Keratosis Pilaris (Chicken Skin)...

[carecare]

A month ago I decided to go gluten free and no/low sugar...it last a week but by the end of the week my bumpy skin on the back of my arms and on my thighs started to really clear up. I wasn't using any lotion...but my skin started feeling so soft as well. I for some reason gave up on my low sugar / gluten free trial after a week...LOL..I think I was going out of town and cheated and then never went back. Well, the last few weeks my arms and legs went back to having those bumps on them again and my skin was more itchy too. So I decided to go on a gluten free diet again which I started on monday (hubby is undiagnosed celiac so my dinner's are always gluten free...however I have still been buying bread and crackers and such for the kids...Hubby's been doing so good gluten free....and feeling better than he ever has in his life). I'm happy to report that the bumpies are going away once again and my skin is feeling softer. My husband used to have trouble with dry skin, especially his back and arms before going gluten free. I've noticed this past year his skin is soooo soft. I never feel dry patches like were always there prior to being gluten free. I thought maybe his skin changes were from the fish oil supplements he takes but now feel it's from the gluten free diet. If you read about Keratosis pilaris which I feel is what I had/have (and so does so many of my family members...brothers, sisters, nieces and nephews)it never mentions it being the result of say an allergy or from gluten. I did just read on the Mayoclinic site that it may be the result of genetic conditions (doesn't list those however)

I'd love to know if you seen changes in your skin after going gluten free? Have you heard of other's whose "chicken skin" has cleared up because of a gluten free diet.

Interesting is my family has a lot of members with IBS...my niece has Crohns, mom with hyshimoto thyroid,sister with MS, brother with Sarcoidosis,prevalent mental illness (schizophrenia) and there's a history of colon cancer (plus 5 siblings with precancerous colon polyps)...among other things I'm sure. Really wonder if gluten is actually the reason for a lot of the health issues in my extended family.

[cassP]

i HAVE read online, and totally believe that Gluten can be a trigger/or aggravate MS, Lupus, Crohns, etc.

Hashimoto's-> ask almost everyone on here- gluten is so tied in with thyroid issues- and SO many Gluten Intolerant people & Celiacs actually have Hashimotos.

i JUST read yesterday that people with RA have elevated TTG.

ive also read that people with Schizophrenia have more antibodies than the normal population

it is just plain awful stuff really... i think a lot of these autoimmune diseases have some similar genetics- and then the gluten is the common trigger or aggravater

[shopgirl]

Since going gluten-free earlier this month, the milder KP on my upper arms is about 90% gone. (My mom's reaction? "Wow.") That was the first thing to start to clear up. It's still pretty obvious on my legs but I'm confident that they'll follow suit. Just a little disappointed that sleeveless/skirt weather is behind us here in New England

[tea-and-crumpets]

It would be so great if going gluten free made my keratosis pilaris go away. I have spent a LOT of money on treatments, creams, etc to make it go away, but nothing worked. I even went to the dermatologist, who gave me a urea cream that smelled like pee. I only used that one once. I just went gluten-free but I'm definitely going to be paying attention now, hoping it gets better.

[jessicalw28]

This sounds very promising. I am in the process of trying to find out if I have celiac. Not starting the gluten-free diet until I get biopsies done. I too have bad KP on my arms and legs. I have tried several different lotions and nothing seems to help. I also have eczema and acne. It is good to know that gluten-free diet helps with these conditions! I can't wait to go gluten free. Going to try it even if the biopsies are negative.

[shopgirl]

  On 10/23/2010 at 6:51 PM, jessicalw28 said:

This sounds very promising. I am in the process of trying to find out if I have celiac. Not starting the gluten-free diet until I get biopsies done. I too have bad KP on my arms and legs. I have tried several different lotions and nothing seems to help. I also have eczema and acne. It is good to know that gluten-free diet helps with these conditions! I can't wait to go gluten free. Going to try it even if the biopsies are negative.

Well, it's helped me because I was diagnosed with Celiac but, even if your biospy is negative, there's no reason not to at least try for a few months to a year or so to see if it improves.

[cyberprof]

  On 10/23/2010 at 7:30 PM, shopgirl said:

Well, it's helped me because I was diagnosed with Celiac but, even if your biospy is negative, there's no reason not to at least try for a few months to a year or so to see if it improves.

Mine went away too. It was one of the wide variety of things I had wrong with me pre-diagnosis (frequent mouth ulcers/canker sores, anxiety, joint pains) that I would not have known were connected. I, too, am so happy that these problmes went away. I hope others have this same good experience.

[cassP]

  On 10/23/2010 at 6:51 PM, jessicalw28 said:

This sounds very promising. I am in the process of trying to find out if I have celiac. Not starting the gluten-free diet until I get biopsies done. I too have bad KP on my arms and legs. I have tried several different lotions and nothing seems to help. I also have eczema and acne. It is good to know that gluten-free diet helps with these conditions! I can't wait to go gluten free. Going to try it even if the biopsies are negative.

back in the 90s, i had excema SO bad on my foot for @5 years- but i didnt know it was excema, i thought it was athlete's foot, and i wore socks 24/7... it was embarrasing, & excruciating, i would scratch till it bled.. totally disappeared when i went on Atkins & Bloodtype (95% wheat free.... i say this & still cheated on gluten from time to time- cause i had NEVER EVEN HEARD of Celiac till around 2006)

im sure yours will disappear too