Can I Die From Celiac Disease?
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Dec 19 2008

Can I Die From Celiac Disease?

Yesterday an article was published over at ABC News regarding Celiac Disease, where it was described as a disease that isn’t getting a lot of respect.   Whether we are talking about media coverage, attention from doctors, or just general public awareness, it seems many people don’t understand the seriousness of this issue.

From the previously mentioned article over at ABC News:

“The fact that we know the trigger is tremendous,” Fasano said. “Celiac disease is the only autoimmune disease for which we have a treatment.”

“If you have a condition that you don’t die from, but it affects this part of your life so much, then it is important: You don’t want to travel, you don’t to go out with your friends, you don’t want to go off to college,” Fasano said.

“It deserves all the respect that we give to the other diseases that we spend so much time and money on,” he said.

It seems when most people hear the word disease, they instantly associate it with death, and the first thing they ask is “Can you die from Celiac Disease?”  It seems the answer is technically no, but untreated Celiac Disease can in fact cause other problems which may result in death.   That is why it is so important that we continue to work together to increase awareness and ensure that people are getting the treatment their body needs.

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Article Written by:

Kyle Eslick is the founder of Gluten Free Media, as well as the creator of the popular Celiac Support Groups page. Connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, and now Google+!

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  • zach

    i have been dealing with celiac disease for a long time. it gets depressing and it sad to look around and people get so uptite cause they dont know what they want on the menu. people without celiac disease is lucky and i hope and pray they find a cure. i wish i could take it away from everyone and put it all on me. for the people that has celiac i know how you feel and im here anytime you want to talk.

    • sharnette

      Hi Zach, I got diagnosed when I was just seventeen. I had the condition before they diagnosed me with it. I just feel like no one understands me or where im coming from. People think I don’t want to hang out with them, or don’t want to do anything with them. I just cry because I don’t ever want to go anywhere no more which is sad. Im afraid to have a child because I have this condition.

      • Eileen

        Oh Sharnette,
        I have a child who is 17 and she doesnt have celiac….its ok….i dont understand why you cant hang out with your friends….

    • Alicia

      i just figured out today i have celiac disease and i have to go into surgery December 18th to make it 100% sure. I’m scared the killer stomache pains are bad enough im only 15 years old and I officiallly suffer from celiac and its soo hard to live with. I hate looking at all these amazing foods and then thinking wow. i can’t eat anything i used to because im now diagnosed with celiac. I wish i knew what too do and I wish everyone else knew how hard it was… :’( I’m scared

      • elizabeth jorge

        iam so so scare i get so sick iam always in the hospital.

    • Priya

      Hi I have recently iagnosed with Coeliac and am sooo depressed.
      Could you please give me some advice on diet and health.
      I feel so low

      • Marina

        Priya, I only found your post today. Don’t be depressed. I can share my experience with you. You will be fine. I promise.

  • zach

    hey sharnette email me at zachary.luther@yahoo.com anytime you want to talk or i might wanna talk sometimes. i also am afraid to have a child too, and i get very depressed and stuff

  • Ellen

    Look. I know it’s hard, i was diagnosed when i was 10, and it was so hard on me, still is, but you’s need to understand, we want recognition, but not pity. no, no one understands what it’s like. don’t expect them to. and just cuz they label it as a disease doesn’t mean you have to treat it as one. i call is Coeliac Disorder. because it’s a life style change, not a disease. we are not disabled, we are not going to die. be proud of who you are and realise, we are going to be healthier than everyone who eats it, haha. x

  • Tiffany Jakubowski

    I know it is hard guys, but personally, I like to remember how I felt before I was diagnosed, and how I feel now. It isn’t worth the pain and heatache of being sick . I totally understand the depressing social situations, and the uncomfortable conversations at the dinner table, but it is nothing compared to how sick I get then I have gluten.

  • Taylor

    Hey, everyone. I’m Celiac too, and anemic, and I’m allergic to cow protein, sugar, and salphite. But I can’t avoid eating sugar or salphite, and those don’t have as much effect. I’m even able to have regular milk most of the time. But… yeah, it sucks. I got diagnosed this year, first year of highschool. Its put me behind a lot in school, but I’m getting better. Which had also created a lot of drama in my home life. I don’t care about not being able to eat the food. I just hate that even now its not better physically, and especially emotionally now.

  • Anne

    Hello, I am not sure IF i in fact have the Celiac Disease, but i am experiencing most of the symptoms. I have already had a colonoscophy done which they found internal hemroids and a small polyp. Everything else looked to be fine…After my procediure I thought everything was going to be fine and my body back to normal but i’ve noticed it seems it’s only getting worse. I’m only 23 and I have two young children and I need to get my health back. I have gone through a few blood test and i’m still waiting for results from the last lab, which was testing for IBS and Celiac Disease. I want to share my symptoms so maybe someone can help me and give me some insite in the matter. Thank you to anyone who can help. Here are some of my symptoms: Abdominal pain, Decreased appetite, diarrhea, nausea, unexplained weight loss, depression, mood change, fatigue, missed menstural periods, and at times I have noticed tingling of the hands and feet.

