Jump to content
This site uses cookies. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. More Info... ×
  • 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:
    Help Celiac.com:
    eNewsletter
    Donate

"the Itch I Don't Want To Talk About" Anal Itching


seeking-wholeness

Recommended Posts

seeking-wholeness Explorer

Jan,

I know what you mean about the itching! I have used Desitin on it as well, or Vaseline, when I am desperate. Do you have gas at the same time you have the itching? I do. I think what happens for me is that I pass gas PLUS a tiny bit of fecal material, which then takes up residence on my anal sphincter and makes me ITCH! I find that using wet toilet paper (a disposable baby-type wipe or a witch-hazel hemorrhoid pad would be even better) to clean my bottom THOROUGHLY works wonders and doesn't require drugs or somewhat messy creams. I always make sure to dry myself off afterward, too, to avoid a diaper-rash effect!

I hope this helps!

--Sarah

Link to comment
Share on other sites

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



Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):



aball882000 Newbie

BOY am i glad someone else brought this up! I thought i was crazy and had cleanliness issues...im gonna try this and hope it works. Thanks :rolleyes:

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Guest aramgard

Try the small baby wipes, without fragrance. Works great. Shirley

Link to comment
Share on other sites
  • 2 months later...
Guest pear_fairy

ACK I get this too! It just seems so gross and disgusting! I mean it doesn't seem like it, it is! :P Mine went away but now last couple days got the moistness and itchiness back ewwwwwww! Dh thought I was nuts when I asked if he ever had clear slime from his rear when he wiped. So guess I am just the special one to get it ha ha. YUCK.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
outthere39 Rookie

I have to chime in on this one as well. Mine lasted for 2-3 months. Talk about embarrasing. Sitting down was such an issue. I really looked closely at my diet to see what I was eating. Mine started when I was began taking a vitamin that ended up not being gluten free. I cannot even say mine is completely 100% gone, sometimes, especially after walking a lot, I get a reminder.

-richard

Link to comment
Share on other sites
  • 3 months later...
chipsnsalsa Newbie

I am a 40 year old man and was diagnosed about one and a half years ago. My primary symptom was anemia due to my villi not absorbing iron. After about 6 months on the gluten-free diet my iron level became normalized.

The only side affect I seem to have from the gluten-free diet is anal itching and I'm wondering if anyone else has experienced the same thing, and if so, what they've done about it.

I've been to the doctor and he can't find any reason for the itching. I've tried various remedies, but they only mask the symptom temporarily. I'd like to find the cause and address it. I've tried taking some things out of my diet, but none turned out to be the culprit (there are many more I could try).

I'm thinking one of the alternative gluten-free flours or grains may be the culprit. Or, I'm thinking that because my villi are now absorbing nutrients like they should, perhaps I'm now sensitive to a food or drink that I wasn't sensitive to when my villi were damaged (e.g. drinks with caffeine).

I'm hoping to benefit from a fellow celiac's experiences. Is anyone experiencing this now or have you in the past? Any help would be appreciated.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
countrynurse Newbie

I'm new here, just heard about this place. I too have this embarassing problem. I have been using an item called BUTT PASTE (yea that's really the name of it) It's tanish in color though but doesn't stain. Wipes off eaiser then Desitin, and soothes. But I really can't help with the WHY of this question, I am still now just in the diagnosis stages of this thing and haven't the knowledge for that.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

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



Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):



chipsnsalsa Newbie

Thanks Countrynurse. I use a product called Assuage "for the unmentionable itch." Why is it the names for these products have to make things worse! It works fairly well, but I am looking for the cause.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
judy04 Rookie

Hi,

I don't have this problem but my husband does. I wish he would get

tested but I think, that he thinks , that he couldn't stay on the diet.

Anyway as a nurse I know about Balmex, usually for babies, but

it has worked wonders on hubby, he doesn't go a day without it.

Hope this helps someone.... :rolleyes:

Link to comment
Share on other sites
oreyes Newbie

I too am a nurse and have always used zinc oxide, which is a product that is in many anal ointments. I used it on my children when they were babies to prevent diaper rash. My father had a lot of trouble with "anal itch" and hemorrhiods. He felt it was a life saver to him. :)

This is just another suggestions because I know there are many things on the market today that will work................Judy

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Connie R-E Apprentice

Alright, when I eat a food I'm allergic to (soy, specifically) I get the "itchy butt".

I have to be completely soy free to notice it.

Anybody else notice it happening with a certain food? I think it is a food allergy symptom.

Connie

Link to comment
Share on other sites
  • 3 weeks later...
PETES Newbie

Balmex helps me too but doesn't address the cause. I think it is either stool leakage or more probably excess bile salts in the stool that are irritating. I think the best strategy is to bulk up the stool with fiber or absorb the bile salts with questran. Unfortunately questran seems to irritate my GERD. Always something

Link to comment
Share on other sites
  • 2 weeks later...
SofiEmiMom Enthusiast

For me it was an allergy symptom. I had a terrible reaction to an antibiotic where I broke out in an itchy rash. My anus, however, was the absolute worst, itchy place! I coudn't believe it.

