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Symptoms
By Mayo Clinic staff
There are no typical signs and symptoms of celiac disease. Most people with the disease have general complaints, such as:
Intermittent diarrhea
Abdominal pain
Bloating
Sometimes people with celiac disease may have no gastrointestinal
symptoms at all. Celiac disease symptoms can also mimic those of other
conditions, such as irritable bowel syndrome, gastric ulcers, Crohn's
disease, parasite infections, anemia, skin disorders or a nervous
condition.
Celiac disease may also present itself in less obvious ways, including:
Irritability or depression
Anemia
Stomach upset
Joint pain
Muscle cramps
Skin rash
Mouth sores
Dental and bone disorders (such as osteoporosis)
Tingling in the legs and feet (neuropathy)
Some indications of malabsorption that may result from celiac disease include:
Weight loss
Diarrhea
Abdominal cramps, gas and bloating
General weakness and fatigue
Foul-smelling or grayish stools that may be fatty or oily
Stunted growth (in children)
Osteoporosis
Anemia
Another gluten-related condition
Dermatitis herpetiformis is an itchy, blistering skin disease that also
stems from gluten intolerance. The rash usually occurs on the elbows,
knees and buttocks. Dermatitis herpetiformis can cause significant
intestinal damage identical to that of celiac disease. However, it may
not produce noticeable digestive symptoms. This disease is treated with
a gluten-free diet, in addition to medication to control the rash.
When to see a doctor
If you notice or experience any of the signs or symptoms common to
celiac disease, see your doctor. If someone in your family is known to
have celiac disease, you may need to be tested.
Seek medical attention for a child who is pale, irritable, fails to
grow, and who has a potbelly, flat buttocks and malodorous, bulky
stools. Other conditions can cause these same signs and symptoms, so
it's important to talk to your doctor before trying a gluten-free diet.
For a more comprehensive review of Celiac Disease, click on this link: WebMD
Many doctors are beginning to see that corn can be a severe problem for the majority of gluten intolerant patients. Corn is a grain. Corn has gluten. Many believe that corn gluten does
not induce damage the same way that wheat, barley, and rye do. The
fact of the matter is, gluten has not been studied adequately. Most of
what we know about celiac disease and gluten have to do with gliadin
(the gluten found in wheat only). More: http://towncenterwellness.com/announcements/corn-gluten-damages-those-with-gluten-sensitivity/
Can you get "second-hand" gluten from eating animals bred on feed that contains gluten? Most likely not, as the grain that is fed to the animals does not transfer proteins into
the muscle. The proteins are broken down in the stomach to make energy
for the animal to survive on, but they do not pass into the blood or
muscle to cause any alarm to us. If you are having trouble with meat,
it imight be a non-celiac related problem. http://www.celiac.com/gluten-free/index.php?s=4241a8f9b076e2d3abde324a2aebde38&showtopic=7773
Although there is no cure for alopecia areata, research reports showed that patients with alopecia and celiac
disease reported that their hair grew back after they
adopted a gluten-free diet. Even in people without celiac disease,
however, the course of alopecia is very unpredictable, and sometimes
the hair simply grows back by itself. http://celiacdisease.about.com/od/symptomsofceliacdisease/a/Alopecia.htm
Heartburn, or acid reflux, are digestive problems caused by gluten intolerance and allergies. If you want to read more on this, here is a good discussion by people who have dealt with this problem. http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2009/02/27/glutenfree-diet/
There is a connection between gluten and acne that is oftentimes overlooked. Gluten contributes to acne in two ways. First, it causes damage to the
small intestine, which could lead to nutritional deficiencies and an
increased toxic body load (through leaky gut syndrome). The second link between gluten and acne is inflammation: http://www.naturalnews.com/024669_gluten_acne_health.html
As many as 75% of overweight and obese people in the U.S.
