My lips constantly peel. Its almost like an overgrowth of skin. Does anyone else have this problem? And is there anything besides diet that will help alleviate this problem?

Hi Sharon,

I used to have this problem with shredding lips as has my brother. Diet is major solution for this. However there are herbs that can help--like dandelion root with possibly burdock root and maybe something for detoxing the gut like yellow dock one week and oregon grape root the next. The idea is that the body uses the skin as another avenue to detox especially if things are otherwise not working right. The skin peeling seems to be related to this. Thus the above liver and gut detox herbs are very helpful against these pesky skin conditions.

I also again think that the Co-enzyme B vitamins help. I was low on B-1 despite taking B complex forever. I discovered taking the co-enzyme B's are so much more useable for the body since they get absorbed directly into the blood stream. It can make all the difference if that is what you need. Its thus best to take the co-enzyme B vitamins away from meals. My heart no longer palpates and my legs and feet no longer burn etc. The B vitamins are also essential to having beautiful, resilient skin. People often comment onmy glowing skin, which is quite a compliment since I used to have terrible skin.

Another thing that is often useful is extra vitamin D for people who have celiac. It makes it so you can absorb calcium as well as helps with other needed enzymatic processes. Basically we are talking about malabsorption of calcium and the other minerals due to flattened villi and scar tissue. Things like a good liquid Sea Mineral supplement and/or Kelp capsules are essential to help make up for this.
Ditto with magnesium which can also help with elimination. Make sure the caps are non gluten of course.

For the vitamin D I use cod liver oil but not everyone can digest the oil. Depends on if your stomach produces enough HCL or not. However you can take vitamin D tablets. The oil however also gives one extra vitamain A as well as omega 3's--both of which help the skin.

GLA's like Evening Primrose oil might also help both your nerves and skin problems. Traditionally we celiacs have low essential fatty acids etc. which harms our nervous system as well as the skin.

I have found too that taking things that heal the lining of the gut helps overall for all these issues. Thus taking Bromelain/papain not only to hlep digest meals but also away from them with Nattokinase can be a life saver for removing scar tissue in the intestines as well as elsewhere. Plus things like Slippery Elm and Marshmallow Root taken regularly makes a world of difference in your ability to recover and be more resilient and beautiful by healing the lining of the intestines.

Try this stuff and see if your lips etc. respond. Let me know how it goes. Just remember nothing is a magic bullet. One has to adopt a way of life and thus possibly a whole array of things. It may be a lot of trouble but getting healthy makes it worth it. Eventually you won't have to take the herbs as frequently. For myself not only has my skin improved but also my hair. I used to have thin straight hair--whereas now it has gotten thicker and actually wavy! Ditto for my fingernails (now stronger instead of peeling) and teeth that finally hardened.

And thanks for adding me to your group of friends!

Yolo.

Thank You!
My nails and hair are so thin! It feels good to know there is help! I have doubts that my intestines are healing yet. I am going to try all your suggestions.
Sharon Marie

I am having this problem BIG TIME right now... cracks in the corner of my mouth too.

Thanks for the post & info you guys

You need to up your intake of vitamin B. The cracks in the corner of your mouth are one of the signs that you may be deficint in it. If you are not taking a good gluten-free vitamin with the B's you should add one in.

I used to always have the cracked lips before going g/f. It was always in the corner of my mouth. I would get it cleared up and then it would return. It was so frustrating.
I also used to get these sores in the back of my mouth on my gum lines, at first I thought it was my wisdom teeth, they were coming in at that time. I got my wisdom teeth out after going g/f. On day I got glutened and those sores returned almost immediately after I had ate...so that was another symptom I had.

I actually have been taking a b complex for years and I ordered the coenzyme b today hopefully it will help~
I also got a bottle of Marshmallow Root, Slippery Elm, Bromelain and Milk Thistle (liver detox)

Crossing my fingers~

thanks guys!!!

Do you take all three at the same time or do you alternate them ???

Should I stagger them?

