sharikay

I purchased Dove beautifully clean shampoo and conditioner because they seem to be gluten free. However, whenever I use them my arms and legs itch like crazy. Is there something else in them that may be causing my problem? Can anyone suggest another shampoo & conditioner that's gluten-free?

Jackie, I use Pantene hair products not knowing if they are gluten-free or not and I don't have any problems with them. Good luck in your search.

My friend made me a pizza using Gluten-free pantry pizza dough mix...it was so good! It totally tasted like pan-style pizza from pizza hut!

I bought a package of that so I guess I will have to bake it up and see. Thanks!

I want to thank everyone for their input on crackers. I ordered some Glutino and two different kinds of Schars. It is great to have GOOD crackers again. I am not so unhappy with my situation right now. But I still would like to be able to make a good pizza crust like Pizza Hut's pan pizza. My strongest craving since I have been diagnosed. Any suggestions on that? Thanks again.

Does anyone know of any good crackers out there? I have tried Blue Diamonds, I think they are too hard and too salty. I would like to find a cracker to eat with cheese or to have with my soups. I don't care for hard, extra crispy crackers either. Please...Help.

Was wondering if any one out there experienced any or all of the same minor medical problems I had before I went off gluten. I had beautiful fingernails then all of a sudden they were like paper and peeling (now they're beautiful and strong again) ; I had a headache 2 or 3 times a week (now gone unless a bad sinus day); I have cracks at the corner of my mouth. The cracks get close to healing and then BAM, they're back. This one problem I can't seem to get healed. Any ideas? Am taking Vitamin B. Any suggestions would be helpful. Thanks.

I have looked at both pictures pf DH and HSV II. They do look very similar which is why I am so perplexed. Hopefully my lab I had drawn today for the HSV II titer might give me something to go on until I get referred to a GI doc in 2 weeks. My MD wants me to go gluten free and take Zantac until my next appt with him...whatever. Thanks for your help!

If you suspect DH, it's probably best to see a dermatologist. He can diagnose for sure. Better to know than not know. I had it on my elbows and forearms first, then it appeared on my knees, buttocks and pelvis. Is it very itchy, especially at night time? If so, it's very probable. Good luck.

Hi Ursula,

You have support here and you can get support at home. Your home is also your castle and if you are the main cook, you can control it by making everything in your kitchen gluten-free. If you start getting complaints from the rest of the household about the quality of the food, direct them to clean up after themselves and be thoughtful of your dietary requirements and they can have glutened food from your kitchen. I have wonderful support in my home and I cannot imagine a family member not wanting what is best for me when it comes to my health. Best wishes on your plight. May God bless your endeavor.

Hi All,

Thought I would share my experience for managing all my lists for gluten-free items. I bought a Palm Pilot (and learned to use it), and use it to take my lists with me everywhere I go. I downloaded lists of gluten-free Restaurants, Safe Food Lists, Safe gluten-free Medications and even Manufacturers w/addresses onto my computer. I organized them with Notepad and Microsoft Word, The PalmPilot comes with software for your computer and from this I was able to download all my files to the PDA. When I am in the grocery store, I can bring up an Item to check if it is safe or not without having to read the ingredient lists. If I want to eat out while I am out and about, I check my PDA for safe restaurants and the foods that I have listed that are safe to eat. I can update my computer files and refresh them on my PDA when necessary. I love it. It makes everything a little less complicated. Just thought I'd share and hope this helps somebody. Have a great and blessed day.

I just went gluten free Friday afternoon after the blood was drawn for my blood tests. And the food labels are freaking me out! lol

Do you trust the food labels when they list allergens other than wheat to be gluten free? I've found a doy sauce with soy as an allergen, but not wheat. All the others I looked at had both listed.

Am I taking a chance trusting the labels? Or do I need to investigate more in case of cross contamination?

I also am having a debate through a friend with her niece. She says caramel coloring, modified food starch, and methodextrose (?) are all off limits. I say if manufactured in the US they are safe.

I feel different since going off gluten. Yesterday when I accidentally ate a small teeny weeny piece of bread when picking through my youngest's leftovers, I was almost instantly hit with stomach cramps. And the "gluten-free pizza" I had last night was the nastiest stuff I ever ate--it had a sausage crust!

Being newly diagnosed as gluten intolerant this year, I gave up a lot of foods until I could find out for sure what was what. The web site of Clan Thompson really helps. Also, alot of good info on this web site. Be patient, do research and you will learn what is gluten free and not. Some will be by trial and error. Don't be afraid to order newsletters and subscriptions, they are all very helpful. Best wishes for a gluten free life to you.

I worked for Ore-Ida in Fort Myers, Florida where we made Bagel Bites (before I became gluten-intolerant). Ore-Ida is owned by Heinz.

Thank god. lol

(though high fructose corn syrup, and the dark syrup of any soda for that matter, is bad for the body in other ways!)

I don't use any root beer except Virgils (all natural) because of the caramel coloring. I had read that root beer is a big no-no. How can I get confirmation that A&W is gluten-free?

i was diagnosed with celiac disease in may and now going through testing to see if i have DH. my skin biopsies came back negative- but my dermatologist still thinks i have it, went to yale and am now on a month trial of dapsone. the side effects and risks are pretty scary-- is it worth it? are the results worth the risk? i'm on a 50mg dose, which isn't too bad, but i'm wondering about other's experiences...

another thing on my mind... how to deal with outbreaks any remedies to put on the blisters/rash to calm it down or feel better?! i also hate when ppl ask me what is on my legs/feet/hands.. i also have excema so i just tell ppl it's that, but their comments make me feel like i'm not normal and sometimes effects my self esteem; any advice on how to deal with that?!

i'm new on this so i've got a lot of questions, and i still haven't figured out the posting thing yet... thanks!!