may be addicted through poor eating habits to either
carbohydrates or the protein called gluten, which is found in
all wheat, rye, barley and oat products. http://weight.insulitelabs.com/Addiction.php
The link between gluten, dairy, and ADHD was tested in a long-term study of 23 families. 22 of the 23 families placed their children on a strict gluten-free and/or milk-free diets. 22 of the 23 families reported clear improvements in their child's behaviour and attention-span. http://www.celiac.com/articles/21800/1/ADHD-Caused-by-Digestive-Disorder/Page1.html
A Male CD person has a greater risk of infertility and other reproductive disturbances, as well as a greater incidence of hypoandrogenism. This medical condition means a deficiency of androgens in the body that leads to a lack of virility and sexual potency. http://bit.ly/5rhS50
A wheat allergy is different from gluten intolerance in many important aspects. Being intolerant to a food usually means that after eating it, an unacceptable after effect occurs - not a true allergic reaction. Wheat on the other hand, is a fairly common allergy producing food. For a more complete discussion, go here: http://bit.ly/6qfX7C
Gluten lurks in a number of processed foods, including:
Salad dressings
Cold cuts
Egg substitutes
Beer
Instant flavored rice mixes
Flavored potato chips
Imitation crab (surimi)
Some herbal teas
Licorice and some chocolates
How to create an exclusion diet using "lamb and pears" to 'reset' your body. Lamb and pears may appear to be a strange combination, but the reason they are chosen as part of a food allergy diet is because they are rarely indicated in allergies and are therefore relatively safe foods for most people with a food allergy to eat. Here's how it works: Lamb & Pears Exclusion Diet. (Note: If you need a food diary, you can go to my "Unsafe Foods" tab and download a free one that I've provided.)
Gluten, Celiac Disease, and the Brain. Many have asked how gluten enters the blood stream and crosses into the brain to potentially cause behavior change. There are more studies needed, but here is one of the better articles on the subject: Gluten, Celiac Disease and the Brain.
Ever get angry and not seem to know why? This is potentially one of the side effects of gluten. Here's a forum on the topic so that you can see what others are saying about gluten and anger: Gluten and Anger Forum.
(See my previous Tweets below for statistical references.) There is 90% more gluten in our wheat than there was a century ago; there are over 100 patents for gluten in our patent offices; and between celiac disease and the 30% of the population with gluten intolerance problems, millions are suffering. We need to stop what we're doing to our food, and in the interim, press the FDA for a warning label on our food. It seems to me that there is no difference between this health risk and the health risk that smoking and other allergens present.
"Could Gluten Sensitivity Be Causing Your Hair Loss?" In this interesting article, Kristen Campbell talks about her personal experiences as well as interviews three other individuals to get their perspectives: http://bit.ly/5CvQTw
What is the Endomysial Antibody Test? http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1379574/
In the landmark prevalence study on celiac disease by the University of Maryland, investigators determined that 60% of children and 41% of adults diagnosed during the study were asymptomatic (without any symptoms). During the prevalence study, researchers found that 21% of patients with a positive anti-endomysial antibody test could not receive a biopsy due to the refusal of their physician to perform the procedure or the insurance company to pay for it. http://www.uchicagokidshospital.org/pdf/uch_007937.pdf
Women with infertility test 10x higher for celiac disease than the normal population. And of pregnant women with celiac disease, 21% of women experienced pregnancy loss, and 16% of women experienced fetal growth restriction when they did not maintain a gluten free diet . http://bit.ly/WPrx7
While only 1 in 133 have celiac disease, some researchers say that gluten sensitivity may affect 30% of the population. While antibodies to the gluten protein gliadin were found in only 12% of the population using blood exams to diagnose gluten sensitivity, that percentage increases to 30% when stool samples were examined for the antibodies: https://www.enterolab.com/StaticPages/Frame_Faq.htm#What_is
If you have a digestive disorder, you have a 1 in 56 chance of having celiac disease, according to Dr. Shari Lieberman and Linda Segall in their book The Gluten Connection.
Fatigue, night blindness, back pain, and mouth sores are some of the lesser known symptoms of celiac disease. For a complete list, see the Mayo Clinic article to the left, or this link from the Celiac Sprue Association: http://www.csaceliacs.org/celiac_symptoms.php
Angry, quick-tempered, impatient? Here's one woman's comments about herself before she went gluten-free:"You are not alone. I am not a nice person to be around when I'm on gluten. Not so much now but in the early stages of healing and years before gluten-free I would get very angry, depressed and impatient. I'm by nature a VERY calm, patient person. Off gluten, I can't even "go there" if I try." To find more: http://www.celiac.com/gluten-free/index.php?showtopic=34917
How to Test For Celiac Disease*:
Step 1: Best initial screening test is a blood test:
IgA Tissue Transglutaminase Antibody (IgA TTG) - If positive then -
Step 2: Small Intestinal Mucosal Biopsy - If positive then -
The genetic predisposition of the disease is such that having a first degree relative with CD increases your odds of having CD to 1 out of 22, and a second degree relative to 1 in 39.
