I read somewhere that it can take 6 months to a year for a gluten free diet to clear up my DH. Is that true???

I am breastfeeding so I am going the drug free route (not to mention that I am allergic to sulpha) but I am anxious to get better.

How long was it till your DH cleared up?

Meredith

I only had DH once and that was after I was diagnosed. At the time, I didn't know there was something that helped it so I used a product that helps me with poisen ivy, hives and other itchy/weepy rashes (although it's not marketed for that). It's called Earth Therapeutics Tea Tree Oil Liquid Foot Powder http://www.earththerapeutics.net/prodinfo.asp?number=9665 and I've used it for years on rashes to kill the itch and keep the rash (from whatever cause) dry. I get it at Bed, Bath and Beyond or Whole Foods. The rash cleared up about 10 days after I identified the pill that had wheat starch in it as a base (GNC melatonin) and stopped taking it. I don't think the liquid foot powder cleared the rash up so much as it killed the itch so I didn't go crazy.

Don't know if my experience will help you though since DH didn't appear for me except this one time. Good Luck!

I had ONLY DH and long before I was dx. I had gotten so bad my whole body was covered and the itch was so bad I had to take high doses of Advil (which stopped the itching). I then took Dapsone, which worked, and my rash disappeared after about 2 months. But then I reacted to the Dapsone with very bad rash and liver trouble and was very sick. So I stopped completely and went 100% gluten-free (as best I could). It took several months for the rash to mostly go away. It is NEVER completely gone becaues I have to travel a lot for my job and eat out a lot. Although I try very very hard to only eat gluten-free at restaurants that is almost impossible. So when I'm traveling a lot I end up with a small amount of rash. When I don't travel and eat only at home or food I carry, I can clear up my rash in about 4 - 6 weeks.
YES, it takes quite a while to completely clear up a DH rash, even with 120% gluten-free diet.
I've heard that 3 weeks is least, but longer is common and different for everyone.