You can stagger them -- but you don't need to. Though I usually take the marshmallow root and slippery elm caps with food. I take the co-enzyme vitamin B complex completely away from food (last thing at night and maybe first thing in the morning if I can remember--or mid afternoon).

The dandelion root some say you can take continuously. However to be on the safe side you might want to alternate it one week on and one week off. With maybe the off week taking milk thistle extract instead. Same with oregon grape root one week and yellow dock the next. This has made a world of difference for me and my ex boyfriend who also has celiac (we are still friends). He tells me I am some kind of genious since when he has his mash (see below) he feels so much better afterwards.

I would alternate the burdock too -- though I discovered not everyone can handle it. Try it and see. It is great for the skin.

Start maybe with low doses then work up.

About cooking them up (a cheaper alternative): I use 1 tablespoon per quart of water for each herb if I have the raw herb and make a mash. Boil slowly 20 to 30 minutes. Maybe add some licorice root at the end as an adaptogen which also helps the lungs and adrenals. Licorice also improves the taste. Though careful when you boil it since it has a tendency to froth.

Licorice root however raises the blood pressure after 10 days of use -- important to note in case you have high blood pressure. However I have noticed most people with DH and celiac have low blood pressure due to the nervous system and thus the heart often enlarges and beat slowly and irregularly due to the effects of malabsorption. This reverses with the effective B vitamins. If you can handle yeast Brewers Yeast is a good source of vitamins and then add folic acid and sublingual B-12. I just could not do that brewers yeast however since I have a problem with candida overgrowth etc. Recently I have been taking pao de arco and barberry for the fungus which has really been helping as well as my usual doses of garlic.

Please let me know how you are doing with all this. I really like to know how it all affects others. If enough people try it and it works maybe we could do a study and really help people with it even if we are just amateurs. Maybe we could get a doctor to do an official study with it. The herbs and B vitamins and Vitamin D plus minerals certainly have saved my life since my kidneys were also losing it as a young adult--not to speak of my skin, joints and brain.

There is other stuff too like the enzymes but more on that later. I just posted a big deal on all this on another dsicussion dealing with kidney problems.

I spent so many years poring over herbals etc. Anything I could get my hands on and thank heavens it has really paid off though I still have my struggles its nothing like it was. For the first time I feel young despite being 58 years old!! And thankfully (?!) with celiac there is a tendency to longevity if you can survive the miasma of being glutened and get over it. With flexible joints (OK a little too flexible, but hey!) and residual often well developed imagination and determination at the very least.

----Yolo

Holy cow Yolo, I am going to try the mash thank you soooooooooooooo much!

lovelove
sickchick

I feel like I am taking so many supplements right now.
Here is a list:
B12 2000 mcg per day (NOW instant energy)
Slippery Elm Bark 4 capsules 3 times a day with warm water between meals (Natures Way)
Magnesium with Chelated Zink 3 tablets a day with meals (Spring Valley)
Marshmallow Root 2 capsules 3 times per day with food (Natures Way)
Acidophilus with bio flora 1 capsule daily with food (Rexall)
Mature Complete Multivitamin one daily (EQUATE walmart brand)
Flaxseed Oil 1000 mg 1 daily (Spring Valley)
Odorless Garlic 1000 mg 1 capsule daily (Spring Valley)
Vitamin E 400 I U 1 capsule daily (Spring Valley)
Ferrous Sulfate 324 mg 1 tablet daily (Paddock)
Cod Liver Oil with A & D 1 capsule daily (Spring Valley)

Am I taking more then is reasonable ? I am trying so hard .

Thanks YoLo so much!

SharonMarie

This was one of my daughter's main symptoms, although we didn't know it at the time. If she gets glutened her lips get very, very dry. Before diagnosis, they were constantly peeling.

She uses petroleum jelly and drinks lots of water to treat it.

Hi Sickchick,

You are most welcome! It actually will be kind of exciting for me to find out how it works for others. It should since there is a long history to their use, however I haven't heard others talk about it in reference to celiac. It seems like even the naturopaths have forgotten about western herbs. This I think was because of past political reasons, not actual medical ones in my opinion. Ignorance has a way of spreading itself around when one is regecting the truths as well as the negatives of the past.

