dermatitis herpetifolis: So here I am... - Gluten Free Guerr...

Gluten Free Guerrillas

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dermatitis herpetifolis

Greenfingers007 profile image
10 Replies

So here I am another couple of weeks into January with a new out burst of the rash all up my left arm.

I’ve cut dairy out & now decided to cut the soya milk too so gona have to go vegan & see if it helps.,However my scalp is slowly improving it’s like the rash has moved to my arm☹️☹️

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Greenfingers007 profile image
Greenfingers007
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10 Replies
Hil101 profile image
Hil101

Hi Greenfingers, sorry to hear that.Has it been biopsy diagnosed as DH? I have it, but only rarely these days. It's often in certain places like the buttocks and torso and the individual blisters leave a red mark that takes a long time to fade.

Greenfingers007 profile image
Greenfingers007 in reply toHil101

No just the dermatologists diagnosis in early Dec - but still no sign of a follow up appointment - just given lotions on repeat prescription & only allowed to put that on my skin no soaps etc.

They did a blood test but it came back ‘satisfactory’ but I was already on a gluten free diet so how is gluten going to show up in my bloods??

The fact that the rash is still actively appearing on my arm means surely the solution is not sorted?

I would genuinely urge you, if you haven't done already, to remove any commercial gluten free products from your diet, and go for a few weeks of cooking from scratch on non-processed foods. Even things like raw nuts out of their shells in packets can have traces of gluten from production. It is utterly ridiculous the levels we have to take this to, but chances are you are on the highly sensitive end of the scale and the reaction is triggered by undeclared/or codex level gluten. There will not be enough reaction to show on the blood test, and the blood test returns a heck of a lot of false negatives unless there is serious gut damage/immune response. Our standards for coeliac in the UK and US are dreadful and doctors have not got a clue about gluten or the extent of stringency needed for a gluten-free diet.

Greenfingers007 profile image
Greenfingers007 in reply to

yes I am going to go totally vegan so will have to cook from scratch which I often do anyway. It’s just so frustrating now & like I’m getting to the stage of eating becoming a chore instead of enjoyable☹️

in reply toGreenfingers007

I hear you. I genuinely think ceoliac becomes more complex, not easier, the longer you keep gluten out of your diet as the immune response is worse with less and less all the time, so codex becomes impossible. I'm reading wonderful things about us being able to tolerate 10-50mg per day with no issue, and I'm wondering who these people are who can tolerate that, as they are certainly not on this forum. I do hope you get this sorted soon.

CATRYNA49 profile image
CATRYNA49 in reply to

You are so right. It took 40 years for me to get a correct diagnoses for Celiac, DH, and Hashimotos. Clearly allopathic doctors are incompetent.

in reply toCATRYNA49

I think, from my own experience, is the competency in medicine is geared towards things that can be cut off, sown on, or medicated with pills. Otherwise, it's 'well we don't know what's wrong, and it doesn't show on a scan or test that we have done thus far, so clearly it's all in your mind/nothing'. Food just doesn't figure very high on the focus/agenda, and if it does its in context of weight loss/gain or diabetes (and even the advice there is out of date). It's a model of healthcare that seems largely driven by pharmaceutical influence and surgeon-driven tendency to want to cut people open/sew them back up! Some of the simplest solutions are the most obvious when we figure them out, but still flumox the western healthcare model. Dots are not joined, and bodies are treated as individual bits, not a whole system.

CATRYNA49 profile image
CATRYNA49

I also suffer from DH and have had to cut out all grains, soy, anything with yeast or molds. That means aged cheeses too. Also, iodine is a big factor in DH outbreaks, so shellfish or anything high in iodine needs to be minimized, especially any supplements that have iodine included. My diet consists of meat, veges, fruit, macadamia nuts, eggs, and raw goat milk. Here is an article that I ran across years ago on topicals that can be a real problem. It certainly was for me. Hope it helps.

WHEAT NAMES IN HAIR PRODUCTS

Buying only gluten-free shampoo and other hair care products could save you from several "mystery glutenings" a year ... or more, depending on how sensitive you are to trace gluten.

Unfortunately, hair product manufacturers regard gluten grain ingredients as healthy for your hair, and therefore use them frequently and liberally in shampoo and conditioner. Gluten also appears in hair spray, mousse, and other styling products, since its "glue" properties help hold your hair in place.

There are literally thousands of hair care products on the market today. To help you determine which ones might be safe (and which ones to avoid), I've provided a list of manufacturers that make reliably gluten-free products, plus a list of common ingredients that indicate gluten in shampoo and other products.

