Recently I was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s hypothyroidism. Basically what that means is I have an under-active thyroid. It’s an autoimmune disorder, similar to dermatographia in that the immune system is involved. With Hashimoto’s the immune system starts attacking the thyroid gland because of inflammation and a number of other factors. [Some say it’s actually caused by a virus and is not an autoimmune disorder, but that’s not what I’ll be focusing on in this post.]
In all my research (I’ve been doing a ton lately), I found a connection between Hashimoto’s and urticaria, or hives. A 2014 study found that almost 25% of people with chronic urticaria had Hashimoto’s. That’s a really high number!
“People with Hashimoto’s are more likely to develop the skin condition chronic spontaneous urticaria, also known as chronic hives which is manifested by widespread, itchy and swollen skin rashes. These hives can be very distressful and they can seem to come up randomly. 42 scientific studies have linked Hashimoto’s with chronic hives!” -Dr. Izabella Wentz
Now, I don’t think that I necessarily had Hashimoto’s the entire time I’ve had dermatographia, but that’s not to say the two aren’t connected. Urticaria can be an early sign of thyroid issues (not always–only in some cases). If you’ve been experiencing other symptoms like fatigue, weight gain, loss of hair, carpal tunnel, joint pain, brain fog, and things of that nature, I suggest you get your thyroid levels tested and talk to your doctor about this possibility immediately.
Since my diagnosis, I stopped eating gluten completely. Apparently it’s really bad to eat gluten when you have a thyroid condition because the immune system can mistake the thyroid for gluten and attack it. Previously I had just cut back on gluten and noticed my dermatographia lessen, but now that I’ve completely eliminated it my dermatographia and itch is even less. Yay!
I’ve also cut back on dairy. Many people say completely eliminating dairy helps the thyroid heal. As usual with autoimmune conditions, it depends on the individual, but for me I’m definitely seeing an improvement in my overall health eating less dairy. [update: in 2017 I gave up dairy completely and it has really helped me feel better!]
Just in the last two weeks I’ve started taking an iodine supplement a few times a week. That’s totally giving me more energy! I notice too that my bloating is lessening (a major symptom of hypothyroidism is weight gain along with bloating). Just be careful with iodine though if you decide to take it because it doesn’t always help people with thyroid issues feel better (sometimes it can worsen the condition). Definitely speak with your doctor before taking supplements. [update: I no longer take iodine because I found it was making me feel worse]
Speaking of supplements, selenium and vitamin E have been helping me as well. The best way to take them is together, on an empty stomach. I’ve also read that it’s helpful to use oil with vitamin E in it (like sweet almond oil) on your skin to increase absorption. Magnesium oil is another great one for skin–you absorb it really well when it’s applied topically, as opposed to a magnesium supplement you’d ingest. Many people are deficient in magnesium so it’s a good one to supplement.
Probiotics are another great thing to take for basically anything. I take a probiotic pill every morning and feel like it’s helped my digestion a ton.
One thing I’m going to do soon is a parasite cleanse. In my research I’ve found that there’s a link between skin issues (like chronic urticaria) and the presence of parasites, namely Blastocystis hominis (Blasto for short), in one’s gut–ewwwww! If you have gut and digestion issues then that will only add to the problem. And parasites have been shown to cause leaky gut, which can breed autoimmunity issues. There’s tons of information out there on parasite cleanses if you want to try it out and learn more. There’s even some things you can eat regularly that will help kill parasites, like pumpkin seeds.
These are just my preliminary findings. I will be updating this post as I come across new information. In the meantime, I hope this helps and please comment below if you have seen or experienced a connection between Hashimoto’s and dermatographia!
Be sure to check out the Dermatographia page to learn more about which products are best for those of us with sensitive skin and thyroids. See also my post about how I’m healing my skin naturally :=)
Note: this page contains affiliate links. If you purchase products through these links I may earn a small commission, at no extra cost to you. Thank you for your support!
53 Comments
Ariana Soria
on October 19, 2016 at 6:56 pmHola! Estoy confundida después que leí tu post.
Yo tengo dermografia, los médicos no me han dicho la razón, igual eso de la cuestión autoinmune. Pero entonces es un síntoma de hipotiroidismo?