What kind of "sick" is it by the way?

Now the great news is that I don't seem to get sick--which to me seems like a minor miracle. Maybe a little tired from time to time but that's all--though without the herbs that would be a different story since I still seem to need them to remain on an even keel for my kidneys etc. Nevertheless it really is amazing since I was ill all my life starting at 4 months old with pneumonia after being introduced to grains no doubt plus a good does of radiation from Hanford Nuclear Power Plant's infamous "Green Run" experimental releases of radiation.

The herbs definitely helped (and still do help) but the final trick for me was as I said before the Co-enzyme B vitamins since the regular kind just went through me apparently. And B vitamins are necessary for basic carbohydrate and protein metabolism amongst other things.

Sometimes you have to adjust ingredients to the herbs a little since we are all different. My ex can't handle the burdock for instance. And my eldest sister can't handle herbs at all except for pao de arco. Some people do better on homeopathics etc. etc. As far as the herbs go, you might want to start slow to see how you do. I usually add some water afterwards since its pretty thick. I don't take it continuously. Maybe 3 days on, a week or two to 4 days off though when I have been really ill I took it all the time and just alterlnated the ingredients every week or so (that's why I listed the alternative ingredients). I find I often have it more in the winter just because of the cold weather.

Now I take barberry and pao de arco pretty regularly (with the marshmallow root) however since I got a fungal infecton which has kept sticking around--after I was on antibiotics for a bad bacterial infection roughly 3 and a half years ago.

This barberry really is making the fungus/candida go away. Its so strong I can only take 1/2 tsp. of the dry powder at a time 2 to 3 times a day. I pour boiling water over it and/or put it in the mash. Its stronger than anything I have ever seen, even chapparal. So be careful if you try it. Don't use it too long at a time if you have a sensitive stomach and take something soothing like Marshmallow with it.

Am hoping pretty soon you will be Healthy Chick!

Yolo

Again you are most welcome Sharon Marie! I do hope what I have suggested helps. Please let me know if it does.

I know what you mean about taking all the supplements. If they make you feel better keep taking them. I find when I don't take mine I run out of energy. Oh well, its better than having to take coumadin!! etc. I certainly have a similar list though I also take kelp powder capsules and liquid sea minerals as well as E-Zorb calcium.

Now this last is controversial, however like many people with celiac I have great difficulty utilizing calcium. It used to be so bad I could peel my fingernails and often did!

The E-Zorb (calcium aspartate anhydrous) seems to me to work the best. I have experimented being on it and off it several times and on seems to be a lot better than off. My fingernails and aching joints don't lie. I also now however can eat organic non fat yogurt which of course helps too. But that doesn't change when I just use the cheaper calcium citrate. I also don't want to use bonemeal from ground up cows due to mad cow disease. I figure I have had to overcome enough problems as it is anyway. Any comments from others on this E-Zorb and/or the calcium question?

My understanding is that the Chinese did a study for many years to come up with more absorbable calcium due to a pressing need in their population (20% have calcium absorption problems). Finally they developed this anhydrous calcium that is supposedly at least 80% absorbable. However other than the E-Zorb people I hear nothing on this elsewhere although my mother reads Scientific American and said roughly 15 years ago she read about the Chinese study.... This could be because no one else has the propieatry rights I suppose. Or maybe I am mislead -- though as I said my fingernails don't lie, plus for once I had a blood test that showed I had too much calcium before I dialed back the E-zorb. This is someone (me) whose teeth were always too soft etc. which apparently is a family trait with this celiac.

Yolo

I can't wait to be Healthy Chick myself!!!

I can't believe how well this Marshmallow Root is working (for my digestive craziness) it's working better than the Psyllium I have been taking for about a year now! (wahoo!!)

