Itchy all over

[Amooliakin]

Hi folks... I don't really know exactly what DH is or how it appears on most people. I do know that my daughter (diagnosed last week) has been saying her skin is itchy for about a year now. She does not have any bumps or rash or hives so I always thought it was just dry skin. Do you think that's right? or is it related to the GI?

- edit to add.... I guess when she is GF for a while we will see if she gets less itchy and then we will have a clue....
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Amy - Mom to two kids, one with Celiac, and assorted pets including 9 mice

[Eeyorific]

[John]

Hi again!

I always had itching issues. Actually, the scalp itch is what truly drove me insane. Sometimes there would be no visible changes on the skin but it would itch like hell anyway. Sometimes, small hard bumps would rise up and get sort of sore and slightly damp (I think this was actually related to the constant frantic scratching.) At the center of the itching zone it would look like a common zit, but the whole area around it would be going crazy. Sometimes a patch of skin would turn redder as it started itching, but sometimes it would turn extremely pale. The itching was always worst at the places where sweating is common, but also along the length of the arms and legs.. pretty much everywhere with some places just being worse than others.

I've been GF for a year and the scalp itch is practically gone to nothing compared to what it used to be. Its still pretty bad around my eyebrows, behind the ears, at my temples etc, but it has become very localized compared to before when it was pretty much everywhere. Just two nights ago I woke up in the middle of sleep because my hand was so incredibly itchy it would not be ignored.

So ya, 6 months later and its gotten better but its definately not gone. There could be some issues with iodine or other allergies, but I don't have health insurance so I rely fully on the info. I get from books and the internet.

[jayhawkmom]

Count me in on this particular camp!

I also have always had horribly itchy skin. But, I don't really have 'dry' skin. Just itchy.

After being GF for a couple of weeks.... the itch is non-existant. But, as I mentioned in a previous thread.... I had a bite of a gluten filled cookie the other day. And, I've now itched for several days, on top of the well-deserved GI issues I'm now suffering. *ahhhh*

[cultureslayer]

Itchy but not dry or red, yup! Althought I end up making it red.

And it's with any allergen. Gluten, tobacco, potatoes, ugh! I just want to itch all over, especially arms. I can only take benadryl at night because it makes me sleeeeepy, and nothing else really helps that much.
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Lauren
Pain is inevitable; suffering is optional.

[kellbelle30]

hello! my first time here... my friend is gluten-free and has been for 5 years. she has never looked so good, healthy, and happy as she has been since starting. She has been trying to get me to go GF for years, but I feel that I have no willpower and give in too easily to food (I am addicted to eating). I am on several meds and have gained 55 pounds in the last year, am constipated, migraines, back-pain, I feel like crap, and my main concern RIGHT now, because it is so intense, is Itching!!!! My problem areas are my palms, shins, bicep area, shoulder-blade area, head, thighs and forearms. It is hell! I scratch so much for so long that my skin breaks out into what looks like hickies- you know the purple dots? I have been to an allergist and via blood testing I was free of celiacs. However, they would need to do the biopsy and I am SO ready... My dermatologist hasseen me for this as well. Atopic Dermatitus is what I "have". Oh, I also have a sun allergy (my thighs, chest, and torso) and I break out in papules (like pimples) and red bumps. THESE itch like I can't describe and they hurt so anyway, you can see my plight.
Any words of encouragement, advice, etc.? I wish I were gluten-intolerant because then maybe it could all be fixed if I started being GF. Is this wishful thinking?

[ostrich]

Hey Kell! Welcome! I'm so sorry you're having such nasty itching problems. Trust me, I know where you're coming from.

The problem is, if it's really related to gluten, then the only solution is to go off gluten. There's no other magic pill or cure.

As far as eating goes...you can still be on a GF diet and be addicted to eating. Changing the food doesn't fix the source. You're going to need the willpower to stick to the diet. You might want to bring all this up with a psychologist. They would be better equipped to handle eating problems.
_________________
Ostrich :>--O==={

I lie below, you float above
In the pretty white ships that I am dreaming of

[sarahceliac]

Hi Kell,

I am GF and still am addicticed to eating. Once I found yummy substitutes for the gluten contained foods I used to eat, I was back to the same thing of being addicted to those certain favorites. Ostrich brings up a great point about