Jump to content

  • Welcome to Celiac.com!

    You have found your celiac tribe! Join us and ask questions in our forum, share your story, and connect with others.



  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A1):

    Celiac.com Sponsor (A1-M):

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Our Content
    eNewsletter
    Donate

Itchy Skin But No Rash

Janessa

By Janessa
in Dermatitis Herpetiformis

Recommended Posts

Janessa Rookie
Janessa
Posted

I have had very itchy skin for years that would itch so bad I would actually scratch it in my sleep and wake up with scabs. I never thought it was really related to anything until I went gluten free and it went completely away, and if I get glutened I get itchy again for about a week but I have never had a rash or bumps. Does anyone else get this? Is it DH if there is no rash?

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


sparkles Contributor
sparkles
Posted

I have literally scratched the skin off because of this itch... no bumps, just itch! I don't think it is DH. I had a skin dr check it and the biopsy came back not DH. Of course, he could only biopsy the areas that were scratched off as there were no bumps. I wonder if besides celiac disease it could be an allergy to wheat though the allergy tests on wheat came back NO ALLERGY. I do have a dairy allergy and maybe that is what causes the itch. Whatever, I just spray on cortisone to control itch and try to watch intake of dairy.

Josina Newbie
Josina
Posted

When I am really down on my water I get really itchy. Maybe you just need to drink more water?

I used to get alot of rashes, but now that I am gluten free I have no problems with rashes at all. My skin does get pretty itchy but only when I am down on my water. I have been diagnosed with celiac disease, but I have observed that this disease makes people react in different ways.

If I consume gluten by accident, I usually end up with a few small bumps here and there, but whether that is from DH I am not sure.

When I used to consume gluten, I would get this horrible rash all over my arms and back. I went to several doctors over the past ten years and they never could figure out what it was. I am now free of all that.

Best of luck figuring it out!

wowzer Community Regular
wowzer
Posted

I had itchy dry skin all of my life. I went gluten free the beginning of the year and my skin is so much better. I used to always itch after a shower, now I don't. I just wish I'd figured it out years ago. It is so nice not to itch all of the time. I will say if I get glutened, I may get a few itchy spots, but at least it isn't so intense.

  • 1 month later...
Joan (Maine) Newbie
Joan (Maine)
Posted
I have had very itchy skin for years that would itch so bad I would actually scratch it in my sleep and wake up with scabs. I never thought it was really related to anything until I went gluten free and it went completely away, and if I get glutened I get itchy again for about a week but I have never had a rash or bumps. Does anyone else get this? Is it DH if there is no rash?
Joan (Maine) Newbie
Joan (Maine)
Posted
I have had very itchy skin for years that would itch so bad I would actually scratch it in my sleep and wake up with scabs. I never thought it was really related to anything until I went gluten free and it went completely away, and if I get glutened I get itchy again for about a week but I have never had a rash or bumps. Does anyone else get this? Is it DH if there is no rash?

Yes, I itch without actually breaking out....with small amounts of gluten, dairy and/or iodine. as time goes on I react more quickly and to smaller amounts. My blisters have actually been small and mostly on my face and scalp....it took six months to get a dermatologist appt. so naturally I was clear when the appt. came around. The derm. did agree to try to see me on short notice if I accidently get ingest dairy, gluten or iodine and have an outbreak. I do itch with a small rash on my shins and upper back

  • 6 years later...
tonalynn Explorer
tonalynn
Posted

I don't know if this is related to my recent celiac diagnoses or not. But it seems like other people here have intensely itchy skin and no rash or DH.

 

I've been gluten free for about 10 weeks (I don't really feel any different yet). Every now and then (no rhyme or reason to it) I will have an itch on either my arms, legs or back that is SO itchy! Sometimes it feels like my entire body is just one big ITCH! If I try to ignore the itch and not scratch it, it becomes so painful that I've actually twitched involuntarily because of it. No matter what I do, the itch won't stop, sometimes for hours. I haven't broken skin yet, but I do break capillaries under the skin, because I will develop a rash of red spots just under the skin. Or scratch marks where the capillaries have broken in a line.