Ariana
on January 9, 2017 at 4:16 pmHi Ariana (nice name!). Dermatographia isn’t necessarily a symptom of hypothyroidism, I just discovered there’s a link between the two conditions. If you have any symptoms I listed above, you should speak to your doctor about getting your thyroid checked, just in case. Let us know how it goes!
St
on November 8, 2016 at 6:01 amHi I have both and I was thinking they must be related . I googled it and I was directed to your post! Very interesting please keep updating here!
Ariana
on November 9, 2016 at 8:57 amThank you! Please let us know if you find anything else too :=)
Deana Kitterman
on January 12, 2017 at 9:12 pmI was diagnosed with Celiac in 2001 and have been entirely gluten free since. I was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s in 2011 and within the past year have developed dermatographia. Like you I think there must be a connection. Thanks for your research and blogging about it.
Ariana
on January 31, 2017 at 5:53 pmYou’re welcome! I really think cutting out gluten helps so much with both Hashi’s and dermatographia. I’ve also recently cut out dairy and feel even better. It sucks, but I’d rather stay healthy than eat cheese and bread lol.
Thanks for the note!
Mareika
on February 10, 2017 at 7:10 amI have never ben diagnosed with Hashimoto’s, but I was diagnosed with viral-induced hypothyroidism (aka, unexplained malfunctioning of the thyroid along with large goiters) and had to have my thyroid removed at age 19. I also have always experienced random hives and hyper skin sensitivity, but just this week began to develop dermatographia. It makes sense to me that they are related, and that autoimmune issues in general are all occurring within our bodies. Elimination diet seems like my next course of action!
Ariana
on June 10, 2018 at 3:53 pmIt’s all connected! I’m discovering that more and more as I have more experience living in my body ; )
Meg May
on February 22, 2017 at 5:43 pmHi! I just want to say reading this makes me not feel so alone. I was diagnosed with hashimotos auto immune disease in 3rd grade. I have since had thyroid cancer and have been struggling with severe skin writers disease for 10 years now. Thank you so much for being open about this disease. It’s nice to know we can be in this together <3
Ariana
on June 10, 2018 at 3:54 pmYou’re welcome! Thanks for writing in : )
rey
on March 12, 2017 at 10:06 pmthank you for sharing, so many of these conditions are somehow linked, conditions are a result of other contributing factors (diet, stress, lifestyle…)
Ariana
on June 10, 2018 at 4:00 pmYes totally! Our bodies exist as a whole system, not in isolation : )
Qamar
on March 27, 2017 at 12:53 pmI had dermatographism for a year, dermatology doctors told me to live with it and take anti histamins. Then I decided to see an allergy specialist. she checked my thyroid antibodies and I had elevated ones. I have hashimoto.
It was great to run into your article. Keep up the good work.
Ariana
on June 10, 2018 at 4:01 pmThanks Qamar! Hopefully you’ll find relief when you get your thyroid regulated!
Rossana Urra
on March 29, 2017 at 8:16 amHola Ariana
que bueno es saber que no soy la unica con esta condicion, soy de chile,mi nombre es Rossana,al igual que tu tengo el sindrome de Hashimoto e hipotiroidismo lo que me concuerda lo tener dermatographia,mas que grave es molesto vivir con esto, al igual que otras personas, me realice muchos examenes de alergias y nunca me dieron un diagnostico acerca del por que me rascaba y me brotaba la piel,con tu post todo me calza.
desde Chile te saludo
Rossana.
Ariana
on June 10, 2018 at 4:03 pmHi Rossana! Thanks for the note : )
How I *Almost* Cured My Dermatographia, The All Natural Way – Skintome
on April 4, 2017 at 3:01 pm[…] Like I said earlier, be patient. It’s not going to happen overnight! Make changes when and where you can, and don’t be too hard on yourself if you slip up. It’s taken me years to get to this point, and I’m a lot more serious about my health now than I’ve ever been, because of the dermatographia, but also in large part due to my Hashimoto’s diagnosis (see my post about that here). […]
Elaine
on June 7, 2017 at 7:46 pmWow, I never knew the two were related until I came across an ad for a medicine for urticaria. It seemed similar to derma which I’ve had since puberty. I never even knew there was a name for dermatographia until I was in my late 30s. I sensed it was all related to my endocrine system/hormones. Now in my 40s my body has gone south with Hashi symptoms and I’d been searching feverishly for an answer. I now have a way of explaining this to a doctor without feeling stupid. Thanks for posting!
