<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>>
I had exactly the same thing a number of years before my CD diagnosis. I
was living in the Midwest, and had thought I had an encounter with poison
ivy. When I came home to California, I had what I thought was eczema on
my
shins--it was horribly itchy all the time, and I tried hard not to
scratch
but sometimes I just HAD to. It got worse, and was very ugly, and ended
up
lasting for several years. I was terribly embarrassed about it.
When I fianlly learned about CD, I had healed my legs with just plain
will
power. I never saw a doctor. I learned that celiac disease can be
accompanied by DH, and in retrospect, I think this is what I had! I was
eating gluten of course, all during the DH experience, because I didn't
know
any better. The rash passed, but my guts started acting up, and that's
when
I got a diagnosis.
Odd though, the classical description of DH is occurence on the elbows,
knees, and buttocks. For me it was my shins.
*****
My DH is very small and hard bumps like blisters and they
itch just like poisin ivy or poison oak but scratching does
not make them spread. At least on me they don't. I get
them on my hands, elbows, and knees. I never knew what
they were until I was diagnosed with CD. My gastroenterologist
told me if they get severe enough they can be treated with
steroids. I only get them 3 or 4 times a year for about a week
****
I had DH as a three year-old but it was not diagnosed
60 years ago. I never had it again until I was 58, six
years ago. It came on just after we had moved to the
mountains and was mistaken for poisin ivy. I eventually
went to a dermatologist who did a skin biopsy to detect
gluten. So I uddenly found out what had been causing
my anemia, and abdominal symptoms all in one day.
The rash is a bit like chicken-pox, starting as little pimples,
and going to blisters. It burns and itches like crazy. The
way to tell if it it DH is this.... the rash is a mirror image
on both sides of the body i.e. if it is on one elbow it will
be on the other in a mirror image pattern. I had it on my
knees, elbows, and buttocks. It is not fun! I suggest
you see a dermatologist anyway, because it can't go on
like this.
*****
Sounds like DH. I always explain the blisters as what
it looks like when you have grease splatter on you and
a blister comes up (clear skin erruption with clear
liquid inside). The itching is more than you can
imagine. You want to peel your skin off.
****
The rash actually itches far more than poison ivy, yes it is varied
sizes,
and yes it occurs first on elbows, knees, buttocks, legs, but is
certainly
not limited to those areas. Ask the doctor who diagnosed you to
recommend a
dermatologist who is familiar with CD/DH. I went through 4 years of
misdiagnoses (folliculitis, scabies, eczema, each incorrect, but their
fallacy did not prevent misdiagnosing the same things over and over
again.
By the time I was diagnosed (about $8000 later), I was covered by a raw,
oozy, blistery, maddeningly itchy whole-body sores. I was diagnosed by
biopsy in a dermo's office. He prescribed Dapsone to control the rash,
and
did not recommend a gluten free diet. 8 years later I am GF, and on my
way
to recovery. Good health to you and your son. (he may need an antibiotic
to
****
That is CD for sure, I have it.... get him on a gluten free diet.
Dapsone, a prescription pill will help heal and help the itch, he should
not
be on it too long, maybe 6 mo. it can harm the liver if taken for years.
maybe 100-200 mg a day. (Some idiots, patients and doctors, think if you
take
Dapsone you can continue to eat gluten - NOT.) I weigh 145 lbs, female.
I
know they prescribe things by weight. As I got the healing and itching
under
control I weened off the dapsone by cutting pills in half.
ALso a BIG healing help is a salve called Cormax, it is clobetasol
proprionate, several manuf. make it but the Cormax is in a vaseline base
and
seems to stay on better - the others are a white cream... I would put a
dab
on each place and put a bandaid on it - at times I would have seven or
eight
bandaids on a single elbow - attempting to cover all the spots.. I know
he is
miserable - I was. The diet is the key. Thank goodness you understand the
diet. The DH places seem to take forever to heal and the scabs take
forever
to fall off - ask him not to bother the scabs because if the place is not
entirely, completely healed, it will start up again. Good Luck !! Kitty
in
****
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