I bought Marshmallow Root ( I eat 4)
Slippery Elm (I eat 2)
Evening Primrose (I eat one, I bought this biggest pill I could find lol)
Vitamin C
B complex (2)
Caltrate (2 +D)
Multivitamin
Milk Thistle (2)
Bromelain
5000 mcg Biotin
I bought (today) vitamin D (I am going to take 2000 ie)
Garlic
Acidophilus (the big 50 bill theraputic ones on an empty stomach, so I wake up in the middle of the night lol)


I have been suffering with Candida since high school, when my dr's felt it necessary to pump my little bosy full of antibiotics for various reasons, mainly sinus infections things of that nature.

Being as I was in high school I was very naive to what antibiotics do to a person's body. I had a lowered immune system because when I was 15 I was diagnosed with Epstein Barr. My health took a turn after that happened and I was sick all the time and had constant yeast infections.

By the time I was in College (23) I was having pelvic pains and all my tests were normal but my brilliant dr thought it was necessary to give me more antibiotics in higher doses over and over again and what was happening was my pelvic pain was actually getting WORSE (from the candida)

So needless to say by the time I was 25 I was under a tremendous amount of stress from everything, school life family etc my body went completely out of control and I all of a sudden I started reacting to everything that I put in my body. In microscopic amounts.

So for me it's a combination of Systemic Candida and Celiac Disease.
I have been taking antifungals for about a year and a half. And I was still having major digestive problems (and my ND was convinced it was my thyroid) I did tons of research on digestive disorders and came accross this place and put it together myself. I begged my ND to run the Celiac blood tests and she did. and sure enough.

Anyways I was suffering with symptoms for like 11 years. I am desperate to get my life back.

I am determined by the way to get better and NOTHING short of a freight train will stop me at this point!

My lips quit peeling but the corners of my mouth are still bad. I am putting vitamin e oil on it to keep it from cracking worse.

Are you from Washington Yolo?


lovelove
sickchick

Hi Sick Chick,

Did you try the mash? Is it helping??

Am trying to find out if my remedies are helping here or not. I realize everyone is alittle different however this has helped my friend too.

Am thinking of recommending them at a celiac meeting in Santa Cruz, CA probably in April or March.

Yolo

I think you are nothing short of Brilliant Yolo! I am having a little adjustment priod ( My body always does when I introduce new vitamins and herbs especially) but my lips are doing much much better!

Blessings, Sweetheart!

Sure did. For years.
Until I found and stopped ingesting the FINAL food intolerance.


Sure didn't seem to be for me.

Oops double post

LOL!! Do you have this problem too Tom??

Yay!!

-----Yolo

PS more later--am off to a writing class

I've had crazy problems with my lips cracking in the corners. I got one side healed up and the other one is tons better after a week and a half on antifungals and a candida diet. Something that helps me is to keep the area moisturized as they are healing so I don't re-crack them everytime I yawn or eat or brush my teeth. I've been using blistex because it numbs the pain too. When I started taking raw garlic every day I had the best results so far. I think I'm going to start taking marshmellow root as suggested here too (boy is my husband going to be happy when I add yet another supplement to my regimen! Every time we go to whole foods I buy something else lol).

I used to have this problem too. People told me that I wasn't drinking enough water. I drink tons of water. Then, others told me I wasn't getting enough fat in my diet. Well, with all the nuts and seed butters I put on things I'm sure I'm getting enough.

The question I think should be....why isn't it getting into the tissues? Malabsorption? That could be a celiac thing.... or other reasons.

In the meantime, the only thing that has worked for me over the years is a product made by Mary kay and no I'm not a distributor or anything. In fact, i'm allergic/sensitive to just about all makeups so I just don't wear any. I'm sure there are some ingredients that are not good but it stopped my lips from pealing. Just a dab in the a.m. before work and I'm good all day!

It is called extra emollient night cream and comes in a 2.1 oz. tube. My tube has lasted for 3 years as you only need to use a little bit. It is a salmon color.

I hope this helps a bit.

moldlady smooooth lips!!

My guess would definitely be Malabsorption

xoxo

Hi sick chick and all, you and I have had some similar difficulties. I am fungied up to my ears so to speak. Used to be in my scalp too. Real nice down below you know where. Good ol antibiotics.

