In January of 2019, I was told by my dermatologist to go on a strict gluten-free diet. I had been ignoring several health issues over the past six years. Yes, I did mean to write for six years. I had never gotten them checked out and chalked them all up to stress from my past personal life and work. When things started to get worse during a time when I was having the least amount of stress in my life, I decided it was time to speak with a doctor.
I established with a new family medicine physician who then sent me to the dermatologist. After explaining my symptoms to the dermatologist, she felt confident that I had Dermatitis Herpetiformis (DH), the skin form of celiac disease.
I went home and started researching. After countless hours of reading, I was one hundred percent sure that she was correct. I was a classic case of both celiac and DH.
My symptoms were as followed: I would get these horrible bumps on my arms and shoulders that were painful and itched like all hell. I seriously felt like I was going insane sometimes because they itched so intensely, especially at night. The bumps/rash would last for a few weeks to a few months, and NOTHING helped them. They looked a lot like shingles and presented bilaterally. A person with DH explained it in an article I once read. “It is like rolling in stinging nettles naked with a severe sunburn, then wrapping yourself in a wool blanket filled with ants and fleas.” If you have DH, you will totally relate to this explanation.
In the past, when I did ask other general practitioners, I was always prescribed different steroid creams and a few oral medications, but no one ever knew what it was. I tried every over the counter cream and lotion for itching, and nothing would help. After a few weeks or months, it would go away, and then it would sporadically reoccur.
I also struggled with constipation. I should have owned stock in Milk of Magnesia and an herbal tea I drank from a local herbalist. I also would have diarrhea, horrible joint pain, some numbness in my extremities, did not sleep well, headaches, and my mind felt foggy. All of which I would completely ignore and pretended was not that big of a deal.
The dermatologist did a biopsy on my shoulder for the DH. Three weeks later, I was told it was inconclusive because of the excoriated skin. This was so annoying and frustrating to hear. They could do another biopsy, but I was told not to itch the area before the biopsy. Honestly, I did not think that it was going to be possible not to itch it, so I decided not to continue with a second biopsy. I already had one scar on my shoulder; I did not want to keep adding additional scars.
The dermatologist also suggested for me to see a Gastroenterologist. This is a typical next step for DH and celiac. The issue with all of that testing is that the tests can often come back negative. A Biopsy of both the skin on my arms and the upper and/or lower GI tract can be taken off an area that does not show a positive result, although you may still have DH and/or celiac disease. So at that point, I did not want to keep going through tests to find out I need to stop eating gluten. Some people go through years of testing before finally getting a positive result. I did not want to do that. I am no way recommending that anyone do it my way. I am only informing you of what I chose to do.
I went completely gluten-free in January 2019. I started out well and was feeling much better. And then a couple of months passed, and I started two have flare-ups on my skin, and my abdominal issues started coming back. The joint pain, numbness in my extremities, headaches, and fogginess all continued to subside, but I still did not sleep well.
The flare-ups I had believed was from too much iodine and dairy. Some people with DH have sensitivities to iodine. Some also have a sensitivity to dairy. I eliminated a few foods that were high in iodine such as seaweed (I ate that in sushi), yogurt, shrimp, and limited eggs. I stopped eating dairy. Unfortunately, I was still struggling. Next, I decided to take lectins out of my diet. To no avail and completely frustrated, I was still struggling.
And then I found Viome!
“Viome is a team of leading entrepreneurs, scientists, and physicians. Our proven expertise is why Viome is the only private company trusted with exclusive license to technology first developed at the prestigious Los Alamos National Laboratory. Viome’s pioneering artificial learning engines are designed to not only analyze your data, but to aggregate all the biological data we receive. As the sample size grows, our machines will spot trends and influences, which will unlock scientific breakthroughs. As science points to a link between overall health and our gut organisms, Viome asks: What if the best we feel now is only the beginning of how great our health can be? Our mission is to give people the clearest picture of their wellness and empower them to live a great and meaningful life.” viome.com
I am not being paid to put this information on my blog. I am in no way affiliated with Viome. I am just sharing with you that I genuinely believe in this organization and its testing. It has made an enormous difference in my life.
Once I took the test and started following all of the recommendations. The bumps and itching disappeared within two weeks, and my stomach issues were no longer an issue, as well as any of the other problems I was having. I am also sleeping better than I have in years. It really feels like a miracle!
