dapsone

[joid]

why is this drug so hard to get? Had problems with Dh for along time but docs told me after biopsy that i dont have DH, but i found out i have Celiac last year and so far no dermatologist will give me daposne they seem totally against this drug???

[aklap]

Hi joid,

It sounds like you may need to find another dermatologist. I don't think he has a clue that DH & CD are related. Dapsone is pretty much a standard drug to clear up the symptoms of DH.

Here's another drug...

http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1440-0960.2005.00152.x

Dermatitis herpetiformis that is unable to be controlled using dapsone and a gluten-free diet presents a therapeutic challenge. Three cases that responded well to sulfasalazine are presented. Two cases, who were unable to tolerate dapsone, had a rapid response to sulfasalazine, without apparent side-effects. The third case with dapsone-responsive blistering dermatoses, presumed to be dermatitis herpetiformis on the basis of serology, showed an excellent clinical response to sulfasalazine, but after 6 weeks of therapy had to cease it because of side-effects. Sulfasalazine is metabolized variably to sulfapyridine, a sulphonamide known to be an effective therapy for dermatitis herpetiformis but no longer available. Sulfasalazine should be considered as a management option for dermatitis herpetiformis.

Have you seen this in our DH forum?

DH is a skin manifestation of CD. If you are diagnosed with DH - you are then almost always diagnosed with CD. As far as getting rid of it... a gluten free diet...the same as someone who has gastro problems.

http://www.gluten.net/treatment.asp#dh
Just as with celiac disease, strictly following a gluten-free diet for life is the only complete treatment. It may take two or more years on a gluten-free diet for the lgA deposits under the skin to clear. Your doctors may prescribe medications for immediate relief from the itching and burning eruptions. The most common medication used is Dapsone. This medication has serious side effects and requires regular monitoring by your physician. When taken to relieve the symptoms of DH, Dapsone should be taken in the smallest effective doses for as short a time as possible. Medications for DH should not be used during pregnancy.
If you use medications to relieve the itching caused from DH, but do not follow a gluten-free diet, you run the risk of also developing the intestinal problem - celiac disease and other complications.

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/001480.htm

http://dermatlas.med.jhmi.edu/derm/result.cfm?Diagnosis=-577236584

http://www.dermatitisherpetiformis.org.uk/home.html

I hope this helps
_________________
Al

“We cannot all do great things, but we can do small things with great love.” Mother Teresa