And yes I was born in Washington and lived there a few times as a young adult. Hey Washington was where I was exposed to radiation as an infant from the Green Run when I almost died from pneumonia and "faliure to thrive" at 4 months after being just fine beforehand--probably from the exposure plus I think being introduced to grains. It is such beautiful country, its too bad that radiation series was done to it and those living there. My parents worked there near Walla Walla as anthropologists. I now live back in the Bay Area of California. My remedies always seem to work more easily for others than on me but now I am finally getting my own back. Thank heavens!! Its only taken almost 40 years to put the pieces together.

The edges of my mouth used to crack as well as above my ears. This really did stop for me when I started using the herbs, not just marshmallow root though that is a big help all by itself. Don't forget the slippery elm caps too! Good for helaing ruined villi. Plus bromelain/papain.

Again the Co-enzyme B vitamins help better than regualr B vitamins for me and seem to have helped a few others here who have tried them. They bipass the liver and go directly into the blood stream so you get their benefit despite your messed up colon etc. etc. I think if you can handle yeast then regular brewers yeast and black strap mollasses based B's are fine but not so for people like me. Further however the usual petroleum based B's are pretty worthless for anyone in my opinion.

I also get itches and cracks from systemic fungus like sick chick. Recently I have found taking the pao de arco plus barberry internally does wonders. I like to add other things to it though like dandelion root, marshmallow root and yellow dock. Burdock is a systemic and good for the liver and skin. Oregano oil caps are also a help--or just rub the oil on your wrists etc. Don't take it other than the caps internally however since its too strong. Thyme oil is also good externally. The skin is a big absorber as well as a detoxer.

In a pinch I will just use vaseline on my lips or any cracks. Jojoba oil also works pretty well. You can also make a salve if you add powdered barberry to the vaseline. Put a lot of the herb in and mix in with a spoon thoroughly. Could add other things too (like neem powder and pao de arco) but I haven't tried it yet. Works better than over the counter as is however. I'd like to find a more organic carrier than vaseline however...

Its also important to have good oils for your skin--thus take plenty of Omega 3's etc. I find given my heritage that cod liver oil is best. I use olive oil for salads etc. And coconut oil is great for cooking in pancakes. Butter seems best for frying (at a low heat).

Please check my other posts for more details on herbs etc. since I have to run.

Yolo

Yolo,
I've never met or talked to anyone that went through the "green run." That is just terrible. When I first found out about it, I would not buy apples from those areas thinking it still might be in the soils. Did you get any thyroid issues? If that is too personal you don't have to respond.

moldlady ....

Thanks for asking actually.

Amazingly my thyroid is fine for the most part. I had issues of being too cold for years but by going on diet and taking the co-enzyme B's I am finally over that. For a while I took thyroxin and ended up being hyperthyroid--and had to go through this whole thing to get past that. My sisters however have low thyroid issues--as has my mother pre-Green Run (i.e., as a child). Probably the radiation contributed to making it so everyone in my family has this celiac rather than just a couple of us. We also have a brother who has Down's.

The Green Run in Dec. of 1949 spread to parts of 3 states--Washington, Idaho and Oregon. And then they continued testing through the early 1950's. We moved however to Bothell close to Seattle when I turned 3.

Yolo

Yolo,
Moving away probably saved you many more troubles!! Good thing your parents got you out of there. I think it is terrible that the gov did not warn anyone about what they were going to do.... This kind of thing was done years ago when they genetically altered some bacteria to spray on the crops so they would not freeze. The public was never warned of the test flights spraying this "new" bacteria over all the valley of southern california. We will never know the impact that might have had to people breathing in something brand new and foreign.

It is so important that people know how to eat to be well and to stay well because we are being assulted all the time by the environment and unknown dangers. It seems like by the time we find out, we have already taken part.

moldlady

The thing that stops my lips from peeling is a lip gloss from philosophy called "kiss me" . . . they also make a lip exfoliant that I use. Its the only one that ever helped my peeling issue. The cracks on the side of my mouth are even better today so I think its definitely candida related.

that's great....
I see many people and children with this problem and it seems they keep licking them to try and moisten them and it just makes them more and more chapped.
ML

I'm surprised no one else has weighed in w/ an experience similar to mine. (Or did I miss it?)