Ariana
on June 10, 2018 at 4:03 pmYou’re welcome Elaine! Glad to help : )
Sol
on July 9, 2017 at 9:26 pmHi! I was recently put on thyroid medication (although not officially diagnosed with hypothyroidism or Hashimoto’s) and one of the symptoms that has been cured is, in fact, dermatographia.
For the past 20 years I’ve been told that I had a lazy thyroid but my levels were never considered abnormal enough for a diagnosis. 13 years ago, after having my kiddo, something went haywire and I started having the symptoms described for Hashimoto’s (Mayo Clinic online) plus a complete lack of sex drive and depression. My primary doctor never considered these issues thyroid-related –she tested me twice over the years as my symptoms accumulated and time and again my levels didn’t justify putting me on medication. She always came back to my being overweight for an explanation to all that ailed me. And for years I believed her. About 5 years ago my health had declined so much –especially with the weight gain, brain fog, digestive problems and joint/muscle pain– that I set on a journey to find help. My primary doctor didn’t think more testing was needed. She diagnosed me with Anhedonia and said there was no treatment. I refused to accept that there was nothing to be done and sought help from several specialists (Gastro, Endo, Rheuma, Podiatrist, Diagnostician) each of whom ran many different tests but ended up offering the same “can’t find anything wrong with you” speech. The diagnostician looked at $10K worth of test results and in less than 5 minutes concluded that what I needed was psychiatric help. Finally, an unorthodox Nutritionist did an extensive medical history and some genetic testing and recommended I tried a gluten-free diet. After about 4 months on a very strict GF and lactose reduction diet, I experienced an amazing recovery and my quality of life increased substantially. However, even after a couple of years on the diet I still experienced extreme fatigue (and other ‘minor’ things that I considered part of the normal aging process: hair loss, dry skin, increased bleeding during menstruation, etc.). Also, about two years ago I developed dermatographia. To make matters worse, last year I went through three months of terrible insomnia. My new PCP put me back on antidepressants (I had been on Prozac for 16 years but the GF diet had kept me off it for almost a year prior to the bout of insomnia). My mental state improved but I still couldn’t sleep more than 3 hours at a time. At the end of my rope, I sought help for the insomnia from an integrative medicine practitioner while still under the care of my PCP. She ordered extensive testing but, strangely, before my lab results came back, my insomnia resolved itself, literally, overnight. To this day I have no idea what caused it or cured it but it turned out to be a blessing in disguise because the tests the IM practitioner ordered were quite extensive and she, for the first time ever, told me that I might benefit from thyroid medication. She also put me on progesterone and iron and vitamin D supplements (I had marked deficiencies that somehow had gone undetected). Long story longer, it’s been two months and my dermatographia has disappeared, my hair loss stopped, my skin feels like it did when I was in my 20s but more importantly, I have enough energy to get back to a normal life –so much so that I feel I can incorporate an exercise routine that’ll put me on a path to weight loss and a much better quality of life. I don’t know if it is the supplements or the medications or the combination of both that’s making my many symptoms disappear, but I am thinking that it is quite possible the thyroid meds are taking care of the dermatographia. I will do more research on it for sure, in the meantime, thanks so much for pointing me in that direction! Best of luck to everyone out there!
Ariana
on July 14, 2017 at 10:38 amWow that is such great news Sol! I’m so happy to hear you’ve found some relief from your symptoms! I still haven’t tried thyroid meds, but I might in the future. For now cutting out gluten and dairy has done the trick. I also find that drinking tons of water (like a gallon a day at least) helps a lot too. But that’s just me :+)
Please let us know what you find out in your research! And thank you for sharing your story. So inspiring! It just goes to show that we need to take control of our own health because a lot of doctors don’t know how to help us.
Kira
on April 24, 2019 at 11:02 pmHi, thank you for your long detailed story! Really helpful! I never knew these two things could be related, my doc diagnosed me with both. I am struggling with fatigue and depression after having my first baby one year ago. Thanks for the advice on possible supplements and will talk to my doctor more about maybe getting on some type of progesterone.