Brands That Offer Gluten-Free Hair Products

Fortunately, there's a nice mix of brands that now make gluten-free hair care products, including some budget brands and some more expensive lines.

The following brands of hair care products offer gluten-free shampoo and conditioner:

• Acure. Acure's entire hair care line is gluten-free, including five shampoos and even a dry shampoo (plus the accompanying conditioners). Acure is also sulfate-free, paraben-free, cruelty-free and vegan. If you can't find it locally, it's available online at Amazon.

• Avalon Organics. This all-natural line of hair care products offers one shampoo that's certified gluten-free: its Gluten-Free Cucumber Shampoo. Avalon Organics also offers Gluten-Free Cucumber Conditioner to pair with the shampoo. The hair care line is vegan and cruelty-free. It's readily available online if your stores don't carry it.

• Desert Essence. The company makes six shampoos that are labeled gluten-free: Green Apple and Ginger, Fragrance-Free, Red Raspberry, Lemon Tea Tree, Italian Red Grape, and Coconut. It also makes conditioners to pair with each of those. The products are vegetarian, and Desert Essence doesn't test on animals.

• Dove. Dove, which makes tons of personal care products, is a Unilever brand, which means it will clearly disclose any gluten-containing ingredients. Many of Dove's shampoos and conditioners are gluten-free. They're also reasonably priced and available everywhere.

• Jason. Not everything Jason sells is gluten-free, but the brand's Gluten-Free Daily Shampoo and Gluten-Free Daily Conditioner meet the standard (as do the other seven products in the brand's certified gluten-free line). Look for the bright green labels — the gluten-free line is available on Amazon if your local store doesn't carry it. Jason's products aren't tested on animals.

• Kirkland Signature. This Costco brand includes a Professional Salon Formula Moisture Shampoo, and it's labeled gluten-free and vegan.

• Paul Mitchell. Several of this brand's shampoo and conditioner products are considered gluten-free, including Forever Blonde shampoo (but not conditioner), Spring-Loaded Frizz-Fighting Shampoo and conditioner, and Baby Don't Cry Shampoo. To check a specific Paul Mitchell product, you need to visit the brand's website and look in the "details" section for that product. Paul Mitchell is also cruelty-free.

• Pravana. All of Pravana's Nevo hair care products are labeled gluten-free (the line uses hydrolyzed quinoa and soy protein). They're also vegan. Look for Pravana at hair care salons (including Ulta stores).

• Suave. Like Dove, Suave is a Unilever brand, so any gluten-containing ingredients would be disclosed in the ingredients list ... but most or all are gluten-free. Suave is available everywhere and offers some kid-friendly shampoo/conditioner/body wash combinations.

Ingredients That Mean Gluten In Shampoo and Other Products

If you see one or more of the following terms in the ingredients list, it means the shampoo or other hair care product contains ingredients made from wheat, barley or rye. I've also included ingredients that indicate oats, since many of us need to avoid them, as well.

Avena sativa (oats)

Beta glucan (frequently derived from wheat)

Colloidal oatmeal

Dextrin palmitate (starch, possibly gluten-based)

Vitamin E (frequently derived from wheat)

Hordeum vulgare (barley)

Hydrolyzed vegetable protein (may contain wheat)

Hydrolyzed wheat protein

Laurdimonium hydroxypropyl (hydrolyzed wheat protein)

Malt extract (usually barley)

Secale cereale (rye)

Stearyl dimonium hydroxypropyl (hydrolyzed wheat protein)

Triticum vulgare (wheat)

Vegetable protein (may contain wheat, barley, rye and/or oats)

Wheat germ oil

The absence of any of these ingredient names doesn't necessarily mean the product is gluten-free — there are numerous other chemicals (some with very difficult-to-pronounce names) that can be derived from wheat, barley, rye or oats. Gluten-based ingredients can also hide behind catch-all ingredient names such as "fragrance," and the components of these may be a closely-guarded trade secret.

Choosing A Gluten-Free Shampoo and Conditioner

What if your favorite brand isn't listed above, and you're not sure you can trust the ingredients list? Try calling the manufacturer to ask if it's gluten-free or not. People seem to have mixed luck getting information from personal product manufacturers about gluten ingredients, although this problem is beginning to resolve as awareness of continues to rise.

Greenfingers007 profile image
Greenfingers007 in reply toCATRYNA49

Hi I’ve just had a thought - I’ve recently been put on iron tablets! Could they be affecting my DH perhaps?

CATRYNA49 profile image
CATRYNA49 in reply toGreenfingers007

It's hard to say without knowing the ingredients. Also make sure they are from an natural organic source.

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