HI all,
I've been lurking for a month or so reading all your posts and conversations about DH and I think I have it. What a bummer this is.
It all started last August when I started having heart palpitations and dizzyness which I immediately went to my ND because she could see me faster than my MD. She checked me over and couldn't find anything wrong so she gave me some supplements for high BP and sent me on my way.
For the next couple weeks things did not improve so she ran a test on my adrenal glands and found that I was seriously depleted and that's why my heart was pounding and I was getting dizzy every day. She also, at this time, suggested I go gluten free to aid in the healing of my adrenals. Wonderful I thought, I'm officially not dying, and I immediatly started feeling better with the hormone supplements she gave me.
Then, a few weeks after going gluten free, a rash started to appear on my fingers. Now, I've had this rash before and my MD had diagnosed it as dishydrotic dermatitis. The rash would always fade after a few months of sterioid creams.
This time though, it was more severe than it has ever been before and I started to worry since it was so painful and irritating. My ND counsuled me to go on the GAPS diet to heal my gut and she told me the rash would improve once I had healed my gut.
This was three months ago and the rash continued to get worse until, one day, I googled "gluten free then rash" and I scored a hit in this forum. After about 3 seconds of reading about DH I knew it was a match. I immediately removed iodine from my diet and saw almost immediate improvment. This grew my confidence and I added a few GAPS diet friendly items such as: spinach, almonds, honey, and some other veggies. My hands reacted badly so I reverted back to a diet consisting strictly of chicken and broth again. This is a difficult diet to maintain for an extended period of time and I am starting to feel pretty down about it.
Having now read some more on the forum, I realize that I'm probably sensitive to salicylates too. ARRRRRRGGG! Let me tell you how many foods are 1. gluten free 2. GAPS diet compliant and 3. salicylate free. ALMOST NONE. I pretty much subsist on bananas and chicken these days and it suuucks.
I understand that the DH will eventually fade and I will be able eat iodine rich foods again but I guess i wanted to tell my story so people could weigh in on my situation, you know, in case I'm missing something.
I am kinda worried about the salicylate sensitivity though. Is this related stricltly to the DH, the potential leaky gut, or do I have another issue all together I should be pursuing?
Thanks in advance for your advice, stories, experiences, and help.
PS I'm a 35 year old male. Otherwise healthy body and mind, just looking to get better. I've gone from 210lbs to 175 lbs on the restricted diet.