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    Scott Adams

    What Are the Symptoms of Celiac Disease?

    Reviewed and edited by a celiac disease expert.

    Symptoms may be common in some people, but totally absent in others.

    What Are the Symptoms of Celiac Disease? - Image: CC--Nick Spacee
    Caption: Image: CC--Nick Spacee

    Celiac.com 02/27/2019 - Celiac disease is an autoimmune condition with numerous symptoms, and associated conditions. People with celiac disease often have gastrointestinal symptoms, including upset stomach, abdominal pain, gas, bloating, indigestion, and diarrhea. Some suffer from many of these on a regular basis.

    However, many people show few or no symptoms. No single set of signs or symptoms is typical for everyone with celiac disease. Signs and symptoms can vary greatly from person to person.

    Symptoms of Celiac Disease Fall Into 7 Major Categories

    1. Digestive symptoms such as abdominal pain, bloating, gas, diarrhea, constipation, nausea, vomiting, and steatorrhea (fatty stools);
    2. Non-digestive symptoms such as fatigue, weakness, anemia, weight loss, malnutrition, delayed growth, irritability, depression, anxiety, and cognitive impairment;
    3. Dermatological symptoms such as skin rash, itching, blistering, and dermatitis herpetiformis;
    4. Musculoskeletal symptoms such as joint pain, muscle pain, muscle cramps, and osteoporosis;
    5. Neurological symptoms such as headache, migraine, ataxia, neuropathy, seizures, and cognitive impairment;
    6. Reproductive symptoms such as infertility, menstrual irregularities, and recurrent miscarriage.
    7. No obvious symptoms or asymptomatic;

    Symptoms Can Vary Between Children and Adults

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    The signs and symptoms of celiac disease can vary greatly and are different in children and adults. The most common signs for adults are diarrhea, fatigue and weight loss. Adults may also experience bloating and gas, abdominal pain, nausea, constipation, and vomiting. Many symptoms caused by celiac disease are the result of nutritional deficiencies caused by flattened villi and subsequent malabsorption. 

    Symptoms in Children

    Children under 2 years old celiac symptoms often include vomiting, chronic diarrhea, failure to thrive, muscle wasting, poor appetite, and swollen belly. Older children may experience diarrhea, constipation, weight loss, irritability, short stature, delayed puberty, and neurological symptoms, including attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), learning disabilities, headaches, lack of muscle coordination and seizures

    Vague Symptoms Can Delay Celiac Diagnosis

    It is not uncommon for symptoms of celiac disease to be vague or confusing. Vague or confusing symptoms can include dental enamel defects, bone disorders like osteoporosis, depression, irritability, joint pain, mouth sores, muscle cramps, skin rash, stomach discomfort, and even neuropathy, often experienced as tingling in the legs and feet. 

    To make matters more challenging, celiac symptoms can also mimic symptoms of other diseases, such as anemia, Crohns disease, gastric ulcers, irritable bowel, parasitic infection, even various skin disorders or nervous conditions. Vague or confusing symptoms can delay celiac disease diagnosis.

    Signs and Symptoms of Celiac Disease

    • Abdominal cramps, gas and bloating
    • Acne
    • Anemia
    • Ataxia (gluten ataxia)
    • Borborygmi—stomach rumbling
    • Coetaneous bleeding
    • Delayed puberty
    • Dental enamel defects
    • Diarrhea
    • Dry skin
    • Easy bruising
    • Epistaxis—nose bleeds
    • Eczema
    • Failure to thrive or short stature
    • Fatigue or general weakness
    • Flatulence
    • Fluid retention
    • Folic acid deficiency
    • Foul-smelling yellow or grayish stools that are often fatty or oily
    • Gastrointestinal symptoms
    • Gastrointestinal hemorrhage
    • General malaise, feeling unwell
    • Hematuria—red urine
    • Hypocalcaemia/hypomagnesaemia
    • Infertility, or recurrent miscarriage
    • Iron deficiency anemia
    • Joint Pain
    • Lymphocytic gastritis
    • Malabsorption
    • Malnutrition
    • Muscle weakness
    • Muscle wasting
    • Nausea
    • Obesity/Overweight
    • Osteoporosis
    • Pallor—pale, unhealthy appearance
    • Panic Attacks
    • Peripheral neuropathy
    • Psychiatric disorders such as anxiety and depression
    • Skin Problems—acne, eczema, DH, dry skin 
    • Stunted growth in children
    • Underweight
    • Vertigo
    • Vitamin A deficiency
    • Vitamin B6 deficiency
    • Vitamin B12 deficiency
    • Vitamin D deficiency
    • Vitamin K deficiency
    • Vomiting
    • Voracious appetite
    • Weight loss/gain
    • Zinc deficiency