I'm laughing, I never thought I would post something like this... :P

Link to comment
Share on other sites
erica Rookie

I am so relieved to know I am not the only one. I am on my computer looking for answers at 2 am b/c I can't stand the itching anymore. I have tried warms baths, tucks pads, every anti itch cream on the market and suppositories. At first, they worked for a few hours at a time. Now they work for about 5 minutes before the itching comes back. I am on my last nerve.... I think mine started when my Dr. put me back on gluten b/c my test results came back inconclusive. He wants me to eat it for 3 months so I can then hae an endoscopy. I am at month 2 and all my old symptoms are back. But this butt itch is a new symptom and it keeps me up at night!

Link to comment
Share on other sites
  • 4 years later...
laurie-carr Newbie
I am so relieved to know I am not the only one. I am on my computer looking for answers at 2 am b/c I can't stand the itching anymore. I have tried warms baths, tucks pads, every anti itch cream on the market and suppositories. At first, they worked for a few hours at a time. Now they work for about 5 minutes before the itching comes back. I am on my last nerve.... I think mine started when my Dr. put me back on gluten b/c my test results came back inconclusive. He wants me to eat it for 3 months so I can then hae an endoscopy. I am at month 2 and all my old symptoms are back. But this butt itch is a new symptom and it keeps me up at night!
Link to comment
Share on other sites
laurie-carr Newbie

I am 100% on board with everyone....I too am up all night. My doc had to examine me (very embaressing). He didnt say that it was from celiac disease.....But my celiac disease friends have said that it is part of my DH. I am aware that not all celiac disease people have DH....So I dont know what is going on....but I am loosing my mind....I need Tylenol PM to go to sleep.....HELP!!!!!!!!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Billygean Apprentice

Celiac is often associated with hard stools that can cause tiny cuts. Cuts itch when they heal and this is what i've always put mine down to. I've only been gluten free for 6 weeks and still have very hard stools.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
TammyK Apprentice

Have any of you checked for pinworms? My dd started complaining during the evening hours of itchy-anal. I had a flash-back of a mom telling me the story of her children getting pinworms and what a nuisance they were to their family. I checked, and there it was staring right back at me. You have to be mischevious though to spot them since they hide from light. Pinworms really do itch like crazy and only at night. I have learned about how common they really are.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
  • 4 years later...
stefie444 Newbie

Hi all,  I have general itchy butt problem - it's even a slight but very itchy rash at the top part of my buttocks.  This is such a bother and some things work sometimes and then they stop working and I have to try something else.  It went away completely and then I unknowingly ate some glutenized food a couple weeks ago and now I'm dealing with it again.  As for doctors telling you what it's from, they really don't know.  The problem is gluten and likely an acculmulation of other things we eat that have become toxic through genetic modification - like gluten - the chemicals, additives, poisons, hormones and so many things we can't keep up with.  The best we can do is eliminate the gluten and whatever else seems to be a problem; and read labels.  It's really helpful to have a place like this to share these things, because other people don't get it and doctors honestly often don't either.  We just have to experiement and support each other. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites
  • 2 years later...
Deryk Newbie

I'm so glad I found this...i've been dealing with the itch for a couple of months now and have been working with a naturopathic doctor and have not figured it out.  I thought gluten was more of the brain fog/stomach problems.  I was doing better this week with pretty much vegetable/meat diet (but I always wake up with itchiness in the morning).  last night I had chinese (gluten, soy, spices, etc...) and within 30 minutes the eczema on my elbows (a new problem), itchiness in my ears (a new problem) and the bottom issue flared up.  I had a terrible night, getting up several times to put on cream to ease the bottom itchiness.  

So???? This could be due to gluten???

Link to comment
Share on other sites
cyclinglady Grand Master
1 hour ago, Deryk said:

I'm so glad I found this...i've been dealing with the itch for a couple of months now and have been working with a naturopathic doctor and have not figured it out.  I thought gluten was more of the brain fog/stomach problems.  I was doing better this week with pretty much vegetable/meat diet (but I always wake up with itchiness in the morning).  last night I had chinese (gluten, soy, spices, etc...) and within 30 minutes the eczema on my elbows (a new problem), itchiness in my ears (a new problem) and the bottom issue flared up.  I had a terrible night, getting up several times to put on cream to ease the bottom itchiness.  

So???? This could be due to gluten???

Who knows?  Could be celiac disease, allergies, food intolerances, etc.  Consider getting tested or learning more about celiac disease.  The University of Chicago has a very good web-site on celiac disease:

http://www.cureceliacdisease.org/medical-professionals/guide/diagnosis

Also consider keeping a food journal.  

Good Luck!