 

They occasionally wake me up, or I'll have an itch that I think is minor and scratch it and WHAM! It turns into the super painful itch. Itch relief creams, heavy duty moisturizers, cortizone, ice packs...none of them help. Once I was so itchy in the middle of the night I had to take a shower and scrub everything with a loofah just to stop the itching! I've tried taking Benedryl if I'm itchy before bed. I figure even if it doesn't stop the itch, maybe I'll just sleep through it!

 

I have no rash or telltale signs of DH. I have a bit of Keratosis Pilaris on the back of my arms I've had most of my life, but that's not always where I get itchy. I haven't ingested any gluten (that I'm aware of, as I don't seem to get the intense symptoms from it) in the last 10 weeks, but the itch is the same.

 

Could it be related to celiac? Or am I being paranoid and thinking everything that's wrong with me is celiac-related? ;-)

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


squirmingitch Veteran
squirmingitch
Posted

Tonalyn, you've posted to a thread that is from 2007, I doubt any of those ppl are still hanging around here.

 

What you describe is likely related to gluten. Celiacs get lots of rashes & skin stuff. It's possible that you have something like pre dh but you've gone gluten-free now so that itch should begin to die down sooner or later.

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Celiac.com:
    Join eNewsletter
    Donate
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):
    Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):



    Celiac.com Sponsors (A17-M):



  • Recent Activity

    1. lil-oly
      - lil-oly replied to Jmartes71's topic in Celiac Disease Pre-Diagnosis, Testing & Symptoms
      1

      Gluten tester

      Hey there, have you been tested for allergies? You may not only have celiac disease but be allergic. I have celiac disease and am allergic to Barley, wheat and rye.
    2. JudyLou
      - JudyLou replied to JudyLou's topic in Celiac Disease Pre-Diagnosis, Testing & Symptoms
      11

      Seeking advice on potential gluten challenge

      Thanks so much!
    3. knitty kitty
      - knitty kitty replied to JudyLou's topic in Celiac Disease Pre-Diagnosis, Testing & Symptoms
      11

      Seeking advice on potential gluten challenge

      I have osteopenia and have cracked three vertebrae. Niacin is connected to osteoporosis! Do talk to your nutritionist and doctor about supplementing with B vitamins. Blood tests don't reveal the amount of vitamins stored inside cells. The blood is a transportation system and can reflect vitamins absorbed from food eaten in the previous twenty-four...
    4. JudyLou
      - JudyLou replied to JudyLou's topic in Celiac Disease Pre-Diagnosis, Testing & Symptoms
      11

      Seeking advice on potential gluten challenge

      Thank you so much for the clarification! Yes to these questions: Have you consulted dietician? Have you been checked for nutritional deficiencies? Osteoporosis? Thyroid? Anemia? Do you take any supplements, or vitamins? I’m within healthy range for nutritional tests, thyroid and am not anemic. I do have osteopenia. I don’t take any medications, and the...
    5. knitty kitty
      - knitty kitty replied to JudyLou's topic in Celiac Disease Pre-Diagnosis, Testing & Symptoms
      11

      Seeking advice on potential gluten challenge

      @JudyLou, I have dermatitis herpetiformis, too! And...big drum roll... Niacin improves dermatitis herpetiformis! Niacin is very important to skin health and intestinal health. You're correct. dermatitis herpetiformis usually occurs on extensor muscles, but dermatitis herpetiformis is also pressure sensitive, so blisters can form...
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):

  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      133,155
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748
    Beccad611
    Newest Member
    Beccad611
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):

  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.5k
    • Total Posts
      1m
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):

  • Who's Online (See full list)

    • There are no registered users currently online

  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • lil-oly
      Gluten tester

      By lil-oly · Posted

      Hey there, have you been tested for allergies? You may not only have celiac disease but be allergic. I have celiac disease and am allergic to Barley, wheat and rye. 
    • JudyLou
      Seeking advice on potential gluten challenge

      By JudyLou · Posted

      Thanks so much! 
    • knitty kitty
      Seeking advice on potential gluten challenge