To recap, my lips peeled bad for *years*, then suddenly stopped last summer when I finally found the last food intolerance.

Nothing beats eliminating the source of the problem.

Yeah actually they were doing an experiment on the locals --that's why they didn't tell anyone until they were found out in 1990. I suddenly heard this news on the radio and the guy they interviewed (some general so and so) actually said "we didn't realize we were doing anything wrong." I cried since I had so many health problems over the years. "Yeah that's why they didn't tell us!" is what went on in my mind.

When I moved up there to the East of the Cascades near the Canadian border for a year in 1990 -1991 everyone was thrusting these newspaper articles at me whether I wanted to read them or not. It has been hard to face. I generally don't think too hard about it since I don't want to give it too much energy, but at times I do get angry about it. I really don't want to participate in their little experiment. Other families were harder hit than ours. I think we have strong genes. However it still has affected us in silent ways. My eldest siter's first baby for instance was completely deformed -- but still born.

And this celiac mess is really amazing. One of the most unfortunate things about it is how it causes depression and lack of short term memory, mental cloudiness and anxiety, not to mention constant colds, bronchitis and flus as well as tendency to fungus/candida and bad skin not to mention either diarreah or constipation. It really puts a damper on a lot of things, including careers and relationships. I am so glad I know more about it now and have figured out how I can combat it more effectively.

Sounds like you have had your own struggles, maybe in Southern California?

It is outrageous what the attitude of the powers that be have been. I really think about this from time to time and get quite upset at how injurious we are being in the Middle East as well. I can easily imagine what its like growing up in a war torn country without adequate water or medical supplies etc. etc. We had it far better of course. But the lack of concern for the well being of others by certain parties of the government is the same. Somehow this has got to change. The planet itself can't handle it much longer. Maybe in some ways we can think of ourselves as frontrunners who need to speak out somehow someway once we can get our act together and get healthy.

-----Yolo

Yolo,
Actually, I was teaching environmental studies back in the 80s and that's how I know of many of these things that happened. Jeremy Rifkin has been a long time advocate for the consumer and brought many of these things to the public eye that would have normally been put under the carpet. It is sad that these things happened without our knowledge but afterward we are not given direction as to where to go from here......
I'm thinking that many of the website forums are almost a type of underground like system where people can get some sort of direction and help.
One of the things I found interesting is that those people that survived the radiation exposure in Japan are actually healthier and are living longer than everyone else. Know one seems to know why? So, it almost seems like maybe some radiation might be a good thing?

ML

It's actually possible. Though maybe its just the strong that survive anyway assumsing it doesn't kill you. I don't know if a little radiation can make one stronger. Certainly it tests one. I almost died twice--once as an infant and once as a young adult with advancing kidney disease. Both of which I licked somehow--figuring out about diet certainly helped even back then and even though it wasn't the whole picture.

Thus it seems my spirit is strong even though my body certainly hasn't been in the past. Now however I don't even get a sniffle. I still have some kind of internal fungus problem however. Was just at the Y a little too long last night (in the sauna plus swimming) and was out of it until 10 PM today. I managed at work but it was a definite: "oh that stuff again..." I think the heat helps kill the little beasties off but then there is the die-off residuals...sort of like getting a hangover.

What you say about Jeremy Rifkin sounds interesting. Seems I either missed or misplaced those memories somewhere. Some vague recollection but that's all. Where might I find info on him?

By the way, I think there is a renewed interest in the environment starting about now. Just heard there was some kind of day long extravaganza that way in San Francisco at one of the colleges. There is hope for the future; we just have to strategize and take action. Some say we only have another 10 years before its too late...Mr. Bush has certainly propelled Global Warming and a lot of other related things forward. Maybe its time to step up again. I certainly am thinking about it--even if this time its as a creative writer and artist--though I am also thinking about writing a book of remedies...


Yolo

Yolo,
A book on the remedies (natural I presume), would be great!