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites
ScottM77 Newbie
2 hours ago, Deryk said:

I'm so glad I found this...i've been dealing with the itch for a couple of months now and have been working with a naturopathic doctor and have not figured it out.  I thought gluten was more of the brain fog/stomach problems.  I was doing better this week with pretty much vegetable/meat diet (but I always wake up with itchiness in the morning).  last night I had chinese (gluten, soy, spices, etc...) and within 30 minutes the eczema on my elbows (a new problem), itchiness in my ears (a new problem) and the bottom issue flared up.  I had a terrible night, getting up several times to put on cream to ease the bottom itchiness.  

So???? This could be due to gluten???

I have the same condition Pruritus Ani (itchy butt). I went to see 4 doctors (a GP, 2 Internists, and a dermatologist), but after many test and theories, they had no idea what was wrong with me. I used a bidet and would double wash, half hour apart, to remove all fecal matter. It acted like itching powder. I self tested eliminating foods for a year. I tried everything. 10 years I suffered with this! A short while ago, I happened upon Celiac and Gluten Intolerant, so I tried eliminating gluten. Wow! It worked. My symptoms cleared up. It was great. Then I began using my fiber therapy again, Equate, and although it says "Gluten Free" right beside it, it says (less than 20 ppm gluten) and dextrin (the primary ingredient) is made from wheat. I've had another breakout of itching. You have to be so careful. I'm feeling a bit paranoid.

One added plus, my insomnia is better. I can get back to sleep after waking to use the bathroom at night.

If you need fiber, use flax seed.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
cyclinglady Grand Master
15 minutes ago, ScottM77 said:

I have the same condition Pruritus Ani (itchy butt). I went to see 4 doctors (a GP, 2 Internists, and a dermatologist), but after many test and theories, they had no idea what was wrong with me. I used a bidet and would double wash, half hour apart, to remove all fecal matter. It acted like itching powder. I self tested eliminating foods for a year. I tried everything. 10 years I suffered with this! A short while ago, I happened upon Celiac and Gluten Intolerant, so I tried eliminating gluten. Wow! It worked. My symptoms cleared up. It was great. Then I began using my fiber therapy again, Equate, and although it says "Gluten Free" right beside it, it says (less than 20 ppm gluten) and dextrin (the primary ingredient) is made from wheat. I've had another breakout of itching. You have to be so careful. I'm feeling a bit paranoid.

One added plus, my insomnia is better. I can get back to sleep after waking to use the bathroom at night.

If you need fiber, use flax seed.

I am sorry that your doctors were not able to help you!  I am glad that you are doing so well now!  It is hard for many to remain gluten free for life.  It can be done (hubby has been gluten-free for 14 years without a diagnosis) but there are many reasons someone like Deryk should be tested before going gluten free.   Why?  

http://celiacdisease.about.com/od/diagnosingceliacdisease/f/Gluten-Challenge.htm

Welcome to the forum!  

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Palvyre Apprentice

Anal itching is a common symptom of malabsorption disorders. I had this for years. I was diagnosed with Celiac 2 years ago now and lactose intolerance. Eliminating those two has resolved the issue. If you are still having a problem after going gluten-free, I would try an elimination diet. The most likely candidate in a newly diagnosed celiac disease patient is lactose intolerance. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites
  • 1 month later...
Shanin Newbie

I have also had this issue. I am currently on a Paleo diet (no grains!!) I find that the anal itching returns anytime I cheat and try eating gluten free grains such as corn, rice, etc.  

Unfortunately, my small children are now experiencing the same issue. I'm hoping they don't need to give up grains too,  giving up gluten was hard enough for them.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):



  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      120,160
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748

    sandy32
    Newest Member
    sandy32
    Joined

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):


  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      120.2k
    • Total Posts
      1m

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):





  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):



  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • CatherineWang
      I'm pretty sure that in stores, you can find plenty of gluten-free options. But they are usually a bit more expensive.
    • cristiana
      Hello @BunnyBrown and welcome to the forum. I cannot say that I have had the procedure you describe, but recently I did have general surgery and was routinely intubated.  That pain was what troubled me most after the operation, far more than the operation site.  It took a few days to really settle down, I was quite badly bruised. It was taking so long I was a bit concerned so asked the question on another forum. A few patients came back to me and said they had suffered the same.  I imagine in my own case possibly the throat got bashed about a bit,  maybe they had difficult inserting the tube?  I've suffered with a painful throat post-endoscopy too, but never as long as the intubation pain.   I hope you will be feeling better very soon.   PS BTW - love the name!  I saw this today in an Easter display in a shop and your name reminded me of it.🙂  
    • cristiana
      This wonderful, Anne. I think you have a point about why people disappear off forums.  I found the first few years post diagnosis a real struggle and frankly wondered if I would ever feel better (not to dishearten people, but just to say it can take a while longer for some folk to heal).  However, once my antibodies were back within normal range it really has made a big difference to my health.  I've chosen to stick around because I'm a Mod, otherwise I might have been one of those that disappeared, too!      
    • Exchange Students
      Yes absolutely, we work with all public schools and some private schools in all 50 states.
    • Scott Adams
      Just a quick question, can the host live in any state in the USA?
×
×
  • Create New...