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Hello!

I've been a member of this list for almost a year and have found it
incredibly informative and the list members caring and helpful.

To set the stage for my questions--In March '96 I developed all the
symptoms of CD including what looked and acted like DH. The results of
the initial blood workup showed a high positive IGA level. The small
intestine biopsy was nagative as was the skin biopsy. How could this
be?

The second blood workup (4 months later after I began a GF diet) was
negative. My allergist concluded that the initial blood workup "could"
have been false positive. In short, I was told that I do not have CD or
DH.  Soooooo I asked what is causing this rash, and why does it seem to
improve when I stick to a GF diet and why does my intestinal track go
into an uproar when I eat anything containing gulten?  The physicians
(gastro, internal med., allergist) have no answers.

I've been itching and scratching for close to a year--have tried every
power, ointment, cream (including cortisone) on and off the market and
still cannot find relief.

My questions--
1) How many of you suffer from what appears to be DH even tho you are
GF and had a negative DH diagnosis?
2) Has there been any research on whether DH could be a virus (my rash
resembles chickenpox in patches) transmitted somehow via the poison
grains?

Any and all comments, suggestions, recommendations, thoughts, etc.,
will be appreciated.

-Anita King itching and scratching in Chicago
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