Worried you might have Celiac Disease? Unlike many other diseases, food allergies, and/or food intolerances, Celiac Disease does not have a few standard symptoms you can easily look for. That is why it often takes an average of 5 years before receiving a correct celiac diagnosis.
Currently their are two ways to know for sure that you have Celiac Disease. The first and recommended method is to talk to your doctor about getting tested (which usually involves a simple blood test and/or an endoscopy). The second option is the new Celiac Home Test Kit, which allows anyone to take the initial blood test from home, then consult their doctor with the results.
With that said, you may be wondering what symptoms you should be experiencing before discussing the possibility of Celiac with your doctor. Here is some general information about Celiac Disease symptoms that you will hopefully find useful.
Adult Celiac Disease Symptoms
Celiac Disease may appear at any time in a person’s life. In fact, recent studies support that it may even be more common in the elderly, or anyone that has experiencing a life-altering event. The disease can also be triggered for the first time after a surgery, a simple viral infection, severe emotional stress, pregnancy or childbirth.
Celiac Disease is a multi-system, multi-symptom disorder and symptoms in adults are extremely varied. Symptoms can even mimic other bowel disorders and are not always gastrointestinal. (For example, adults with Celiac Disease are often originally misdiagnosed with Irritable Bowel Syndrome prior to receiving a correct diagnosis.)
Children Celiac Disease Symptoms
Infants, toddlers, and young children most commonly exhibit growth failure, vomiting, a bloated abdomen and behavioral changes.
General Symptoms of Celiac Disease May Include One or More of the Following:
- Recurring bloating, gas, or abdominal pain
- Chronic diarrhea or constipation or both
- Unexplained weight loss or weight gain
- Pale, foul-smelling stool
- Unexplained anemia
- Bone or joint pain
- Behavior changes/depression/irritability
- Vitamin K Deficiency
- Fatigue, weakness or lack of energy
- Delayed growth or onset of puberty
- Failure to thrive (in infants)
- Missed menstrual periods
- Infertility male & female
- Spontaneous miscarriages
- Canker sores inside the mouth
- Tooth discoloration or loss of enamel
In addition to the above symptoms, there are also a few situations where a child should be tested for Celiac Disease:
Have You or a Family Member Been Diagnosed With the Following?
- Type 1 Diabetes
- Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
- Fibromyalgia
- IBS
- Eczema
- Sjogren’s Syndrome
- Peripheral Neuropathy
- Thyroid Disease
- Osteoporosis
- Dermatitis Herpetiformis (see below)
Dermatitis Herpetiformis (DH) Skin Rash
Dermatitis Herpetiformis is skin manifestation of celiac disease characterized by blistering and intensely itchy skin. The rash has a symmetrical distribution and is most frequently found on the face, elbows, knees and buttocks. DH patients can also have gastrointestinal damage without perceptible symptoms. If you believe you may have DH, please consult your doctor about being tested for Celiac Disease.
im taeler im 17 and i have celiac disease, i've know for about a year, and am researching more about ...
I found Heartland pasta at my local WalMart and bought the fusilli. I cooked it up and combined it ...
Dr. Osborne,
Thank you for sharing that. That makes a lot of sense and explains why I can tolerate it ...
Thanks Shirley! If I go to the event, I hope to enter something with pumpkin it it...just haven't worked out ...
I have seen and heard of many people being mis-diagnosed. Sometimes it takes a while until you find a doctor who listens. It’s a debilitating disease I would not wish on anyone.
Thank you for this information, very informative !
I have been trying to fall pregnant for 2 years, and after a friend told me that infertility can be caused my a hot body temperature, I straight away googled it.
I have DH, recurring bloating and my body temperature is so hot. I am going to see the doctor first thing tomorrow to get tested.
Julie I had one child and tried 6 years for a second one. I even tried IVF. It didnt work. During the 6 years of trying i continued to miscarry. Eventually I gave up and by some miracle I fell pregnant with my little boy. I was diagnosed with celiacs 6 months ago. I wish someone they had diagnosed me earlier, I would have changed my diet and had more children. My Daughter is 11 and my boy is 5. He also has been diagnosed with celiacs. Good luck….
Hi Julia,
Have you been diagnosed with CD? If you have celiac disease, it’s the inability to absorb nutrients that is the issue with pregnancy, not body temperature. There is alot of good research out there linking undiagnosed CD with infertility. All the best
Hi I am a 65 year old female and I have been suffering from lower abdomen cramping and a brain message telling me to urinate, a tender abdomen feeling when I breath deeply or sit down with a jolt. I do have aching joints and do not have a lot of energy However I do not have bloating These symptoms started 2 years ago and were diagnosed as Urinary Tract Infection but on investigating this I was found to have anemia/blood in the stool thus Bowel Cancer was found and treated. However the UTI’s type symptoms have continued with the only treatment offered by GP and Urologist is antibiotics which do offer relief while I am taking them with a reoccurence within days of no antibiotics. I did try a liver cleansing diet which cut out all artificial foods just living on fresh produce not manufactured products and this offered some relief also. I discovered by elimination of foods that I had reocurrences after eating large quantities of flour type products (pastries,biscuits, pasta,yum cha etc) I am now looking at the gluten free foods. Has anyone else had urinary / bladder symptoms with gluton intolerance and could I have celiac disease??
Lorraine,
I know this is coming late but you really should be tested. Especially hearing that you were diagnosed with Bowel Cancer. My grandmother and two of her sisters died from cancer that we later gathered was brought on by untreated Celiacs Disease. The other three sisters all have Celiacs (still living, just without gluten now). I hope this helps. And try and find a specialist. Don’t change your diet prior to going, it may have an effect on the results. Good luck.
