after test for everything under the sun. Minus DH. of course none of the doctors thought of that. And then reading that the test is not accurate. If the perscription to help is going gluten free -- i figured it cant' hurt to do that on my own. Which i have now for almost 3 months and i noticed a HUGE improvement!!! they went away after 2 months and i've been hive free for a few week until this spout of hives.