Skin rash

[grace Profile]

Hi Val,
I have had chronic urticaria for many years. I tried many different antihistamines before finally getting a combination that worked for me. Its trial and error really because what works for one might not work for others. I ended up going to see a dermatologist who referred me onto an immunologist. I am currently taking 2 xyzal twice a day and 1 zantac twice daily. The zantac which is usually used for reflux but is know to work for urticaria. When its really bad then I add in telfast twice a day I think. When they come out they look like a really bad burn. Mine bruise quite badly and some come up bruised. I always seem to have at least one bruise. My hands and ankles used swell up quite a lot and my face used to get puffy. When it is bad I get it everywhere even in my hair and my ears swell! Codeine and anti inflammatories are a big no no for me.
I got sedated for the biopsy so don't remember much!!!
Hope the meds start working soon.
Grace

[Olddog Profile]

Have any of you tried the Dapsone mentioned in

http://www.merckmanuals.com/professiona ... ormis.html ?

Its interesting that merckmanuals describes DH as presenting as "urticaria-like lesions".

[valfoleyrose Profile]

hi olddog no haven't tried dapsone and the doctor didn't mention it but from what I've read i would be a bit wary of using it as it seems to have a whole lot of side effects and from what I gather is used as a last resort treatment.It's strange that they say dh occurs as urcataria like liasions the rash on my shins looks different to the rash on the rest of my body although it has been there alot longer and I've obviously been scratching it hope the rash everywhere else doesn't end up looking like that I'll look so attractive in my bikini this summer

[valfoleyrose Profile]

Hi guys my bloods came back and suprise suprise the doctor says they are negative for coeliac and wheat allergies and everything else is perfect he suggested that i might be allergic to some of the other proteins found in wheat barley etc but not gluten I asked him if I might be damaging my stomach by eating them and he reassured me i wouldn't but recommended that i withdraw all wheat products from my diet as he thinks its obviously that thats causing the allergic reactions the dermatitis and urcataria hs improved dramatically since ive stopped bread beer etc but now i am not really any the wiser to what is causing the problem

[Mariea Profile]

Hi valfoleyrose,
If I were you I would ask to be referred to a dermatologist if your skin is not clearing up.
I have had my fair share of itches through the years.
I got a rash about 2 years ago which I thought was another form of psosriasis (got this at age 5), which is wasn’t. When I found out I was coeliac I was sure it was DH, which it wasn’t.
I also was recommend the Aveeno cream as they thought it was eczema. The cream did sooth it for a bit but its actually make the condition worst.

After all of this I started to think it was food related/ coeliac related and I was eliminating different foods etc…eventually when I went to a dermatologist I found out it was something totally different and nothing to do with CD. It was Seborrhoeic dermatitis which a small bit of anti-fungal cream cleared up quickly. Although it does flare up now and again I can control it now with a natural anti-fungal/bacterial soap.

I think sometimes when u are coeliac and so used to trying to find you own answers as to why you are unwell you forget that there can be other reasons for being unwell that changing your food can’t fix…if you know what I mean…
If I had of went straight to the specialist at the beginning I could have saved myself about 8 months of scratching!

Mariea

[valfoleyrose Profile]

Hi mariea the only reason i was convinced it was an allergy was because of the urcitaria and swelling that presented on top of the dermatitis when i reintroduced bread and beer.perhaps i should get tested for a broader splectrum of allergents however i have been warned that some allergy testers will find something wrong with you even if there isn't.would a dermatologist be able to pinpoint the cause of the dermatitis and urcitaria or would they just diagnose the type of dermatitis it is?

[jess Profile]

The dermatologist should refer you for allergy testing to a reputable allergy testing centre. You know, where they put little samples of various different allergens on your skin for 24 hours to test for reactions. That's how they pinpoint the culprit! Would not recommend the allergy testing that is done in some health food shops.

[Bridgee Profile]

Hi there;

I am a Dermatitiis Herpetiformis coeliac and it can look different on diff parts of your body; it often weeped more on my shins as its closer to the bone and doesnt heal as fast. To help description it is more burning itch than dry itch. My ankles swelled a bit, it tends to come out most often on shins, ankles and elbows.

I saw numerous dermatologists who never suspected Coeliac until I found Prof Frank Powell in the Mater Private. It is skin biopsies to diagnose and not stomach biopsy. They do 2 different skin biopsies on the same day and then a different skin biopsy a few weeks after. They often refer on for stomach biopsy then to check if any damage there.

On the Aveeno; it is very dense and keeps heat in and so aggravates the rash. In the meantime the only creams I thought worked to calm it any bit were dermovate (a steroid applied sparingly) and fucibet (steroid and anti-bacterial mixed). If they get raw use fucibet to stop them getting infected.

Anyway I will send you my number on a message so if you have any questions feel free to give me a call.