Jessica Bedrinana
on October 17, 2017 at 4:11 pmThis is very interesting to me. I have Hashimoto’s but the biggest disruption in our lives was when my daughter became ill at age 9. In early September of 2015 she started to have migrating joint pain, fatigue, stomach aches and headaches. After a couple trips to her pediatrician she had some bloodwork done and we discovered that she had high Anti-nuclear antibodies, which is an indicator of autoimmune disease. Before we could get in to see the rheumatologist, she got strep and was put on antibiotics. This is when her whole body became covered in an itchy rash, which soon evolved into hives that migrated around her entire body and would not quit. Her joint pain became so bad that she could not raise her arms or walk for periods at a time. The doctors agreed this was not an allergic reaction but they did not know what it was. Prednisone finally brought the hives down and naproxen and atarax helped with the inflammation and itching. But she developed severe neuropsychiatric problems (e.g. abnormal behavior, tics, emotional lability). She was released from the hospital after 5 nights with a simple diagnosis of “arthralgia,” which means joint pain; however, she developed dermatographia so, along with the itchy skin, her skin was super reactive. When I asked the discharging doctor about it he said that it was not an indicator of anything going wrong in her body and that if it continued we should see a dermatologist. The doctors also said that high ANA’s are commonly falsely positive so that didn’t mean anything either. I couldn’t believe it. This was a children’s hospital. So, we went back to see our in-network rheumatologist who diagnosed my daughter with systemic lupus and put her on very strong immunosuppresants. Her neuropsychiatric issues continued and she still had lots of pain to the point that she would have days on end in which she could not walk. We had to order her a wheelchair. And we just thought this is what lupus was going to bring into our lives. She was hospitalized again in March for a week due to the severe pain. At that point the children’s hospital diagnosed her with Somatoform D/O, which is a psychological disorder in which emotional trauma coverts into physical pain. Again no answers for us. This was a 9-year-old girl living a happy, sheltered life. Finally, I found that the symptoms fit 2 diagnoses: Lyme Disease and PANDAS. To make a very long story short, she was tested and diagnosed with PANDAS, Lyme Disease, and the co-infections of Bartonella, Babesia (parasite), Erlichia, and Mycoplasma. Once we began a well-rounded treatment program the symptoms started to dissipate little by little. We are two years in to these illnesses (it took nearly a year for me to discover the truth) and one year in to treatment. She is 95% better as an 11-year-old 6th grader but it affected grades 4 and 5 and she even had to be home-schooled for a semester due to severe anxiety of school (which she in reality loves). So, I do believe there is a connection between infection, autoimmune diseases, and mental health/neuropsychiatric issues. It sounds unreal but it’s very real and it happened to us. She no longer has dermatographia unless a cat scratches her or something along those lines. Her specialist just threw in a test for tryptase and some other things last week to test for mast cell issues (which I have been reading a bit about too as they may relate to the skin issues and other allergic-like symptoms). I have a blog about our whole experience if anyone is interested and you allow me to post on your site. There is a whole world of moms out there just like me. It’s a sad reflection of our mainstream medical system in which many refuse to look outside the box. Thank you for your insight–I believe we can all educate each other.
Ariana
on June 10, 2018 at 4:08 pmHi Jessica,
Thank you for sharing! How heartbreaking that your daughter had to go through all that. I’m so glad you were able to help her discover the truth!
Feel free to send me an email so we can discuss doing an interview on Skintome where you can talk more about your experience and blog. arianapage (at) gmail
Jill
on October 19, 2017 at 12:55 pmI really appreciate you writing about this. I’ve had Hashimotos under control for years and then a year ago my Dr decided to lower my Rx. Three months later dermatographia appeared. I didn’t make the connection and went through allergy tests only to find that eliminating foods did nothing to help. At my annual thyroid check up a few weeks ago we discovered my TSH was very high, so my Rx was increased again. After reading this, I am very hopeful that my new thyroid Rx will cure my dermatographia.??
Ariana
on June 10, 2018 at 4:09 pmHi Jill! Thanks for sharing. I hope you solved the mystery!
Norway
on March 7, 2018 at 4:17 amHi.
