Looking For Opinions

[undrznith]

I started having this issue I *think* during jr high school. It has pretty much been a constant thing though it would get better or worse at times since then. I am now 27. I went gluten-free about a year and a half ago for unrelated reasons and it pretty much went away with just a couple lingering spots (I am awful and a picker of scabs don't even realize I'm doing it...) Once in a while I would get the insane itching but it wouldn't last super long and would stop. Now I have this going on. Have been getting takeout more often because I am lazy lately (see: pregnant) and then Thanksgiving. Been pretty careful I thought but who knows. Maybe pregnancy can make you more sensitive too? Anyway... Could it be related to gluten/dh? It itches like freaking crazy and drives me nuts. When I had them before they would end up getting scratched off and bleeding. Awful... Here is a picture... Sorry it is kind of poor quality... http://lh5.ggpht.com/-gjY_I2JxtGE/ULSJf-05GKI/AAAAAAAAAHc/u53zP_UiAHs/20121127_011233.png Also I have never had a problem with acne so I don't think it would be that, and I don't think acne itches like that. It has gone partially down the back of my shoulder before too. I don't know...

[SMDBill]

It sure appears possible. My question is whether you have been completely gluten-free or just light? If it's DH it would suggest you haven't been totally gluten-free and you mentioned Thanksgiving and carryout. Were those foods prepared gluten-free as well?

[squirmingitch]

Based on what you said happened when you went gluten-free & it's return now with take out food & Thanksgiving plus the photo; I'd say it's dh. You can't trust take out food & taking risks also with Thanksgiving. And YES! pregnancy can have an effect also.

You need to be 100% gluten-free no doubts about it kind of gluten-free. DH is sensitive to the tiniest amount of gluten.

[undrznith]

We hosted Thanksgiving so the turkey and gravy were prepared gluten free. There were some desserts made by others that were made gluten free but don't know how those were prepared as it was not by me. Typically we very rarely eat out and I make everything from scratch. We actually eat mostly grain free. I am sure I have gotten less careful lately with the take out with the pregnancy and not feeling awesome. My husband was saying after thanksgiving his chest was feeling tight so it makes me wonder. He has pretty severe asthma which went away since going gluten-free and he hasn't had to take any meds for it anymore either. He decided to get tested for celiac so started eating it again for that and couldn't keep it up. Kept having to visit the er for asthma attacks. So this makes me wonder too if there may have been some kind of unknown source at thanksgiving or something. Who knows... To be honest I wish I had known before to get everyone tested before going gluten-free just to know. Would be nice to know for family to also get tested and for our kids to know for the future... May look into the genetic tests in the future...

[GFinDC]

Welcome Undrznith,

Some people report that iodine in their diet makes their DH act up more when exposed to gluten. The way they test for DH (dermatitis herpetiformis) is to take a biopsy sample of the skin right next to a lesion, not the lesion itself tho. DH is a skin expression of celiac disease. So if you are diagnosed with DH then you have celiac disease too. They test the biopsy sample for antibodies to gliaden. There is a section of the forum for DH issues with more information. You came to the right place!