    Conditions Associated with Celiac Disease

    People with one or more of these associated conditions are at higher risk for celiac disease:

    • Addison's Disease 
    • Anemia 
    • Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia 
    • Arthritis 
    • Asthma 
    • Ataxia, Nerve Disease, Neuropathy, Brain Damage 
    • Attention Deficit Disorder 
    • Autism 
    • Bacterial Overgrowth 
    • Cancer, Lymphoma 
    • Candida Albicans 
    • Canker Sores—Aphthous Stomatitis) 
    • Casein / Cows Milk Intolerance 
    • Chronic Fatigue Syndrome 
    • Cognitive Impairment 
    • Crohn's Disease 
    • Depression 
    • Dermatitis Herpetiformis
    • Diabetes 
    • Down Syndrome 
    • Dyspepsia, Acid Reflux
    • Eczema
    • Epilepsy 
    • Eye Problems, Cataract 
    • Fertility, Pregnancy, Miscarriage 
    • Fibromyalgia 
    • Flatulence—Gas 
    • Gall Bladder Disease 
    • Gastrointestinal Bleeding 
    • Geographic Tongue—Glossitis 
    • Growth Hormone Deficiency 
    • Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis
    • Heart Failure 
    • Infertility, Impotency 
    • Inflammatory Bowel Disease 
    • Intestinal Permeability 
    • Irritable Bowel Syndrome 
    • Kidney Disease 
    • Liver and biliary tract disorders (transaminitis, fatty liver, primary sclerosing cholangitis, etc.)
    • Low bone density
    • Lupus 
    • Malnutrition, Body Mass Index 
    • Migraine Headaches 
    • Multiple Sclerosis 
    • Myasthenia Gravis Celiac Disease
    • Obesity, Overweight 
    • Osteopenia, osteoporosis, osteomalacia 
    • Psoriasis 
    • Refractory Celiac Disease & Collagenous Sprue
    • Sarcoidosis 
    • Scleroderma 
    • Schizophrenia / Mental Problems 
    • Sepsis 
    • Sjogrens Syndrome 
    • Sleep Disorders 
    • Thrombocytopenic Purpura 
    • Thyroid & Pancreatic Disorders 
    • Tuberculosis 

    Nutritional Deficiencies Associated with Celiac Disease and their Related Clinical Manifestations

    Nutritional deficiency
    Most frequent signs and symptoms
    Iron
    Hypochromic, microcytic anemia, glossitis, koilonychia, fatigue, pallor, cognitive impairment
    Folate
    Megaloblastic anemia, glossitis, diarrhea, cognitive impairment
    Vitamin B12
    Megaloblastic anemia, posterior columns syndrome, dementia, depression, psychosis
    Vitamin D
    Osteomalacia (deformity of bone, pathologic fractures), osteoporosis, cognitive impairment, secondary hyperparathyroidism
    Zinc
    Growth retardation, hypogonadism, infertility, dysgueusia, poor wound healing, diarrhea, dermatitis on the extremities and periorificial, glossitis, alopecia, corneal clouding
    Less frequently occurring
    Protein
    Edema, muscular atrophy
    Vitamin B1 (thiamine)
    Irritability, fatigue, headaches, peripheral neuropathy, wet Beriberi: congestive heart failure; Wernicke: nystagmus, ophtalmoplegia, ataxia; Korsakoff: hallucinations, impaired short-term memory and confabulation
    Vitamin B3 (niacin)
    Pellagra: diarrhea, dementia, pigmented dermatitis; Glossitis, stomatitis, vaginitis, vertigo, burning dysesthesias
    Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine)
    Stomatitis, angular cheilosis, glossitis, irritability, depression, confusion, normochromic normocytic anemia
    Vitamin A
    Follicular hyperkeratosis, night blindness, conjunctival xerosis, keratomalacia
    Vitamin E
    Hemolytic anemia, peripheral neuropathies, ophtalmoplegia, posterior columns syndrome
    Vitamin K
    Easy bleeding