My husband also have a chronic physical induced urticaria, AND autoimmun hypotyreosis. He got the hypotyreosis first, and had been on T4 tyroxine for 7 years when the hives arrived.
His hives is not the classical dermographism though, he reacts on heavy pressure against the skin, like if you carry something heavy and hard on your shoulders, or step hard on very hard floor all day, or use very tight belts. His hives is BIG and very painful, like bee stings, but no rash.
Be aware that T4 and synthetic tyroxin does not automatically cure you! Take neutral, standardized photos of your face and neck, from front and in profile. Do this like 2 times a year, and save them. Write a simple health diary, at least twice a year. Write down your weight as well. If you keep getting a lot of other symptoms, like pain in muscles, check the photos. Have your face changed? Are your skin getting puffy, your neck and lower face swollen?
Then tyroid treatment is not working! Regardless of your blood test results.
None of your two diagnoses is the cause of the other. That`s a misunderstanding. They are both caused by an over-active immune reaction. You are also at risk for other autoimmune diagnosis, like rheumatism, celiac diease or diabetes. It is only a question about wich kind of tissue and cells in your body that get attacked by the over-active immune system. Once you have started to develope auto-antibodies, it seems as there is an increased risk for continuing to develope new auto-antibodies.
Be careful what sources for medical information you use. Use the original source, usually the whole Scientific Publification. Don`t trust anybody who wants to sell products to you, certanly not if they involve the words “organic” or “natural”. Like parasite cleansing…. I really have doubts about that… Sorry!
Please excuse my english.
Ariana
on June 10, 2018 at 4:10 pmThanks for writing in and sharing your experience!
JEC1
on March 10, 2018 at 10:38 amWow! I’ve been on same dose of thyroxine for approx. 20 years and, surprisingly, at my last annual check up, they reduced by 25mg, down to 125mg daily. I’ve now developed this strange skin disorder, when the slightest touch leaves me with raised red marks which become hot and then subside in approx. 60 mins. I’m going to mention this to my doc next week, after reading this. Thanks for the posts…I’m now convinced the reduced thyroxine must be the cause. I’ll post again if I find anything out.
Ariana
on June 10, 2018 at 4:10 pmThanks for the note! How did it go? Did you figure it out?
Britney
on March 12, 2018 at 4:39 amJust wanted to say thanks for this! My dad was diagnosed celiac (and Hashimoto) and so has my mom’s sister, so I’m aware that celiac disease runs on both sides of my family. While talking to my daighter’s Pediatrician about family medical history, he told me that hashimotos and celiac are related. My daughter (now 2) has had dermatographism since she was an infant. Both her pediatrician and an allergist suggested we try an antihistamine, but I refuse to believe that a lifetime of antihistamines is the answer to our problems. When I mentioned having her tested for celiac last month, her pediatrician dismissed the notion of it, and said she doesn’t have any classic signs, but neither did my dad. I’ve suffered from cystic acne since I was about 16 years old, and it only got worse in my mid-late 20’s. I did some research on my own and found that acne is caused by gut issues. I started taking probiotics, and those really didn’t help. About 6 months ago, I decided to try a gluten free diet. It has reduced my outbreaks dramatically! Since I’ve started, my daughter eats gluten free with me on nights and weekends, but during the week while at my father-in-law’s house, he feeds her gluten. I’ve noticed a big difference in her too, but don’t want her to go totally gluten free before I can get her tested, otherwise I know we won’t be able to hammer down a diagnosis. I really like her pediatrician, but I’m not sure how I can force him to test her for Celiac. Thinking about making a switch…
Anyway, thanks for this! Keep it up!
Ariana
on June 10, 2018 at 4:13 pmThanks Britney! Did you decide what to do about your pediatrician? It may be worth it to switch if you don’t feel like you’re getting the help you need. Or talk to him about it again? I almost switched my son’s pediatrician but then luckily we talked about some issues and I feel like she understood my concerns.
I hope your daughter is doing well!
