Iodine Patch Test

[Dan300]

Hi , new here 1st post, I've been reading here about DH for about a month now and like most people seem to have to find out on my own what is really wrong. I've had this skin condition for 25+ years (I'm 61 ) been to like 7 pcp's and 3 dermatologist , they want to call it systemic dermatitis and just say don't scratch and take these antibiotics ! been going to the VA because I thought that maybe it was from Agent Orange ,but they said it was'nt cloracne . more later , my main question is has anybody tried or know anything about doing a Iodine patch test for DH to react with any IgA in your skin to cause a skin reaction/blister ? thanks Dan

[Franceen]

Yes, the iodine patch test is a valid test - but I don't know if the concentration necessary is available over the counter or not. I tried it myself several years ago and it didn't work - the 1% tincture doesn't cut it! My Dr. didn't think it was necessary since I had gone gluten-free and the DH was going away from that.

When one is still eating Gluten and still breaking out with DH, the iodine test will also cause reaction. After you have become gluten-free and the DH is completely gone, it will stop working too. Eating a lot of iodine during the breakout phase can also exacerbate the reaction - so some say to eat non-iodized salt TEMPORARILY. One still needs iodine in the diet to live and once the DH goes away from being gluten-free, you should probably go back to regular salt.

The above comes from a lot of research (NIH, Mayo, U of Md, etc) as well as what my Dr. told me.

[Dan300]

thanks Franceen for the reply, about the end of march I went gluten-free, no toast, pancakes, waffles ect and Beer!! any way the VA did another biopsy 4/09 and when they were going to do it I asked if they were going to do it next to the unruptured papual and do a DIF test on it they said no that, that test was to expensive and that the one they would do on the actual blister would check for a couple of things and if it indicated DH then they would do futher test. the doctor called me on the 22nd and said that the biopsy came back with no infection, just some irritation and that he would schedule me to come back in 3 months. I came in on the 24th to get the stitches removed by the nurse, I had her bring the doctor in as the biopsed papule was still red and raised up ! I asked the doctor if he had ever diagnosed DH before, he said about 15 times and that he was sure I didn't have it because my break outs weren't clumped together like herpies . he RX'd some more meds, anti itch pills, antibiotic cleanser, and ointment. got the shipment fri 5/1 . here is what I got Doxepin hcl 10mg caps (anti depressants) off label anti itch, Dyna-hex4 chlorhexidine gluconate 4% antiseptic (used by surgions to dissinfect thier hands) , and Triamcinolone Acetonide ointment (a synthetic Steroid ) all this when I don't have an infection ?!!!!!! anyway back to the Patch test, here is what I did this week, purchased a 2$ bottle of Iodine Tincture 2% from walgreens, yes I know they talk about using a 30% solution, don't know were to get it. active ingredient: iodine 2% ingredients: alcohol 47% by volume, deiozed water and sodium iodine 2.4% on wednesday took a med band aid used the dropper to cover the gauze pad with the iodine and applied it on my upper forearm about an inch below my elbow. about 4 hrs later before I went to bed I re applied more iodine to the same band aid. thursday morning I removed the band aid , skin had a square patch of iodine color , looked a little ruff with maybe some small bumps. put on a fresh band aid for the day without anything on it, thurs night before going to bed I put on a new band aid again with iodine. got up friday morning, as I peeled off the band aid a 1/2 by 3/4 inch piece of skin came off with it, with clear serum ozing out like my leisions . about 36hrs for this to happen I think this is a positive test for DH enless I was just reacting to the alcohol which should have evaporated pretty fast. also a side note since going gluten-free for the last 4 weeks I feel much better , lost about 12lbs (was pushing 275! ) and have not had any new break outs for this past week ( except for the self induced 0ne ) sorry about the long rant , thanks again for the help Dan

[ChemistMama]

Dan, that is exactly what happened to me!! I kept a soaked bandaid on a spot for about 8 hours. the brown square where the gauze was stayed brown for another day, and then turned into a large square blister!!! Ack!!! All the DH lesions around it flared up, too.

My biopsies were negative, too. Stay on the gluten-free diet and be patient. It may take several months to a year for it to clear up. Good luck!!

[Dan300]

Update, going gluten-free is kind of hard at first, especially when your not sure that's the problem, did have a breaded chicken sandwich one night about the middle of april and my birthday cake on may 3rd,, but even with that I had'nt had any new break outs in the last 2 or 3 weeks and I'm healing up pretty good. until this past weekend when I was driving back from florida to chicago, still had about 700 miles to go, had my fill of banannas and oranges soI bought some candy to munch on, Bulls eyes, carmel creams ? 1 serving 3 pieces = 170 calories , 7 servings per bag, after I oppenned it I then read the ingreedients, 1st listed wheat flour !!!! since I wasn't sure if I really had DH I eat them , got home ok but buy monday night I had individual break outs on my lower rt leg, on the side of my right index finger, left elbow area, top of left shoulder, neck behind left ear and several in my scalp. I guess I now have my answer, this might also have helped to as I had a doctors appointment the same day (monday) at the VA , she admitted she didn't know much about glueten intollerance, but she listened when I said I thought that I needed agI agg and agm blood test, she looked them up on her computer and had me go right down to the lab for the test. hope to have the results friday. as I'm clearing up I already know but I'd like to make it official so I can make my sons and grand kids understand what to watch out for. I'll let you know how the blood work comes out, thanks Dan

[ravenwoodglass]

Update, going gluten-free is kind of hard at first, especially when your not sure that's the problem, did have a breaded chicken sandwich one night about the middle of april and my birthday cake on may 3rd,, but even with that I had'nt had any new break outs in the last 2 or 3 weeks and I'm healing up pretty good. until this past weekend when I was driving back from florida to chicago, still had about 700 miles to go, had my fill of banannas and oranges soI bought some candy to munch on, Bulls eyes, carmel creams ? 1 serving 3 pieces = 170 calories , 7 servings per bag, after I oppenned it I then read the ingreedients, 1st listed wheat flour !!!! since I wasn't sure if I really had DH I eat them , got home ok but buy monday night I had individual break outs on my lower rt leg, on the side of my right index finger, left elbow area, top of left shoulder, neck behind left ear and several in my scalp. I guess I now have my answer, this might also have helped to as I had a doctors appointment the same day (monday) at the VA , she admitted she didn't know much about glueten intollerance, but she listened when I said I thought that I needed agI agg and agm blood test, she looked them up on her computer and had me go right down to the lab for the test. hope to have the results friday. as I'm clearing up I already know but I'd like to make it official so I can make my sons and grand kids understand what to watch out for. I'll let you know how the blood work comes out, thanks Dan

Hi Dan, Well now you know that the breakouts were most likley DH. One thing I do have to mention is that with you being pretty much gluten free most likely your blood tests will come back negative. DO NOT take the results as proof positive that you don't have an issue with gluten.