Jump to content

  • 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

An Answer After 2 Years?

greensleeve

By greensleeve
in Dermatitis Herpetiformis

Recommended Posts

greensleeve Newbie
greensleeve
Posted

I've been trying to figure out what's going on with my skin for two years. The story will probably sound familiar. I got a cluster of weird bumps on my face, and they wouldn't go away. I've never had acne or other skin problems. The bumps slowly spread all over my face, ears, neck and scalp. I also developed hives all over and no amount of scratching worked. The itching is intense and awful. The facial bumps often look like mosquito bites, and sometimes they look like p%$#@#/crusty bumps. They sting and itch unbelievably. I've been to four doctors, I've had allergy testing, which was positive for wheat, eggs, peanuts and milk. I've stumped two derms, my GP and just quit asking the ENT doc. Allergy shots, antihistamines, anti-fungal, antibiotics, acne meds, rosacea cream....none worked. I am handed a steroid cream and told to rock on. The cream helps some, but the weird bumps return worse than ever when I stop. I know it is not good to use steroids long term. What's a girl to do? I've got to go to work and face my customers.

So, I continued my own research. Based on the fact that I am hypothyroid, had extreme Vitamin D deficiency, insomnia, dizziness, wheat allergy, and gas that would embarras a lumberjack...I found this forum and a wealth of info on the net. I think I might have found an answer, and it certainly warrants further research into this topic.

I'm not concerned with testing/diagnosis at this point. I'm sick of dealing with docs and being handed an RX for some other drug. I want to learn more about DH and eliminate gluten and see if there's any improvement.

I am very frustrated and very much appreciate all the info I've found on this forum.

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

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


squirmingitch Veteran
squirmingitch
Posted

Sounds like you have your answer! Everything you've stated fits dh & therefore celiac. Welcome to the board & the club. Read on here as much as you can. That will give you the info. you need. Here are a few links to get you started:

https://www.celiac.com/forums/topic/95643-interesting-reading-on-dh/

https://www.celiac.com/forums/topic/94056-dh-photo-bank/

https://www.celiac.com/forums/topic/95809-a-break-out/

https://www.celiac.com/forums/topic/78144-dh-and-iodine-what-is-the-connection/

https://www.celiac.com/forums/topic/89923-iodine-levels-in-dairy-products/

https://www.celiac.com/forums/topic/91878-newbie-info-101/

https://www.celiac.com/forums/topic/84513-descriptions-of-dh-types/

Any questions --- we are here.smile.gif

jmb002 Newbie
jmb002
Posted

I am dealing with the same exact problem currently (although I have only had it for 3 months and am going crazy)! Hope you get some relief. I am still trying to get someone to listen to me and make a diagnosis rather than try and mask the symptoms with medications such as prednisone! I just started my second taper of prednisone and symptoms are coming back faster than ever! Good luck!

Jenn

GFinDC Veteran
GFinDC
Posted

To test for DH they take a biopsy sample of the skin next to a lesion., not the lesion itself. A positive for DH is a positive for celiac.

ciamarie Rookie
ciamarie
Posted

I agree with the others, sounds like you're in the right place! I did want to let you know that when I had it on my face a few years back, one thing that did help somewhat was proactive solution. Then after I got home from work I'd wash off the makeup and put some calamine lotion on the itchy areas. It helped enough that I only have some minor scarring on my chin; though I also did my best not to do much scratching.

greensleeve Newbie
greensleeve
Posted
  • Author

Thanks everyone for the replies. The iodine connection makes a lot of sense to me. I have very low blood pressure and eat sea salt as needed at each meal. Will also cut it out and see what happens.

Jenn, I understand about the oral steroids. I can't tolerate them....found out the hard way. Sometimes cold water is the only thing that will make my back stop itching. I hope you find some relief.

squirmingitch Veteran
squirmingitch
Posted

Help for the itch, sting, burn & pain of dh:

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

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


YoloGx Rookie
YoloGx
Posted

Definitely gluten can be a huge factor. However for me I have also had food sensitivity trouble with a variety of natural food chemicals--namely salicylates, amines and tannins. Hope you don't but just wanted to let you know its possible.