    • alicia

      Ihave celiac diease as well I’m 24 I also have a iga difenece it is another autoimmune diease and those are some the symtoms of it I get sick a lot I was born with both and a lot times people who have celiac also might have that to so u should get checked for it and if u need someone to talk to you can contact me I know exactly what your going through:)

  • Griz

    Hugs to all of you suffering with this disability. (And technically it is a disease as, left untreated, it is progressive and would end in death). Looking back, I had symptoms as a child but no one knew about it then. I suffered for years as an adult, my symptoms being exacerbated with my first pregnancy in 1979. It took nearly 20 years before they finally got the right diagnosis.

    Anne- Request an upper endoscopy and small bowel biopsy. While the blood test seems to be the latest, I know of very many people who’ve gotten a false negative. (Me included. In fact, the doctor said, “If you have celiac disease I’ll eat my hat – after getting a neg blood test and requesting a repeat biopsy). He called a week after the biopsy telling me he was munching on the brim of his sunhat. Also, Anne, while the symptoms of celiac disease are quite varied, I don’t feel your list exemplifies what we most often see in celiac. On the other hand, you can cut out all the villains– wheat, rye, barley, and oftentimes oats. For many people, within a month or so of doing this, if they have celiac disease, they begin to see a prompt improvement in symptoms.

  • Katrina Harris

    I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease about 9 years ago. The doctor said I was a weak positive. He said I needed to follow the gluten free diet anyway. When I eat gluten, sometimes I get sick and sometimes I don’t. This has made it hard mentally to stay with the diet. The only time I have stayed gluten free is when I was pregnant. I worry about the damage I have already done. But I don’t know why I continue to eat it. I think I may be in denial because I have convinsed myself that its ok to continue to do this, and don’t even think about having the disease. And have actually gotten used to being sick after I eat.

  • Sheree

    Celiac disease can be painful and annoying. I’ve recently discovered I’ve been living with it my entire life and stopped eating wheat/gluten products and voila… all the suffering is gone. Just make sure you’re diligent about creating a stricter diet for yourself and do a lot of research. There’s so many alternatives out there, it all boils down to self control.

  • pablo

    can celiac cause me to not have kids?

  • Chloe Murray

    I have Coeliac Disease, I have had it since i was a few months old, i stuck to the gluten-free diet, but now i don’t.
    I eat foods with gluten in all the time, the pains i get in my stomach are unbelievable, but it’s hard not to eat it, i just can’t stop myself. I’m really scared and i’m only fifteen, i don’t want the outcome of eating these foods to be fatal. I just want to know if i can get cancer from eating food with gluten in, or if i will die. Please help :-/

  • http://www.glutenfreepromotions.com Tiffany Janes

    Chloe – There are around 7 types of cancer that undiagnosed – or in your case untreated – celiac disease can cause. I’m not a doctor, but as I understand it, many years of damage (caused by eating gluten) is the culprit. And of course, everyone knows that cancer kills. Maybe you could see a doctor and discuss your diet and problems and really, it’s much easier to eat gluten-free these days. With so many great foods available now, there is really no reason for anyone to keep making themselves sick by eating gluten. Good luck to you.

  • wanna eat real food

    idk how i got this or why but i juss pray to god every night that i can live another day,i think this disease is a curse but we have to be strong no matter wat the case may be,so stay strong cuz things could be much worse

  • Krissy

    As another in this forum said, I also have not been diagnosed but after years of misery and pain just had a colonoscopy done. Polups were found and removed. The symptoms remained. The bloating stomach the constant pain and diarreah,the fatigue, depression has pulled my life to a full stop. After I lost most of my teeth a defiencency of vitamin D was found and left unexplained as well as depletion of hormones. I cannot sleep,,am in constant pain,,and my doctor just says I’m out of shape and depressed. A reg. Nurse who suffers from this condition spoke to me about it. I am just so frustrated at this point that I cannot get a diagnoses. I live alone and now am a complete shut in. Just having to go to the store is a challenge. I want my life back!

