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Thank you for all the responses. Seems like a lot of Celiacs are prone to
skin issues. Below is a summary on itching skin. First part is general
comments, second part is about possible causes and the 3rd part is on some
solutions to try. I have not tracked down the source of my itching yet, but
did go to the doctor and he gave me some compounded cream with steroids. It
has taken care of about 60-70% of the itching. I am very grateful for that.
I will continue to search for the source of the problem. Prior to the
cream, the one thing I found especially helpful was to cover my arms and
legs with cold, wet towels. It seemed to calm the inflammation down.
Thanks again. There was so many responses I have tried to just summarize
and not post everything. Rita
Here's a link to a past the summary covering itching:
<http://www.clairebakerok.com/1/post/2011/11/celiac-listserv-is-great.html>
http://www.clairebakerok.com/1/post/2011/11/celiac-listserv-is-great.html
One person said the science behind anatomy tells us that itching and pain
are related neurologically.
Is it on the hands, arms and legs, scalp? -- is it a contact-induced rash or
is it from ingesting food?
If they are little red watery looking blisters you have DH
<http://glutenfreehelp.info/allergies/dermatitis-herpetiformis-dh-what-is-it
/> Dermatitis Herpetiformis(DH)? It is a skin condition associated with
Celiac Disease. Some Celiacs have both celiac disease and DH. Sometimes the
smallest trace will cause an outbreak. I don't eat grains at all. No corn,
rice, etc. As soon as I switched to a grain-free diet I felt tremendously
better.
I feel your frustrations because this itch is too "deep". I bruise from the
scratching.
I'm a 3 year Celiac and have also had bad itching and welting up of the skin
this spring....I noticed it in March with the early onset of spring.....my
Doc is convinced its allergies....we switched laundry soaps and checked all
the things you mentioned also.....I'm continuing to take antihistamine when
needed ( sometimes 5-6 days a week)this usually helps to stop the itching
and calm the welts so far.....I HOPE the itching stops soon.......Not much
help...but thought I'd share.....Lets blame it on the Japan Tsuanmi and hope
its something blowing through and will soon be gone.
Possible Culprits of Itching Skin:
Does your shampoo or more likely your conditioner contain gluten? Joico and
Redken add wheat protein to help volumize hair. You may be reacting to the
wheat component as it washes over your body during rinsing. Also, laurel
sulfate is a shampoo ingredient that can irritate skin.
Laundry detergent could also trigger an overall rash.
Read labels -- ingredients change all the time for household products --
cleaners, detergents, foods; cosmetics and hair care products; Think about
running clothes through a second rinse, avoid all fabric softeners -- in
water and dryer -- and always try to use fragrance-free detergents.
Have any generic or prescription meds changed their ingredients?
Any chance you are in menopause or perimenapuase?
Some people suggest it may be seasonal. Sun, heat, hot or cold weather seem
to bring a form a hives.
Another reason could be vitamin deficiency..Have a complete blood work up
measuring your vitamins.
It takes a couple of YEARS before the gluten gets out of your system. What
happens is that the IgA gets deposited in the skin, and then when it gets
"activated" it starts itching. The big "activator" is iodine.
Are you getting some trace amount of gluten, Do you have gluten in your
household? Is it possible that the itching skin is from dishes that are in
your home?
Do you ever lick envelopes? (the adhesive sometimes have gluten).
Check all products - shampoo, conditioner, hair products, hair spray,
lotions, sun screens, etc.
Charcoal - some charcoal have gluten
As you get older, the body seems less able to tolerate certain foods
Heat and stress, pain medication?
Chlorine in pools
Perfumes and fragrances
Have you been tested for scabies?
Have your doctor check for lichen planus. It is considered by some to be
autoimmune. It is not contagious. It will eventually go away by
itself....in 18 to 24 months!
Is your estrogen is low.
Eliminate any processed items like GF breads etc. Then just eat fruits
veggies, meats, etc Naturally gluten free foods for awhile.
Perhaps it could be bacteria overgrow in your intestine; Candida Algicans
You may have some other new food allergies, Especially look at a change that
occurred in your diet as much as 3 months before the itching began.
I'd suggest that you start looking at/removing ANY products that are not
naturally gluten free one by one. For example, a gluten-free flour mix, or
other gluten-free specialty products like gf tortillas. The Gluten-Free
Watchdog program (www.glutenfreewatchdog.org) has shown and shared with the
the community via alerts that several "gluten-free" products are not
actually gluten free. My best advice is to eat naturally gluten-free food
and remove the gf products you think are safe, and then re-introduce them
one by one to find your culprit(s).
Foods that cause itching in some people:
Quinoa, Milk. Vitamin C-rich foods can bring on hives in some people. oats?
sea food/shell fish or other food that contains iodine? Strawberries,
chocolate, too much coffee. GMO foods - corn, soy, yellow squash, zucchini,
canola. raw tomatoes, strawberries, citrus anything, stuff with high oxalic
acid: swiss chard, rhubarb, and avoid iodized salt and vitamins with iodine.
dairy, corn, peanuts, soy. Garlic, the casein in dairy or Lactose, pecans,
Amaranth, quinoa, dairy sensitivity (not allergy) and also needed to eat on
the FODMAP diet.
Links that were suggested for more information:
(http://ibs.about.com/od/ibsfood/a/The-FODMAP-Diet.htm) to control IBS
symptoms (reference book:
http://www.amazon.com/IBS-Free-Last-Revolutionary-Step-Step/dp/0982063504).
Here are links to the articles in the NYT:
Is it excema:
http://health.nytimes.com/health/guides/disease/eczema/overview.html?emc=eta
2
One treatment that can help if the rash is all over is a treatment that is
used for excema:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/01/health/01case.html?_r=1
Visit the Celiac Web Page at Http://www.enabling.org/ia/celiac/index.html
Archives are at: Http://Listserv.icors.org/SCRIPTS/WA-ICORS.EXE?LIST=CELIAC
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