Archived

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

Go to topic listing

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Celiac.com:
    Join eNewsletter
    Donate
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):
    Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):



    Celiac.com Sponsors (A17-M):



  • Recent Activity

    1. Rejoicephd
      - Rejoicephd commented on Jefferson Adams's article in Gluten-Free Cooking
      1

      Your Complete Gluten-Free Thanksgiving Plan: Recipes, Tips & Holiday Favorites

      Wow what a helpful article!! I am just seeing this now but I hosted a small group of family for Thanksgiving at my house this year and I did some of these things- got a butterball gluten-free turkey, got gluten-free stuffing, had a few gluten-free sides, and a gluten-free nothing-Bundt-cake. I had other non gluten-free things there too for others, and I also...
    2. Scott Adams
      0

      Rainforest Cafe Fined After Child's Severe Allergic Reaction: What It Means for Gluten-Free Safety

    3. marion wheaton
      - marion wheaton replied to marion wheaton's topic in Gluten-Free Foods, Products, Shopping & Medications
      3

      Are Lindt chocolate balls gluten free?

      Thanks for responding. I researched further and Lindt Lindor chocolate balls do contain barely malt powder which contains gluten. I was surprised at all of the conflicting information I found when I checked online.
    4. trents
      - trents replied to marion wheaton's topic in Gluten-Free Foods, Products, Shopping & Medications
      3

      Are Lindt chocolate balls gluten free?

      @BlessedinBoston, it is possible that in Canada the product in question is formulated differently than in the USA or at least processed in in a facility that precludes cross contamination. I assume from your user name that you are in the USA. And it is also possible that the product meets the FDA requirement of not more than 20ppm of gluten but you are a...
    5. BlessedinBoston
      - BlessedinBoston replied to marion wheaton's topic in Gluten-Free Foods, Products, Shopping & Medications
      3

      Are Lindt chocolate balls gluten free?

      No,Lindt is not gluten free no matter what they say on their website. I found out the hard way when I was newly diagnosed in 2000. At that time the Lindt truffles were just becoming popular and were only sold in small specialty shops at the mall. You couldn't buy them in any stores like today and I was obsessed with them 😁. Took me a while to get around to...
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):


  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      132,414
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748
    Jane Margaret
    Newest Member
    Jane Margaret
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):

  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.5k
    • Total Posts
      1m
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):



  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):


  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • marion wheaton
      Are Lindt chocolate balls gluten free?

      By marion wheaton · Posted

      Thanks for responding. I researched further and Lindt Lindor chocolate balls do contain barely malt powder which contains gluten. I was surprised at all of the conflicting information I found when I checked online.
    • trents
      Are Lindt chocolate balls gluten free?

      By trents · Posted

      @BlessedinBoston, it is possible that in Canada the product in question is formulated differently than in the USA or at least processed in in a facility that precludes cross contamination. I assume from your user name that you are in the USA. And it is also possible that the product meets the FDA requirement of not more than 20ppm of gluten but you are a super sensitive celiac for whom that standard is insufficient. 
    • BlessedinBoston
      Are Lindt chocolate balls gluten free?

      By BlessedinBoston · Posted

      No,Lindt is not gluten free no matter what they say on their website. I found out the hard way when I was newly diagnosed in 2000. At that time the Lindt truffles were just becoming popular and were only sold in small specialty shops at the mall. You couldn't buy them in any stores like today and I was obsessed with them 😁. Took me a while to get around to checking them and was heartbroken when I saw they were absolutely not gluten free 😔. Felt the same when I realized Twizzlers weren't either. Took me a while to get my diet on order after being diagnosed. I was diagnosed with small bowel non Hodgkins lymphoma at the same time. So it was a very stressful time to say the least. Hope this helps 😁.
    • knitty kitty
      My only proof