  • carlotta

    i have had celiacs for 2 yrs now and i still struggle with eating.. i do cheat a lot and it does catch up with me. I have diarrhea all the time and complete pain in my stomach at night where i cant sleep. I know i am only hurting myself but i just cant seem to help myself. everyone around me drinks beer which i cant but used to and eats what i cant and sometimes i just don’t think they understand.. it is completely frustrating. my mom has had this for over 40 yrs and they told her that her children couldn’t get it, well they were wrong, now i have to sit and wait till my children experience some symptoms. i hope they don’t get it cuz its nothing but misery

  • JEN

    im only 13 and i was diaganosed a few monthes ago. im really scared cuz i dont compltly stick to gluten free and i just ibeprofin the pain. i scared that im slowly kill myself

  • heidi

    i have suffered for a year 1 1/2 before i got a diagnosis. I got symptoms after i took an antibiotic that hurt my stomach really bad but the biopsy was positive. I feel like crap and im always farting like seriously – what the crap. Im 21 and i had to quit modeling because the plane rides and busy schedule was too much. You just cant sit around and mope about it you got to take charge of your life. Of course, im scared horribly of the future sometimes and ill feel hopeless but then i look for the positive outcomes that will benefit from this disease. Ill be skinnier and eat healthier and im more aware of what my body needs. I didnt take very good care of myself before! Let them eat that greasy pizza. Guess what? u can have pizza too! they sell gluten free pizza bread mix! And its healthy! :) When one door closes a window opens to the outside where your eyes are opened and you can see what life is really about. think of it as a test. You will be tested on self control and faith and patience. they can eat the greasy pizza and fries and etc and they can suffer from high chloesterol and heart attacks and diabetes, etc when they get older.. you can make your own fries from real potatoes, u can even deep fry chicken in gluten free flour! you have any questions email me! i got tons of recipes. heidigrundberg@yahoo.com and also they have another great website called celiac.com where they have forums where u can talk to people and ask them questions and get answers! may u all live a long and healthy life!

  • sami

    my 13 yearold cousin was just diagnosed today, We are all kind of freaking out and I have spent at least 2 hours on the computer researching everything. I feel so bad for Sean. I have already promised him that when i see him whatever he has to eat i will eat with him.

  • Newf

    I’ve been diagnosed with celiac for about 2 years now both through a blood test and biopsy. I was incredibly depressed especially since I was diagnosed type 1.5 diabetic the year before.

    I followed the gluten free diet for a few months and I think I felt better but I’m not sure because I never had any symptoms. I quit the diet while I was pregnant because it was difficult. I know have a beautiful and perfectly healthy baby girl and I still eat gluten.

    But I am considering going back to the diet. The only thing I am worried about with my baby is that she might have it too but we won’t know until she is older, I really hope she doesn’t. If I find out she does one day, I’ll update!

  • Anna

    I am 13 and being tested for celiac disease. I got a GI track virus and got blood work done and one of the ciliac factors was elevated. I got more blood work done and i am waiting for the results. I am really nervous and scared because havong this diesease will be life changing, nothing will be the same. I am trying to eat all of my favorite foods with gluten before i am diagnosed. Please wish me good lucck, i am praying i dont have it.

  • sue

    I was just diagnosed with celiac about 5 months ago. i am 33 years old and started the gluten free diet. i have spent probly the last 10 years suffering with being dizzy, stomak akes, headakes, and so many more problems. i changed to gluten free and it took about a month and i feel wonderful. The problem is when i cheat and eat gluten food. oh boy do i feel stomak pain. the tip is to look at every label for gluten free. try avoiding shopping in the gluten free section. i found the gluten free section sells the gf food for alot of money. for example i found a bottle of ketchup in the gluten free isle for 5.19…but i did some investigating in the other isles when i get free time and found that i just have to read labels. i found a bottle of heinz ketchup for only about 2.oo.. remember to read labels. and when shopping look for regular items first for gluten free, before going to the gluten free section

  • Hanna

    I’ve had Celiac since I was almost one year old. I almost died as a baby due to it.

    I’ve lived with the disease my entire life, and I know it was really difficult, but I don’t think I ever got depressed because of it. It was more of the curiosity, and the ignorance of my disease that lead to me eating wheat behind my parent’s back without much of a downside. Now at 19 years old, I find myself lacking of energy, vitamins, and I often get sick. If only I had remained to a strict diet would I be better.

    It certainly is difficult to curb the cravings of carbohydrates often found in wheat-filled foods, but the help with celiac is so much more available then it was when I was growing up. No one did gluten free things when I was a kid, and now I can find it anywhere and make things myself that taste just as good.

  • turner

    Im about to be 23 in april. I was diagnosed with celiac disease when I was 18 along with gastroparesis and many other digestive problems. Iam in pain everyday and some days cant even get out of bed. I dont have the money to stay gluten free, so I dont eat much. Its a long and painful journey and I keep having other problems rise. Got blood work done for a swollen thyroid and unexplained bruising. Also going to see a GI specialist to look at my liver function, and my colon for any obstructions or tumors. Im terrified, but w.e happens is in gods will.