Hi Katie, I have dh and the doctor gave me samples of Sarna lotion to try and it is available over the counter. It helps some but is not long lasting. When it comes to the dh itch, it's hard to get it to go away for long periods of time during breakout periods. Dapsone is risky, but keep yourself monitored with bloodwork while on it. I have gotten down to 50 mg. once a week. It might be easier to tell people you are gluten-intolerant and if they ask what that is, just tell them it's a protein found in wheat, rye and barley. I was diagnosed in March and have learned alot by trial and error. There is alot of misinformation out there so be careful. Best wished with your new lifestyle.

On this web site there is an article on iodine and skin eruptions. Does your husband eat alot of salt? Good luck.

In the case of my DH, my rash would get little watery blisters and then calm down for a few days and come back, generally worse. The rash doesn't go away and mine always came back in the same areas and spread to more areas. There are pictures of it on this web site. Do a search of DH and you can find and compare. If you aren't satisfied with the Dr.'s opinion, the final determination of DH is a punch biopsy. Dermatologists usually know the skin disorders. Best of wishes for your little girl.

Thanks for the advice. I'm one of those squemish types too! But not knowing for sure is aggrevating. It sure would answer alot if I went and had a biopsy done. I would be alot closer to knowing if I had celiac or not. I was alot like you regarding the reaction to the creams. Everything they gave me to use made me itch really bad and the bumps would swell and it made my skin so dry it cracked all over. Maybe it won't cost too much and I can just get it done w/o insurance. (I'm doing temp jobs now because I lost my other job because of all the sickness. That's why I don't have the insurance now.) But I'm glad your biopsy went well. I hope you receive good news!

Shellbean, I had the punch biopsy done over two months ago and not much to it as long as you can take the shots to numb the area. I get copies of my insurance payments and depending on where you live, who you see, etc. You may be looking at over $600 to find out if you have DH. It cannot tell you if you are celiac. That has to be determined from seeing a gastroenterologist where they do a biopsy of the small intestine if you are still on gluten, or by bloodwork if you are off gluten. The $600 included the doctors charge, the procedure and the lab work. A lotion that my dermatologist recommended really helped to ease the itching and it is called Sarna. It's around $10 a bottle at WalMart or any similar store if you don't have a WalMart. One thing I liked about the lotion is that it has NO steroids. Good luck with your determination. I recommend that you find some type of insurance as this condition may require further doctor visits and test.

Hi! I was diagnosed with Celiac about three months ago and have been eating gluten free since then. I had not considered myself to have dermatitis herp. but am becoming increasingly concerned/curious about the itching I have experienced since last fall. The itching started three or four months before I got diagnosed, and seems to be worse now, after being gluten free for three months. The strangest part is that I mostly notice it when I first wake up and right before I go to bed. Have investigated all other possibilities like detergent and I don't use any cosmetics to speak of....I primarily itch on my thighs and sometimes my neck and arms. Can this somehow be related to my celiac?

Thanks,

Krista

Hi Krista, I was diagnosed with DH after fighting with it for a year before giving up and going to a doctor who then sent me to a dermatologist when he couldn't diagnose me. My rash started slow then developed with little water-like blisters that when scratched and broken would then hurt. It was most aggravating to me at nighttime when I was relaxed. The rash started on my elbows and then went to my knees, buttocks and pelvis. Sometimes some spots would appear on my knuckles and ankles. DH can appear anywhere on the body (thankfully never appeared on my face) and may seem like a rash until the little blisters appear. I have been off of gluten for over two months now and my rash only appears when I don't take the Dapsone medication given me. Until I find all the sources of gluten I intake, the rash will reappear. I was told that it could take up to a year for my DH to totally go into remission as long as I stay away from gluten. Watch all your medications, toothpaste, mouthwash, etc. If you are intaking gluten in some way, it can appear through the skin. Good luck. Sharon

I have used Namaste's Spice Cake mix and added some carrots and nuts to make it a Carrot Cake and it was pretty good. My fiance loves Carrot Cake and he ate most of it so that says something. Good luck.

I was dx'd this year with DH and I really miss good bread. I have tried Bob's Red Mill Homemade Wonderful gluten-free Bread Mix. I mix it in my Kitchenaid and bake in loaf pan and I find that I do like the flavor and texture. To me, the problem with most gluten-free breads is the texture (because of the rice flours) but Bob's bread texture is okay. I want burger buns and cannot find muffin rings to make my own. Any suggestions of good pre-baked buns?

I was Dx with celiac disease 5 months ago, never had a skin related problem. However i got this strange little blister/bump right between my middle and ring finger. U can barely see the bump because its so tiny, but it is pretty red, and when i itch it - its gets pretty itchy!!! Im not sure if this is DH related or not. I dont have anything else anywhere....Ive only had it for 2 days, but Ive never had anything like this before.

ANy guesses?

I have had the rash and bumps from DH pop up on elbows, forearms, knees, ankles, knuckles, butt and pelvis. There is no area off limits to this rash. I use a lotion called Sarna. The dermatologist recommended it for my DH. It is a bit expensive but it works where no other anti-itch product did. My symptoms for DH actually first appeared around my ring fingers. Beware of any gluten in your diet as I have read that even tho you are celiac you can also get DH if gluten is in your diet somewhere. With DH, lotions, creams, cosmetics play an important role. Good luck.