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Anyone Ever Diagnosed with Dermatitus Herpetiformis?

centexhusker
centexhusker Posts: 115 Member
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Hey everyone! I just had a skin biposy done by a Dermatologist last Friday. According to her she is almost 100% positve I have Dermatitus Herpetiformis. She exlplained to me that is an allergeic reaction to gluten/wheat. The rash was severe and limited to primarily to my arms. The itching was almost unbearable. Anyway, I went on a strict gluten-free diet starting last Friday after consulting with my primary care Doctor. I feel like I'm already feeling better, the rash is fading, and the itching is going away.

I'm just curious if anyone else has had similar experience and if I can expect to continue improving going gluten-free

Thanks in advance for your input :)

Replies

  • nmtGurl
    nmtGurl Posts: 159 Member
    When I went to the Celiac doc last year, my rash was not flaring, so they never did a biopsy. Mine occurred on my back side, right above my butt crack (sorry) and the back of my knees and calves. The itching drove me CRAZY!! I would scratch till it was raw. I thought it was from the humid heat over the summer or my guy's sweaty body sleeping up against me, but it continued for another 7 months until I went to the doc and had to go gluten free. I was finally diagnosed Celiac and I know there can be a link between the two. I wish I had gotten a proper diagnoses for it, just for my own sanity. I do know that after I went gluten free, it went away and has never returned, thankfully!! I think it took about a month to go away for me. I have noticed one of the signs I've been glutened, I break out on my jawline and the back of my neck.

    So I expect you will improve and feel so much better soon. Good luck :happy:!
  • centexhusker
    centexhusker Posts: 115 Member
    Thanks for sharing you experience with DH. I'm going to keep a positive outlook and hope that the gluten free diet does the job. :)
  • eggfooyumyum
    eggfooyumyum Posts: 42 Member
    My reaction to gluten is also to get severe itching on my arms. Egg whites also send me into an itching frenzy. Deleting gluten and eggs from my diet has been huge for me. I also don't eat dairy, though I'm not sure yet if that is really a trigger in and of itself.
  • centexhusker
    centexhusker Posts: 115 Member
    Just an update from yesterday. I got a call from my Dermatlogist that my skin biopsy came back negative for gluten allergy and my rash is not dermetitus herpetiformis. This is a huge relief for me. I was filled with anxiety while on the the gluten-free diet and feeling very shaky about a week into it. My thoughts and prayers are with anyone that suffers from celiac or gluten related disorders. I'm slowly bringing gluten back into my diet but don' t want to do it to fast. Thanks everyoned above for your comments :)
  • nmtGurl
    nmtGurl Posts: 159 Member
    That is great news!! I won't lie, I miss gluten and a little envious you can still enjoy it, lol. Some GF replacements are just not the same :-(

    I hope they did eventually find out what caused your rash though.
  • tfisher0915
    tfisher0915 Posts: 32 Member
    My biopsy was negative as well but I went gluten free that same day and mysteriously, the rash started to fade. I had it from head to toe and had been scratching myself raw with a boar bristle hairbrush. I was off work for 2 weeks. I've been eating gluten-free for almost 15 months but the only time the rash has reappeared was when I ingested gluten. One night after listening to a friend give me a ration of crap because she couldn't believe I'd cut out gluten despite a negative test result, I ate two slices of pizza from our favorite local parlor. I woke up in the middle of the night, scratching, and yep, a rash all over my arms and legs.
  • zazure
    zazure Posts: 18
    When I get exposed to gluten I start with those lovely intestinal signals.. and break out in a rash on my arms. it's not fun. But as long as I stay away from it, the rash stays at bay.

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