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Seeing as today is my Birthday, I wanted to share with you all a personal story of mine. It has now been 5 years since I was diagnosed with celiac disease. My health is back to normal and although I still struggle from time to time I am doing so much better.I hope my following story helps you or someone you know. The best gift for me is helping fellow celiacs and those with gluten sensitivity.
Dermatitis Herpetiformis (DH) is “a blistering, intensely itchy skin rash.” It’s usually symmetrical in shape and is most commonly located on the elbows, knees, buttocks, and upper back. People can experience the rash on other parts of the body, and severity of symptoms can vary.
I unfortunately not only have celiac disease but also have DH. Staying off of gluten really is the only lasting solution for DH. I do my best to stay away from gluten but with a busy life and sometimes eating on the go I occasionally consume gluten unknowingly.
Recently I had a DH outbreak that was probably one of the worst I have ever had. Many small patches all over my back and one right in the middle of my chest. No only was it embarrassing but also extremely uncomfortable.
I knew I needed to find a solution for future if I ever accidently consumed gluten. I first tried using cortisol cream for the itching. It did help a little with the pain but it didn’t help the blisters go away. A few of the blisters opened up and were extremely painful so I thought to put Neosporin on them. It once again helped with the pain but they were not going away.
At this point I was stuck to wearing very covering clothes and putting band aids over the open blisters. Being only 22 years old this was even more devastating. I had to turn down social events due to the DH.
I did some research and my mother, Tina Turbin, put out a message on the celiac listserv to see if we could come up with any solutions. The feedback we got was absolutely amazing. So many people had the same problem as me and had solutions. I felt a sense of relief.
I decided to get a prescription for Dapsone seeing as it seamed to me to be the best fit. Although Dapsone is a very strong drug and should be used sparingly I figured it was the perfect match for me because it is quick acting and I don’t eat gluten purposely ever so I knew I wouldn’t have to use it often at all. I like to keep things natural as much as possible in my life so this was important for me.
I got my little jar of Dapsone cream and followed the directions exactly. Two times a day I applied a thin layer to the areas of the DH outbreak. Not only did it relieve the pain but within 3 days of using it I saw a huge change in the appearance of the DH. I only used it for at total of 5 days because I wanted my body to be able to fight the DH on its own as much as possible. The DH is almost gone now and I am not getting any more outbreaks whereas before it was as if it was spreading all over me.
I know there are many people with Celiac disease who have DH. I hope my story helps you or someone you know. I am going to go eat some gluten free cake now!
Miranda Jade Turbin
http://www.GlutenFreeHelp.info
From our home to yours, Tina Turbin
If you have any questions or suggestions just email me at Info (at) TinaTurbin (dot) com.
