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Hi everyone,

I would like to hear firsthand from those of you with dermatitis
herpetiformis (DH) just what the associated itch is like. My 2nd grade
daughter is not able to explain well enough for it to make sense to me
(although she DOES scratch her skin off where she gets the rash). I have
read descriptions such as "intensely itchy," and "the itch is so bad it
is impossible to sleep."

What is (or was) your experience? Is the itch so bad it is impossible to
think of anything else? Or is it tolerable, or even no big deal? On a
scale of one to ten, with ten being as itchy as anything can be, how
would you rate your itch? Is it constant, or does it come and go? If it
is not constant, what seems to trigger the itch? Does scratching make it
better, or worse? Does it itch before the rash appears? Does it itch
even as the sores are almost healed? Does pulling or knocking off scabs
restart the itching?

I would really appreciate answers to these questions as well as any
other information on DH you would care to share. Please answer me
privately and I will summarize to the list. Thanks in advance.

-Jenise in Pittsburgh