Question on skin issues

Jestinia

I am a worst case scenario person, so I jump to the most severe illness possible when something simpler might be afoot.

I was on a low carb diet (by its nature gluten free, especially since I don't eat any low carb processed products) and I lost a lot of weight awhile back. A rash on my back that I'd had ever since I gained a lot of weight the year before that cleared up.

Two months ago I started eating all kinds of crap. In addition to gaining some weight, the rash returned.

I google it and find it is a symptom of Celiac disease.

Now carb intolerance does run in my family, but as far as I know, no one is that bad off.

Is there anyone on here who knows they are NOT celiac and has noticed any mysterious skin conditions clearing up from going low carb?

mtpage04

I had cystic acne as well as little bumps on the back of my arms and dry skin. A also had a rosacia looking redness and a "rough" texture to my skin on my face. I started low carb on Nov. 1. I noticed the improvement in my skin about two weeks after. I also have PCOS and I haven't had any problems at all with any ovarian pain. I didn't know this could happen, It was one of the happiest accidents of my life. I started low carb to lose weight. The nature of the program also led me to gluten free eating. I began reading about gluten free lifestyles and that led me to discover symptoms of gluten sensitivities. All of the things I had problems with were related to gluten sensitivity and is the body's way of showing it is in a state of inflammation as a result. I do not have Celiac disease, but I do believe I have a sensitivity to gluten. This is all based on self discovery. I do not have a medical diagnosis to back it, but my body tells me it is much better for the choices I am now making. I am no longer living in an inflamed state.

Jestinia

Thanks! Funny you mention the face thing, I look much less blotchy and red, too. Time to look at PCOS as well just in case.

transmute

Hi Jestinia! I'm definitely NOT celiac, but suffer an itchy rash on my hands and face when I'm stressed-- dermatologists could never tell me what it was, just that I could use steroid cream on it. Forever.

It vanished when I started cutting out carbs. I thought it might have been a coincidence, except that if I DO eat more carbs than usual (ie, xmas dinner, new years drinking, birthday cake) just like magic, I'm a red, itchy mess the day after. After a couple of days back on track it goes away again, so I'm 100% sure it's the carbs doing it, not anything in my environment or anything else I'm eating.

bookworm221

My eczema is significantly better since low carbing

Dragonwolf

Not diagnosed with Celiac and haven't been tested (it has never come up in doctor appointments, which is common, especially when the symptoms are the less common or less obvious), but I recently developed eczema on my hand that I've found is reactive to gluten. It wasn't until I found it cleared up after a month of gluten-free, when it would keep coming back as soon as I stopped the steroid cream, that I realized it, though, because it wasn't the typical pattern that's associated with Celiac. Like Kicking, my doctor couldn't tell me what caused it. She just diagnosed it as "contact dermatitis," said I must have just "gotten into something" (never mind the fact that I have a pretty consistent schedule and don't come into contact with substances in general that often, particularly new ones), and handed me a prescription for a steroid cream that I could use for forever.

I've also found that the acne I've had to deal with since I was a teenager clears up almost entirely when I stick to my lower-carb, gluten-free diet (nothing else ever touched it, and I was on tetracycline for a while). Dr. Loren Cordain actually goes into quite a bit of detail about the issues with the modern Western diet in relation to acne in his book "The Dietary Cure for Acne" ( http://www.scribd.com/doc/55357860/The-Dietary-Cure-for-Acne-Loren-Cordain ).

Keep in mind, too, that there are many gradations of gluten intolerance. Many people who feel better on a gluten free diet test negative for Celiac. This is known as "subclinical gluten intolerance," and there's evidence that it's actually quite common (some estimations put the number at as much as 2/3 of the population has some sort of gluten sensitivity).

Also, even if you do go get tested and it turns out that you do have Celiac, I wouldn't consider it the worst thing in the world. Yes, it would definitely be a pain in the butt if you're hyper-sensitive to the point that you react even to the sub-20ppm threshold considered for "gluten free," but it's entirely controllable with diet, and if done right you can have an equal or higher quality of living - something that many other illnesses can't claim.

That said, if you suspect that your issues are related to Celiac or gluten intolerance, by all means, talk to your doctor about it and get tested (it will mean you'll need to eat gluten for a while, though). It's better to have the backing of your doctor in the way of a diagnosis than to continue speculating and causing yourself anxiety over it.

Jestinia

Thanks all! So I'm definitely not the only one with this. I have no plans to get tested, just going to stay low carb/gluten free and keep going. The rash isn't entirely gone after two and a half weeks, but it's not itchy anymore and it's clearing up. So I must be doing something right.

RiverRun61

Lots of people experience skin rashes and eczema in response to food additives, which you basically eliminate when you avoid processed foods...

Dragonwolf

Lots of people experience skin rashes and eczema in response to food additives, which you basically eliminate when you avoid processed foods...

It's not just the food additives, at least for some people. I know my skin will react even to home made stuff, where the only out-of-the-norm ingredient is the flour (ie - the other stuff is stuff I'd eat otherwise, like eggs and cream cheese).

IreneAdler221

I had cystic acne as well as little bumps on the back of my arms and dry skin. A also had a rosacia looking redness and a "rough" texture to my skin on my face. I started low carb on Nov. 1. I noticed the improvement in my skin about two weeks after. I also have PCOS and I haven't had any problems at all with any ovarian pain. I didn't know this could happen, It was one of the happiest accidents of my life. I started low carb to lose weight. The nature of the program also led me to gluten free eating. I began reading about gluten free lifestyles and that led me to discover symptoms of gluten sensitivities. All of the things I had problems with were related to gluten sensitivity and is the body's way of showing it is in a state of inflammation as a result. I do not have Celiac disease, but I do believe I have a sensitivity to gluten. This is all based on self discovery. I do not have a medical diagnosis to back it, but my body tells me it is much better for the choices I am now making. I am no longer living in an inflamed state.

This is my story too. Cystic acne, PCOS and eczema. I did keto to lose weight, but was happily surprised at the added benefits.