Yes – overactive bladder can indicate issues with gluten, though it’s not necessarily indicative of the confition of celiac or gluten intolerance. Certainly, I agree with Allyson’s comment that you should be tested for celiac disease. If you are gluten-free during the tests you can not get accurate results. If your test results are inconclusive – and sadly they often are – then you might consider going strictly off gluten to see what happens.
Hi Lorraine. I have just been diagnosed with coeliac disease and come across this web page with your comments posted last August. The uninary tract infections are exactly what I have been experiencing for the past 12 months. As with you, antibiotics help while I am taking them. I also have very bad bloating and pain low down on my stomach on the left hand side. I feel very unwell all the time and feel nausea after most meals. I have now started on a gluten free diet and after only 3 days have seen minor relief of some ailments. Just wondering what happened to you. If you can spare the time to respond, I would appreciate it. Thanks Michelle Perth Australia
Hi everyone,
I’m 37 weeks pregnant and looks like i might have CD. Throughout the pregnancy i’ve been sick, vomiting, jont pain, bloated stomach ect which i just thought was apart of being pregnant until i stared to vomit everything i ate with wheat in it.
I’m very concerned about having a new baby and changing my diet for my new family. We are on a tight budget as it is, and i’m not sure where i will find the time to cook meals.
Any advise would be great as I’m nervous about becoming a new mother and now having CD.
Thanks sasha
Hi Sasha,
Sorry to hear about your situation. Have you spoken with a doctor about your situation? I don’t know many Celiacs who vomit after eating wheat (the problems are usually on the other end) so you may want to consult your physician and get an official diagnosis before attempting a gluten-free diet. The gluten-free diet is somewhat unhealthy for someone who doesn’t have a gluten intolerance of any sort, so you’ll want to confirm with your doctor fist.
Good luck and I hope all goes well with your preganancy!!
Hello, i have had the blood test for celiac but it came back negative. I firmly beleive that i do have it, i even look at a slice of bread and im on the loo!!
Does anyone think it is worth having the endo…. (camera) to check or not??
Ask your Dr. for a copy of your test results–my son and daughter were both just tested, and told they were negative, when in fact the dr.misread the tests–and this was 2 different dr’s..
I have celiac disease and have recently been getting a burning sensation on my scalp along with small red bumps wich then turn into pimlp like blisters which are quite painful alomost like bruises, but are not itchy, but scalp can be itchy on occasion, i am wondering if this could be Dermatitis Herpetiformis, my scalp is often red as well as my face, and seems to flare up a few days after i have eaten out. i also have type 1 diabetes and overactive thyroid which i am on medication for, i am realy worried about this as my hair is falling out and realy need some answers.
I have been recently tested for Celiac disease by my doctor due to having low blood iron and he thought that this may be the possible cause for my body not absorbing the iron. The results were negative. I still feel lethargic and have suffered from bloating for as long as I can remember. Is it common for the results of a Celiac screen from a blood test to be wrong and if so are there any other tests that I can have?
I recently did an interview with Shelley Case about the inaccuracies of both the blood and biopsy test for celiac. Unfortunately about 20% of patients are missed with those tests due to inaccurate reading, sample taking, etc. Many patients are walking out of the doctors office thinking they don’t have celiac, when in fact, they do. The last resort for many people is trying the gluten-free diet. Not just giving up bread or pizza but removing all gluten containing foods from their diet. If heath issues clear up, go away or greatly improve, it’s likely the person has issues with gluten that are resolved on a gluten-free diet.
my 45 y/o twin is currently undergoing tests for C.D. The doctors first thought her bowell problems and her itchy blistering skin, fatigue , muscle and joint pain were the result of years of built up medications for the treatment of spondotitis brought on by ross river disease. Unfortunately, due to the maedication going straight through her, the medication is not working and the full symptoms of her spondotitis are in full swing again.. i would appreciate anyone who has the same problems with medications to steer us in the right dirrections as to the best foods to avoid and the best ones to start on to get her on the right track a.s.a.p
I am 24 and have 2 children although there is a 5 year gap between my children… I thought I would not be able to conceive again after my first… I suffer from cronic constipation some days and as a result of all the strain I have painful heamorriods. Other days I can not even begin to descrbe the pain Im in and I have diarrhea. I have cronic bone pain sometimes, I am anemic, I have low BP. I get very moody sometimes and suffer from depression although I have just gone off treatment for depression….Should I be tested? I have recently had a bad time with a specialist and am scared to go again. What does the invasive test involve?
Hi I am a 65 year old female and I have been suffering from lower abdomen cramping and a brain message telling me to urinate, a tender abdomen feeling when I breath deeply or sit down with a jolt. I do have aching joints and do not have a lot of energy However I do not have bloating These symptoms started 2 years ago and were diagnosed as Urinary Tract Infection but on investigating this I was found to have anemia/blood in the stool thus Bowel Cancer was found and treated. However the UTI’s type symptoms have continued with the only treatment offered by GP and Urologist is antibiotics which do offer relief while I am taking them with a reoccurence within days of no antibiotics. I did try a liver cleansing diet which cut out all artificial foods just living on fresh produce not manufactured products and this offered some relief also. I discovered by elimination of foods that I had reocurrences after eating large quantities of flour type products (pastries,biscuits, pasta,yum cha etc) I am now looking at the gluten free foods. Has anyone else had urinary / bladder symptoms with gluton intolerance and could I have celiac disease??
+1
Hi was watching DR.Oz and this celiac disease i have been sured for months with cramp bolding and sick to my stomach and the doctors always said i had IBM but after reading on Celiac disease i beleive that i have it everytime i eat i think im going to die called my doctor and got a appoint to have it checked
For a couple of clarifications about incorrect info on the re-run Dr. Oz show today, read this post -
http://celiac-disease.com/dr-oz-shares-key-celiac-information-with-millions-of-viewers/