So about the title, I’m serious. I’m pretty sure you will not enjoy this post unless you
1. Have eczema yourself. 2. Are my mother 3. Have a random hatred for gluten.

There have been a lot of studies that show that gluten actually makes allergies/eczema/asthma worse. I have read a lot of them and even though I have the “trifecta” (as my doctor calls it) listed above, I still eat gluten. I am allergic to so many things that it’s hard for me to even think about cutting out gluten products too! In the past I have gone gluten/wheat free for several weeks at a time and yes, it does make my living/breathing/skin/weight/overall attitude much better.

I have really been struggling with my eczema lately and have decided it’s time to test out the gluten-free diet again! My mom has inspired me to do so, as well as this excerpt from an article I read:

There are some skin illnesses associated with celiac disease. Patients and their seemingly unaffected family members are more likely to have atopic dermatitis, which is also known as eczema. The hallmark of eczema is itching with the skin scaling, crusting and an oozing of a serous or transparent fluid. Eczema can be worsened by stress, heat, dry air and sweating. (interestingly enough mine flares when I get REALLY excited too. so funny how emotions effect skin!)

You actually may not have celiac disease or at least you may not have the clinical manifestations of a gluten allergy and you can still have eczema related to celiac disease. It would be preferable that you get the testing to confirm or disprove the diagnosis of gluten allergy. Even if the tests were negative, many physicians would suggest a two month trial of a gluten-free diet to see if the eczema improves. Most would advocate continuing the diet if there seemed to be some improvement in the rash and even if it did not clear up fully.

I have a spot on my right wrist that has been completely taken over by eczema. When people see it they ask if I have been badly burnt–it is pretty horrific looking. It feels like I have chicken pox or poison ivy 24 hours a day. Not only that spot, but my whole body itches all the time. I wouldn’t wish eczema on my worst enemy.

I am going to go gluten-free tomorrow and we’ll see what happens! I guess I’ve finally decided that I hate eczema more than I love bread! I’m going to keep a diary each day and note my progress. Don’t worry, I won’t keep the diary on here and bore everyone to death…Mom, I’ll keep you posted on my hand-rash! Thanks for the gentle push to try it out. 😉

Here is the full article quoted above if you are interested: Does eating gluten cause eczema?