     

    Top Scientific References on Celiac Symptoms



    User Feedback

    Recommended Comments



    Guest Kaya Merrill

    Posted

    I have all the symptoms except for osteoporosis, and I am not a child. Thanks, Kaya.

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    Guest Penrose

    Posted

    After surviving rectal cancer, chemotherapy, radiation, an ileostomy, an ileostomy take down; food allergies - particularly to Gluten it seems - have worn me down to a frazzle and made me incredibly sick. Am undergoing testing for celiac disease and hope for the best. Thanks for the information.

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    Guest Robert Beebe

    Posted

    I was completely unaware that such a disease even existed. I have all of the symptoms! The treatment seems easy enough, which would be a good diagnostic tool. Thank you. B. Beebe

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    Guest Jeanette James

    Posted

    So very informative! Thank you, thank you, thank you!

    Jeanette

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    Guest beverly lees

    Posted

    I think that it is wonderful that there is this kind of information to the public, I myself have a rash and when I read about this I quit all bread and cereals, and my rash went away , thank you very much..

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    Guest Ginger

    There is a last and final symptom and that is non Hodgkin's lymphoma cancer. That was how I found out that all my childhood pains and indigestions and such were directly linked to celiac disease. I went over and beyond gluten intolerance. My pathology book informed me of the final result after I'd done chemo and radiation. Go figure. lol

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    Guest Leah

    This site has been a god send. I am a physician struggling with this disease and multiple other food allergies. It is nice to know that I, as a medical professional, do not feel as if I have to come up with all of my own answers. This disease definitely has been education for me in so many ways. Please keep the information and articles coming. By the way anyone looking for a great physician in Boston, I have been a patient of Dr. Catherine Cheney's for a while and she is top notch!

     

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    Guest Carles Ramos

    Posted

    Yes, you are right. Thanks for the info. I've got nine out of ten symptoms of the list and a few more: regular rashes of candidiasis, insomnia, hemorroids and last one, maybe related maybe not, bladder cancer.

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    Guest Vanda

    Posted

    I broke out 15 years ago and no one could tell me what was wrong. I broke out again last spring still no answers. My oldest daughter has been having problems and was diagnosed with celiac disease and was told it is hereditary. My youngest is also having the same symptoms so I will be scheduling an appointment to find out if I have celiac disease.

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    Guest Helen Jordan

    Posted

    I got on to this site, my daughter has all these symptoms,

    will follow up on this.

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    Guest stacey

    Posted

    Thanks for the info my son is 18 months old and has been in and out of hospital 4 the last six weeks he has quite a few of the symptoms you have said my son is being tested for celiac and he is on iron supplements - I am quite convinced that he has got it.

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    Guest Linda

    Posted

    How in God's name do you get through to people that this is NOT a joke, it's NOT just a tummy ache, and it's NOT in your head? As if I would be wasting time & money eating such a bloody expensive & inconvenient diet! Thanks for the DDX list. By the way, for some of us, it's severe constipation w/severe inflammation and other fun things like fistulas.

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    Scott Adams

    Scott Adams was diagnosed with celiac disease in 1994, and, due to the nearly total lack of information available at that time, was forced to become an expert on the disease in order to recover. In 1995 he launched the site that later became Celiac.com to help as many people as possible with celiac disease get diagnosed so they can begin to live happy, healthy gluten-free lives.  He is co-author of the book Cereal Killers, and founder and publisher of the (formerly paper) newsletter Journal of Gluten Sensitivity. In 1998 he founded The Gluten-Free Mall which he sold in 2014. Celiac.com does not sell any products, and is 100% advertiser supported.


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