Do a google search on J. Rifkin and I'm sure stuff will come up. The guy knows more about what the gov. has done to the consumer without their knowledge than anyone I know. I heard about him in the early 80s when I was teaching.

I know what it means to get too much die off! Yes, at least a day of trying to get back on track!

ML

Thanks ML! I think doing the book is a must. It seems a lot of people don't have the appetite for herbs and diet such that I do. Have been investigating this for years and the stuff really does seem to work. To tell the truth my friends have encouraged me to do so for years however I wanted to be healthy before I did it. I will be giving a talk in Santa Cruz in April for this same reason--my ex told the support group about my knowledge and they seemed enthusiastic. Certainly I am also since now I finally have my life back for the most part for the first time so to speak.

I did look up Rifkin, but there was no mention of the Green Run associated with his name. He seems to be an advocate of hydrogen energy and other environmental issues--mainly with the Greens and the European Union.

I should probably hook up with the Greens sometime. I used to be politically active but again my health got in the way. I did get a BA in poli sci however and minored in philosophy. Got straight A's in it--between being ill with bronchitis etc. and eventually quit it due to kidney disease. While ill I realized I did not want to be part of some East Coast right wing think tank--or do statistical studies to support my theories about the collective unconscious and politics. I just did not trust the system as it was. I eventually became an artist and poet instead--and self taught herbalist on the side.

Yolo

I have been taking these herbs for 2 weeks and my lips are CLEAR as of today~! Thanks Yolo!!

More yays!!

Because of you I have started my aged mom today on some of the herbs too. She actually didn't mind the taste--which is pretty amazing. I added the licorice for taste, as well as to lift up the adrenals. Am crossing my fingers. She might get worse first then better if she has a healing crisis.

Overall her memory is starting to reappear meanwhile just from avoiding gluten while still eating chocolate and non gluten cookies and crackers etc. I shake my head in non understanding but then she doesn't have a fungus problem like I do. I am glad for her that is the case.

However her skin is still a mess, though not as bad as it was...thus the herbs to the rescue. I hope!
Yolo

Yolo,
It seems like you have many talents and probably had a hard time decided on just what you wanted to do in life. Now, you are here trying to help people and yourself! I think it is a great mission to help people get well.
I read what you said about your mother. My mother only did well when I was with her and controlling things for her. As soon as I would leave, all the bad habits came back and health went down hill. If I'd have known some 25 years ago about this fungus stuff and celiac, I'd have maybe helped her live a longer life. I've only known about fungus for about 10 years and only practiced it for 8. Celiac disease I've played with in the 90s and then went away from it and now I'm back from a nice invitation from a friend.
I'd love to hear about other remedies and things that you have discovered along the way..

moldlady

Sharon,

I have this exact problem very bad right now. I'm 18 years old, and I'm not sure if I have celiac desease or not... I wouldn't think so. Have you learned anything about this condition? It is called exfoliative cheilitis. It is crippling my social life personally being in high school and everything. Please respond if you have figured out whats is causing this for you or if you have any response in general.

Oh! I just found your post! I am still feeling new to trying to sort through all that I may be intolerant to. My lips have finally stopped peeling but still need Vaseline to prevent extreme dryness. I was dependent on blistex for years until I heard here that its bad stuff.
I sympathize with you hon! I do think it is very possibly celiac thats causing it. Please do let me know how things are with you.
SharonMarie

I've started taking both fish oil and evening primose oil. First time all winter my lips haven't been cracked/chapped/peeling.

I'm starting to really like this message board... Even though I haven't had my test yet, more and more things keep popping up that fit the DH diagnosis.

I can remember from an early age my mom (who has celiac) bitting at her lips and having flaky skin there. She told me it was a nervous habit, but as I've entered adulthood I have found myself doing the same thing. Each morning I wake up with moist skin built up on my lips which I rub off when I clean my face, but it just comes back again.

I am interested in try this dandelion root; my father told me when he was young (and they were poor) that his family would make dandelion leaf stew to eat, so I've always known it's ok to use on yourself. I wonder if anyone knows how to make a dandelion root salve? I would be very interested in making a salve to put on my lips to test out.