"Sorry, you've got fibromyalgia or you've got chronic fatigue syndrome, there's nothing we can do for you." Wrong! Symptoms of gluten sensitivity and celiac disease include fatigue, headaches, joint pain, depression, irritability and gastro-intestinal irregularities. As a result, they're often mistaken for other serious disorders, including irritable bowel syndrome, fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome.
Anxiety attacks? It may not be "in your head." More likely, it's the gluten in your diet. Here's a very good discussion from people who suffer anxiety attacks and have fought their way back with a gluten-free diet: http://www.celiac.com/gluten-free/lofiversion/index.php/t18767.html
Some people who have been diagnosed with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) may really be suffering from an intolerance to the gluten in their diet, reports the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases (2004;63:1501–3). http://bastyrcenter.org/content/view/703/
As celiac disease is hereditary, family members of a person with the disease may wish to be tested. Four to 12 percent of an affected person’s first-degree relatives will also have the disease.
Arcadia has received a Small Business Technology Transfer Program (STTR) grant from the National Institutes of Health in partnership with Washington State University (WSU) to research novel lines of wheat with reduced celiac disease-causing proteins. The grant was the first step in the company’s effort to identify and develop wheat varieties that can significantly expand the dietary options for people on gluten-free diets. Working with Dr. von Wettstein and his colleagues at WSU, Arcadia will use TILLING® technology to identify wheat plants in which harmful gluten proteins are minimized. (Also see mention of how we bred gluten into wheat in video to left at 01:16:00 - use the slider to position the video.) http://www.arcadiabio.com/celiacsafewheat.php
Dermatitis herpetiformis (DH) is an intensely itchy, blistering skin rash that affects 15 to 25 percent of people with celiac disease. The rash usually occurs on the elbows, knees, and buttocks. Most people with DH have no digestive symptoms of celiac disease.
People with celiac disease tend to have other diseases in which the immune system attacks the body’s healthy cells and tissues. The connection between celiac disease and these diseases may be genetic. They include:
type 1 diabetes
autoimmune thyroid disease
autoimmune liver disease
rheumatoid arthritis
Addison’s disease, a condition in which the glands that produce critical hormones are damaged
Sjögren’s syndrome, a condition in which the glands that produce tears and saliva are destroyed
Although lamb and pears are generally benign from an allergy perspective, I did not include rice in my "Tweet" on elimination diets, and some wondered why. Rice itself is also gluten free, but some fear enriched rice sprayed with a vitamin coating could contain a gluten based grain. You also want to be especially careful when eating out at a restaurant, as the preparation for Asian dishes may include soy sauces. A very good article can be found here: http://gfkitchen.server101.com/rice.htm
Celiac Disease is frequently misdiagnosed as Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, proctitis, pancreatitis and even gall bladder disease, to name but a few related or similar digestive diseases.
Gluten is not used in the glue on envelopes and stamps made in this country. That part is a myth, although we don't know about the manufacturing processes of other countries. Here's the link to the Envelope Manufacturers Association (US) stating that envelopes do not contain gluten: http://www.envelope.org/page/6692/. The association's website states that the glue is made from corn starch. In the Fall 2007 issue of Gluten Free Living, Amy Ratner reported, "There are actually only a few envelope glue manufacturers in the United States. National Starch & Chemical, a New Jersey company, is one of the largest adhesive suppliers in the world. A company spokesperson says it makes its glue from corn, which is gluten free." As for stamps, a Post Office spokesman told Ratner there's no gluten in stamp glue either. At any rate, the ingredients in stamp adhesives are much less of an issue, since the vast majority now have pressure adhesive glue and can be pressed onto your mail without the need to lick them.