      By knitty kitty · Posted

      @Jmartes71, I understand your frustration and anger.  I've been in a similar situation where no doctor took me seriously, accused me of making things up, and eventually sent me home to suffer alone.   My doctors did not recognize nutritional deficiencies.  Doctors are trained in medical learning institutions that are funded by pharmaceutical companies.  They are taught which medications cover up which symptoms.  Doctors are required to take twenty  hours of nutritional education in seven years of medical training.  (They can earn nine hours in Nutrition by taking a three day weekend seminar.)  They are taught nutritional deficiencies are passe' and don't happen in our well fed Western society any more.  In Celiac Disease, the autoimmune response and inflammation affects the absorption of ALL the essential vitamins and minerals.  Correcting nutritional deficiencies caused by malabsorption is essential!  I begged my doctor to check my Vitamin D level, which he did only after making sure my insurance would cover it.  When my Vitamin D came back extremely low, my doctor was very surprised, but refused to test for further nutritional deficiencies because he "couldn't make money prescribing vitamins.". I believe it was beyond his knowledge, so he blamed me for making stuff up, and stormed out of the exam room.  I had studied Nutrition before earning a degree in Microbiology.  I switched because I was curious what vitamins from our food were doing in our bodies.  Vitamins are substances that our bodies cannot manufacture, so we must ingest them every day.  Without them, our bodies cannot manufacture life sustaining enzymes and we sicken and die.   At home alone, I could feel myself dying.  It's an unnerving feeling, to say the least, and, so, with nothing left to lose, I relied in my education in nutrition.  My symptoms of Thiamine deficiency were the worst, so I began taking high dose Thiamine.  I had health improvement within an hour.  It was magical.  I continued taking high dose thiamine with a B Complex, magnesium. and other essential nutrients.  The health improvements continued for months.  High doses of thiamine are required to correct a thiamine deficiency because thiamine affects every cell and mitochondria in our bodies.    A twenty percent increase in dietary thiamine causes an eighty percent increase in brain function.  The cerebellum of the brain is most affected.  The cerebellum controls things we don't have to consciously have to think about, like digestion, balance, breathing, blood pressure, heart rate, hormone regulation, and many more.  Thiamine is absorbed from the digestive tract and sent to the most important organs like the brain and the heart.  This leaves the digestive tract depleted of Thiamine and symptoms of Gastrointestinal Beriberi, a thiamine deficiency localized in the digestive system, begin to appear.  Symptoms of Gastrointestinal Beriberi include anxiety, depression, chronic fatigue, headaches, Gerd, acid reflux, gas, slow stomach emptying, gastroparesis, bloating, diarrhea and/or constipation, incontinence, abdominal pain, IBS,  SIBO, POTS, high blood pressure, heart rate changes like tachycardia, difficulty swallowing, Barrett's Esophagus, peripheral neuropathy, and more. Doctors are only taught about thiamine deficiency in alcoholism and look for the classic triad of symptoms (changes in gait, mental function, and nystagmus) but fail to realize that gastrointestinal symptoms can precede these symptoms by months.  All three classic triad of symptoms only appear in fifteen percent of patients, with most patients being diagnosed with thiamine deficiency post mortem.  I had all three but swore I didn't drink, so I was dismissed as "crazy" and sent home to die basically.   Yes, I understand how frustrating no answers from doctors can be.  I took OTC Thiamine Hydrochloride, and later thiamine in the forms TTFD (tetrahydrofurfuryl disulfide) and Benfotiamine to correct my thiamine deficiency.  I also took magnesium, needed by thiamine to make those life sustaining enzymes.  Thiamine interacts with each of the other B vitamins, so the other B vitamins must be supplemented as well.  Thiamine is safe and nontoxic even in high doses.   A doctor can administer high dose thiamine by IV along with the other B vitamins.  Again, Thiamine is safe and nontoxic even in high doses.  Thiamine should be given if only to rule Gastrointestinal Beriberi out as a cause of your symptoms.  If no improvement, no harm is done. Share the following link with your doctors.  Section Three is especially informative.  They need to be expand their knowledge about Thiamine and nutrition in Celiac Disease.  Ask for an Erythrocyte Transketolace Activity test for thiamine deficiency.  This test is more reliable than a blood test. Thiamine, gastrointestinal beriberi and acetylcholine signaling.  https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12014454/ Best wishes!
    • Jmartes71
      My only proof

      By Jmartes71 · Posted

      I have been diagnosed with celiac in 1994, in remission not eating wheat and other foods not to consume  my household eats wheat.I have diagnosed sibo, hernia ibs, high blood pressure, menopause, chronic fatigue just to name a few oh yes and Barrett's esophagus which i forgot, I currently have bumps in back of my throat, one Dr stated we all have bumps in the back of our throat.Im in pain.Standford specialist really dismissed me and now im really in limbo and trying to get properly cared for.I found a new gi and new pcp but its still a mess and medical is making it look like im a disability chaser when Im actively not well I look and feel horrible and its adding anxiety and depression more so.Im angery my condition is affecting me and its being down played 
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

NOTICE: This site places This site places cookies on your device (Cookie settings). on your device. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use, and Privacy Policy.