DH and cold sores

[Robie]

I recently was dx with celiac and have been GF for about 2 months. I am a 57 year old women that has had cold sores on and off all my life. Just recently I got one just under my lower lip. But now i am wondering if it may be DH instead. It seems the same as a cold sore but not itchy, it is taking long to heal ( about 3 weeks so far). I really don't know what DH looks like and if you can get it there. If I have never had skin problems other than cold sores could this be something new that I can expect with celiac? I am very new to all of this. Please help. Thank You.

[aklap]

Hi Robie,

Welcome to the board.

I'm sorry, I don't have a real good answer for you. DH is usually red, itchy, water filled blisters. Have you had them looked at by a dermatologist?

Check thru these links - they have pictures:

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 - this is a discussion board - but has a section with pictures.

If I find more info, I'll post it!
_________________
Al

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

[emilypsmom]

Robie,
I have had a similar problem w a sore not healing. Took weeks. Try putting an antifungal cream on it. After you have had an open sore for so long this could help. It worked for me. Also, look at your toothpaste. Most have sodium laural sulfate. This is what makes it foamy. It can also aggrivate/trigger fever blisters. Good luck finding one w/o sls.

[MN Grannie]

I, too, have always been plagued with cold sores. In the last couple of years, though, I seem to have many, many more and the awful thing is that they are mostly inside (yes, inside) my nose. At least I think that's what they are. They act just like cold sores but could they be DH?

[D horne]

i read somewhere that mouth ulcers were a symtom of CD - I'll try to find out more and post back - but as far as my history goes...
MOUTH ULCER HEALING - my orthodontist gave me a prescription for a bronchial inhaler (can't remember the name - but it was a steroid)
and told me if I had any problems with mouth sores to spray the inhaler directly on the sore - once or twice a day and they won't take as long to heal - if you catch them before they open up they most times not even ulcerate and just disappear.
I have a severe case of DH - most of the rash is itchy but occasionnally I get one that just plain hurts -

I have had problems with mouth ulcers for as long as I can remember, way back during childhood even. One time in my life I can remember not having them at all - that was about a three year stint where I was on a health kick / working out 6 days a week and only eating junk food on Sundays - I lost weight, my facial acne cleared up , and I never had a mouth ulcer - I know this because I got braces on my teeth during this time and remembered worrying about the mouth ulcer problem and thinking how horrible the combination of sores and braces would be.
I remember noticing that wheat seemed to be a problem for me but I didn't know anything about CD at that time ... I have always heard that mouth ulcers were caused by herpes simplex - I am relieved to know that in my case that is most likely not so.

I hope this helps.
D

[Topher28]

Yeah, mouth ulcers (or canker sores as I always called them) always used to be a problem for me too, before going GF (or maybe it's the occasional dapsone that keeps them away). They're apparently a common symptom of CD.

Actually, I'm pretty sure mouth ulcers are not caused by a herpes virus. Cold sores are, but they're a different issue completely.
_________________
Somebody told me that this is the place
where everything's better, everything's safe

[D horne]

pardon my mistake - when you said "cold sores" I immediately thought "canker sores" and rambled on... didn't mean to change the subject or anything...