      By knitty kitty · Posted

      I have osteopenia and have cracked three vertebrae.  Niacin is connected to osteoporosis! Do talk to your nutritionist and doctor about supplementing with B vitamins.  Blood tests don't reveal the amount of vitamins stored inside cells.  The blood is a transportation system and can reflect vitamins absorbed from food eaten in the previous twenty-four to forty-eight hours.  Those "normal limits" are based on minimum amounts required to prevent disease, not levels for optimal health.   Keep us posted on your progress.   B Vitamins: Functions and Uses in Medicine https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9662251/ Association of dietary niacin intake with osteoporosis in the postmenopausal women in the US: NHANES 2007–2018 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11835798/ Clinical trial: B vitamins improve health in patients with coeliac disease living on a gluten-free diet https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19154566/   Nutritional Imbalances in Adult Celiac Patients Following a Gluten-Free Diet https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8398893/ Nutritional Consequences of Celiac Disease and Gluten-Free Diet https://www.mdpi.com/2036-7422/15/4/61 Simplifying the B Complex: How Vitamins B6 and B9 Modulate One Carbon Metabolism in Cancer and Beyond https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9609401/
    • JudyLou
      Seeking advice on potential gluten challenge

      By JudyLou · Posted

      Thank you so much for the clarification! Yes to these questions: Have you consulted dietician?  Have you been checked for nutritional deficiencies?  Osteoporosis? Thyroid? Anemia?  Do you take any supplements, or vitamins? I’m within healthy range for nutritional tests, thyroid and am not anemic. I do have osteopenia. I don’t take any medications, and the dietician was actually a nutritionist (not sure if that is the same thing) recommended by my physician at the time to better understand gluten free eating.    I almost wish the gluten exposure had triggered something, so at least I’d know what’s going on. So confusing!    Many thanks! 
    • knitty kitty
      Seeking advice on potential gluten challenge

      By knitty kitty · Posted

      @JudyLou,  I have dermatitis herpetiformis, too!  And...big drum roll... Niacin improves dermatitis herpetiformis!   Niacin is very important to skin health and intestinal health.   You're correct.  dermatitis herpetiformis usually occurs on extensor muscles, but dermatitis herpetiformis is also pressure sensitive, so blisters can form where clothing puts pressure on the skin. Elastic waist bands, bulky seams on clothing, watch bands, hats.  Rolled up sleeves or my purse hanging on my arm would make me break out on the insides of my elbows.  I have had a blister on my finger where my pen rested as I write.  Foods high in Iodine can cause an outbreak and exacerbate dermatitis herpetiformis. You've been on the gluten free diet for a long time.  Our gluten free diet can be low in vitamins and minerals, especially if processed gluten free foods are consumed.  Those aren't fortified with vitamins like gluten containing products are.  Have you consulted dietician?  Have you been checked for nutritional deficiencies?  Osteoporosis? Thyroid? Anemia?  Do you take any supplements, medicine, or vitamins? Niacin deficiency is connected to anemia.  Anemia can cause false negatives on tTg IgA tests.  A person can be on that borderline where symptoms wax and wane for years, surviving, but not thriving.  We have a higher metabolic need for more nutrients when we're sick or emotionally stressed which can deplete the small amount of vitamins we can store in our bodies and symptoms reappear.   Exposure to gluten (and casein in those sensitive to it) can cause an increased immune response and inflammation for months afterwards. The immune cells that make tTg IgA antibodies which are triggered today are going to live for about two years. During that time, inflammation is heightened.  Those immune cells only replicate when triggered.  If those immune cells don't get triggered again for about two years, they die without leaving any descendents programmed to trigger on gluten and casein.  The immune system forgets gluten and casein need to be attacked.  The Celiac genes turn off.  This is remission.    Some people in remission report being able to consume gluten again without consequence.   However, another triggering event can turn the Celiac genes on again.   Celiac genes are turned on by a triggering event (physical or emotional stress).  There's some evidence that thiamine insufficiency contributes to the turning on of autoimmune genes.  There is an increased biological need for thiamine when we are physically or emotionally stressed.  Thiamine cannot be stored for more than twenty-one days and may be depleted in as little as three during physical and emotional stresses. Mitochondria without sufficient thiamine become damaged and don't function properly.  This gets relayed to the genes and autoimmune disease genes turn on.  Thiamine and other B vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients are needed to replace the dysfunctional mitochondria and repair the damage to the body.   I recommend getting checked for vitamin and mineral deficiencies.  More than just Vitamin D and B12.  A gluten challenge would definitely be a stressor capable of precipitating further vitamin deficiencies and health consequences.   Best wishes!    
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

NOTICE: This site places This site places cookies on your device (Cookie settings). on your device. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use, and Privacy Policy.