A family history of "psychiatric problems" is more common in patients with celiac disease. It is also believed that food allergy is a common cause of mental illness. Allergy to proteins from cow’s milk, hen’s eggs and wheat are the three most common problems. One idea is that antibodies generated by food proteins or peptides can attack the brain. More: http://www.nutramed.com/celiac/celiacbrain.htm
Celiac Sprue Association starts national campaign to educate physicians on celiac disease. You can arrange to have a copy of the educational materials sent to your physician by donating $70 to the association. Details: http://www.csaceliacs.org/CSA-PEP.php
Alvine Pharmaceuticals is developing innovative therapeutic and diagnostic products for the treatment of celiac disease. Alvine’s lead clinical product candidate - ALV003 - is an orally administered combination of two proteases engineered to digest gluten. Initial technology created at Stanford and the Celiac Sprue Research Foundation: http://www.alvinepharma.com/index.asp?page=48
When 40 docs were challenged to test for celiac disease whenever classic symptoms were reported by their patients, the detection rates soared by 43 times the prior year's detection rate. Take charge of your health! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IdxcBkQO1pY
Celiac Disease Linked to Dementia. Gluten-Free Diet May Reverse Mental Decline in Patients. Adults who develop the digestive condition known as celiac disease appear to be at increased risk for dementia, according to new research from the Mayo Clinic. Link to WebMD article: http://www.webmd.com/news/20061013/celiac-disease-linked-dementia
Celiac disease manifestations can extend beyond the classic gastrointestinal problems, affecting any organ or body system. One of these manifestations—dental enamel defects—can help dentists and other health care providers identify people who may have celiac disease and refer them to a gastroenterologist. More: http://celiac.nih.gov/DentalEnamel.aspx
Celiac disease in Japan is virtually non-existent because the genes that cause the disease are not present in the population. (see video in left column at minute mark 0:15:00)
Five excellent resources for children with celiac disease: http://bit.ly/4dTMpo. (See also video lecture in left column beginning at minute marker 0:35:00 Note: use resize button under YouTube logo to view full-screen)
Digestive disorders cost Canadians $18 billion annually in health care and lost productivity: http://bit.ly/2MVYEl
FDA clears SQI's Multiplex platform. Product pipeline for 2010 includes autoimmune test panels for celiac disease: http://bit.ly/1KVLLk
Good Rule of Thumb for Allergy Sufferers: Try using the "Mono-Meal" concept talked about by Dr. Herbert M. Shelton, which means 1 food type per sitting: Why? Different food types require different pH environments in the stomach, and consequently, different digestive juices are secreted for use in digesting different kinds of food substances. The inhibiting effect upon protein digestion of acids, sweets and fats makes it important to avoid combining these three types of foods at one meal. Physicians recommend waiting anywhere from 2-4 hours before introducing another food type. As always, each patient's diet needs are different, so consult your personal physician before making any dietary changes. - Dr. Tatiana(for a more detailed explanation <ctrl + click>: http://chetday.com/efdigest.html).
Shire to terminate collaboration with Alba Therapeutics on an experimental drug for celiac disease. http://tw0.us/4VT
Diagnosed with a chemical imbalance? Maybe nothing more than gluten at work. Here's a link to the article: http://tw0.us/4P4
Sometimes irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) can present itself very similarly to celiac disase, as Elizabeth Hasselbeck found out: http://tinyurl.com/yzwxsqr.
The Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD) and how it relates to the management of Celiac Disease: http://tw0.us/4KW
Celiac Disease, mood swings, and diet... Connecting the dots by hearing others discuss their problems. http://tw0.us/4KQ
A mother's tips on how to search for a celiac-friendly pediatrician. http://tw0.us/4JS
Australia: There's further confirmation today of the potential medical magic of an unlikely parasite - the hookworm: http://tw0.us/4Ed
Good summary of food additives and allergies. I'm starting to wonder if the overall solution to gluten-free living should take food additives into account, in addition to the avoidance of wheat, barley, rye, and oats: http://tw0.us/4AB
More research needed: Is the growth in the number of celiac disease sufferers linked to genetically modified wheat? http://bit.ly/imgPd
Ethiopian scientist wins World Food Prize for sorghum. Sorghum is used for a range of gluten-free products.Click here for story: http://bit.ly/77SLj
New England Journal of Medicine - Link between celiac, osteoporosis found. Click here for story:http://bit.ly/16cRMs
Genetic Test for Celiac Disease Is Marketed Directly to Consumers Via Internet. Click here for the article: http://bit.ly/16Wl5K
Dietary Supplementation with Probiotics may be Beneficial in Celiac Disease. http://bit.lZy/2YvVl (Available in my store under "Probiotics.")
