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2034625 tn?1392643292

Scaly, weepy, itchy

Hello... Longtime medhelp member, first-time dermatology poster. I had a rash two years ago that just about sent me nuts it was so itchy and weepy. It ran from my buttocks to my knees and would stick to my clothes, form a crust, eep, ooze, crust, repeat, ....meanwhile itching til I just about couldn't stand it anymore. I saw three dermatologists who prescribed me some of everything because they had no idea what it was, maybe a form of weeping exzema, maybe dermatitis herpetiformis, maybe fungal, ... They didn't know. I quit eating gluten and it did eventually go away.

I've since reintroduced occasional gluten into my diet and have not had too bad of a problem with skin rashes for the past year and a half. It's started coming back however and I'm wondering if anyone has any insight on how to get rid of it. Should I try again with the dermatologists and request certain types of cultures or tests? Any home remedy I might try in the meantime? I'm back off of gluten for now but will have to reintroduce it eventually as the longer I go without, the worse my reaction is when exposed to it and I've been assured I don't have celiac disease due to a negative blood test. Thanks in advance.
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2034625 tn?1392643292
tschock - just seeing these answers.  Not sure how they escaped me.  Anyway, thanks for the reply.  Makes total sense to me.  My dietitian and gastroenterologist are the ones to insist that I keep eating grains.  I'm doing my own thing these days and am avoiding gluten anyway for the reasons you mentioned.  It just doesn't make sense to insist upon eating something that does me harm.  So far it's not yet gone away, but does better when the things I'm sensitive to are avoided or limited.  

Gina - I have only used organic products for most of my life.  Lately I've introduced the use of Eurcerin eczema cream and anti-itch spray since they're the only things I've tried that don't worsen the situation.  

Will continue to hope it clears up. :)
Helpful - 0
11377814 tn?1417677001
I suggest you make a switch to organic face and body cleansing products and avoid using chemically-derived ones.This will exempt you from further skin damage and irritation.
Helpful - 0
209987 tn?1451935465
First off let me say that blood tests don't seem to mean much. lol
I was tested for all sorts of things in the past...arthritis, celiac, etc.
I was always told that I was .5 away from having anything conclusive.
A year later the arthritis was so bad I cried all the time. They tested again, and sure enough the blood test showed that I had arthritis. Really? Gee! I could have told you that! UGH!
If your blood tests come back negative, it doesn't always mean that you don't have a "sensitivity" to something.
I would say that you have a sensitivity to gluten. If the rashes go away when the gluten is removed, I would stick to the diet. I know it bites...the food tastes gritty, dry, etc. But the alternative? Is it really worth it?
I would post this on the alternative medicines forum. Those people have helped me tons!
Think of it like this: you have a bad reaction to a bee sting. Doctor tells you that you aren't really allergic, but you're sensitive to them. You think to yourself that perhaps you aren't really allergic to them. You go out of your way to find a bee, get stung, and end up in the hospital because this time you quit breathing. Worth it? Think not. lol!
I know I quit breathing with bee stings...I avoid bees like the plague!
I also avoid tomatoes and oranges...my ulcer hates them. Eating more of them is not going to heal my ulcer, just like eating things full of gluten isn't going to make your rashes get better. Sorry.
Hope this helps. And don't forget to copy and paste this over to the Alternative forum!
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