Elle
on April 7, 2018 at 4:02 amI found this blog because I wanted to find new information on cures for dermatographism. Here’s my story about getting these hives. I was at my initial ob visit, pregnant with my 2nd child, when my ob noticed that I had a large thyroid node. I saw an endocrinologist, had an ultrasound and blood test. My tsh was normal and my node was benign so we just kept an eye on it. After childbirth, they found another benign node, and still good tsh. Then about a year and a half later I began noticing skin warming then itching, and then full on dermatographia. I saw plenty of doctors. I even saw a rheumatologist who at first suspected lupus but then confirmed that I did not have lupus, but that I did have thyroid antibodies. The only thing that helped the itching was taking zyrtec once daily. I eventually saw a holistic doctor who put me on naturethroid at the lowest dose to get the normal tsh number even lower to under 1, and he also put me on supplements like vitamin d, and a mulitvitamin with folate ( mthfr) It didnt help my skin symptoms but I did lose a ton of hair. So I stopped the thyroid meds and suplements and also stopped looking for a cure. Zyrtec was the only thing working for me no matter what I tried, including diet changes. I had eventually gotten to the point of taking zyrtec every other day just by listening to my body and only taking it when hives started up. Then I noticed that it had been about 4 days since my last dose, and coincidentally also found out I was pregnant again. I never ended up taking another dose of zyrtec because the hives did not come back at all throughout pregnancy nor after birth. My last dose of zyrtec was about a year and a half ago. I stopped breastfeeding 4 months ago. Now I am noticing the hives slowly start up again. So I believe that there must be hormonal connection to the hives in addition to the Hashimoto antibodies. I am fearing the full on hives and having to start taking zyrtec again. (Solution seems simple, but I am not ready to get pregnant again! LOL! Although it was so nice to not have these hives) Has anyone else experienced the hives disappearance with pregnancy?
Ariana
on June 10, 2018 at 4:15 pmWow that’s so interesting! I still have dermatographia even though I’m breastfeeding, and I had it all through my pregnancy. Just another way dermatographia is so different for everyone!
Ximena
on April 24, 2018 at 3:06 pmholy crap!!!!! I cannot believe I have way more than just a “thyroid issue”. Thank you so much for all this info. Now I can take the next into bettering myself. I thought I was just going to stay fat forever and with hives and digestion problems with no solutions. How can I find someone to help me figure out what I can and cannot eat. it seems like so much work! :'(
Jessie
on April 25, 2018 at 7:16 amI have Hashimoto’s as well and I can say that following the Paleo diet really helps me. You can find lots of different cookbooks online or even in stores about following the Paleo diet. It can be kind of a pain at first and hard to stick to but after the first couple of weeks I think you get used to it and it’s a little easier to follow because you feel better. With that diet you’re not supposed to eat any grains or processed food —just quality meat, veggies, fruit, most nuts. If that’s too hard at first you can just start by taking out wheat but still eat rice. You are not supposed to eat dairy either on the Paleo diet but for some people with Hashimoto’s gluten is the biggest thing to take out. Also, I still eat eggs and I think that’s OK with me. And even though you might feel really tired it’s important to still get out and do some exercise like walking or swimming. Best wishes!
Ariana
on June 10, 2018 at 4:27 pmYou’re welcome!
Have you tried talking to a naturopath? Look for someone who specializes in thyroid stuff if you want to work with one.
Also, I’m working on a book about how to heal dermatographia naturally–that might help you! Be on the lookout by checking in on Skintome soon, or sign up for my email list : )
Doreen
on May 8, 2018 at 4:53 pmI have had this skin rash for a few years now and no one could tell me why it was happening. I have hypothyroidism and thought there had to be some connection to these rash outbreaks. Some days, usually early evening I get severe itching and if I scratch it welts. My doctor told me to take Zyrtec. I will have to try eating a gluten free diet to see if it helps. I’m grateful that I found this article and comments. Thank you!
Ariana
on June 10, 2018 at 4:29 pmYou’re welcome Doreen! I hope cutting gluten out helps.
Mish
on July 27, 2018 at 2:00 amGreat website Ariana. Various autoimmune diseases run throughout my families medical history (pernicious anaemia, polymyalgic rheumatica – PMR, systemic lupus erythematosus – SLE, Sjögren’s syndrome, Raynauds syndrome, immune thrombocytopenia – ITP etc). My son was diagnosed with ITP when he was 12 (now 14), and has recently developed “white” dermatographia – where instead of raised red welts, his skin blanches where he has scratched, staying white for 30 mins or so. After having a bit of fun ‘drawing’ patterns on his skin, I wondered if there was a link with autoimmune disease in general, and landed here. Your site has given me plenty of food for thought, thank you.
Ariana
on November 4, 2018 at 2:33 pmYou’re welcome! Thanks for the note. I’m glad to be of help 🙂
Alyson
on October 16, 2018 at 10:07 amThere is no such thing as “the cellular structure of gluten is similar to thyroid cells”. Gluten is not a cell, gluten is a mixture of two proteins (essentially, it is a protein complex). It has, however, a pro-inflammatory effect and therefore it triggers an immune response. This can over-activate the immune system and trigger inappropriate production of antibodies who will attack different organs and tissues in the body, such as thyroid.
Ariana
on November 4, 2018 at 2:34 pmThank you for letting me know Alyson. I’ve corrected the post.
Jen
on December 17, 2018 at 9:21 amNewbie to Dermographism…. pretty sure an intense 3G/day treatment of Amoxcilline (for possible Lyme disease) just triggered this 10 days ago. I live in France and my doctors (one is my regular GP and the other is the infectuous disease specialist/dermatologist who treated me for Lyme at Institute Pasteur in France) have just said “you’ve got Dermographism, will have to learn to live with it, here’s an antihistamine prescription” ! I am convinced it was the antibiotic. Seeing a allergist in January to check on possible med allergies, etc. I joined a closed FB group on this and have discovered some friends with similar problems and one who has Hasimotos.
Nancy
on August 12, 2022 at 10:13 amDear Arianna, My PCP said my rash was scabies so I did the 8 hour cream treatment from head to toe and then showered. It wasn’t that. My blood work showed hypothyroidism and she wanted me to take Levothyroxine. Due to so many autoimmune problems I cannot take any drugs, my body stores toxins in my muscles. My Naturopathic Doctor put me on a bunch of supplements, detoxing in a bath of Dead Sea salt and I got better. The rash is so mild now I rarely get it. Oh and he did change my diet, no dairy… I searched through pictures of rashes and when I found the ones that matched mine it called it skin writing or Dermatographia. I eat Brazil nuts, the best source of Selenium one or two a day first thing in the morning, on Lithium and a Probiotic among other supplements. I am almost back to normal except for the hair loss, at least it has improved a little. That is my story, I am also relieved to know that I am not alone.
Ariana
on August 28, 2022 at 3:14 pmWow Nancy, that’s great news! I’m so glad you found alternatives to help your condition. I’ve also given up dairy (plus gluten of course) and have been able to stay healthy without taking thyroid meds. Diet and lifestyle changes make a HUGE difference. Thanks for reminding me about Brazil nuts. I need to get some!
Thank you for sharing your story with us :+)
RO
on March 18, 2023 at 12:54 pmI have hypo and hashi, a few weeks ago I went to a dinner and ate all sorts of things that I should not have – I felt terrible, like I did when I first had it diagnosed almost 2 years ago but now I am losing lots of hair and I am having this burning and itching – today especially. This article and the comments make me feel optimistic.
Ariana
on February 17, 2024 at 2:46 pmI hope you stay optimistic! I really believe that with dietary and lifestyle changes, we can do a lot of healing. Let us know how it goes.
Michael Davidson
on October 8, 2023 at 8:03 amI’m actively looking into whether these two things are related in my child. Would you mind posting a 2023 update on both your dietary changes (if they had a lasting impact and you’re still doing them) as well as anything else you might have learned?
Ariana
on January 31, 2024 at 1:30 pmYes I will do an update! It’s definitely due for one.
I’m still avoiding gluten and dairy, and I take vitamin and minerals supplements. Those things still help me. Drinking lots of water, eating plenty of fruits and vegetables, and getting enough protein have also been key for me. I’m also an obsessive label reader and won’t eat stuff with guar gum and other weird gums/additives. More to come….
Hlanganani
on December 30, 2023 at 1:10 amI have been living with dermatographai for 27years unaware of what it is called till i read about it today.i have leant a lot thank you
Ariana
on February 17, 2024 at 2:37 pmYou’re welcome! Thanks for writing!
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on November 29, 2024 at 11:17 pm87iwjp