"mild" Celiac?

[kaytuh]

Hello! I'm a newly(ish) diagnosed celiac, 8 months on GFD. My symptoms prior to diagnosis were mild, once-daily diarrhea and cramping, but nothing debilitating, I never had any weight loss or signs of malnutrition. Diagnosed after blood test and endoscopy. Six months on the GFD (I follow strictly, overseen by a gasto and dietitian) my blood tests had all bounced back to normal, all my nutrient levels are perfect, BMs fine. Well, this weekend I slipped up after a late night out (I'm 25f) and had a piece of pizza! I was expecting the worse, but woke up the next morning, had one mildly loose BM, and that was it. Several days have gone by now, and I feel fine. 

 

Being relatively new to celiac I have to ask: are there people out there like me who aren't as sensitive? I have no plans to quit GFD, because I know that I could still be doing major gut damage, even if I feel fine. But since it sounds like most people get sick from even small amounts, I'm not sure if my case is strange, or if people like me just aren't as active on forums like this. I will be seeing my gastro for a check-in soon, so is this something I should bring up? Thanks!

[kareng]

You are just lucky! You caught it early. But be careful thinking that you can purposefully cheat because your symptoms aren't extreme..... That can add up. It causes damage, even if you don't feel it.

"The gluten-free diet is a lifetime requirement. Eating any gluten, no matter how small an amount, can damage your intestine. This is true for anyone with the disease, including people who do not have noticeable symptoms. "

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[cyclinglady]

Anemia was my only known symptom at the time of my diagnosis. Then three months later I had two vertebrae fractures doing nothing! Osteoporosis! I did not know about the hidden damage that celiac disease can cause.

[nvsmom]

I don't like to call it "mild celiac" myself. Celiac is celiac, some of us just have mild symptoms... for now.

 

My symptoms were not extreme when I was younger either. I had stomachaches and some joint pain in my teens but things slowly became more serious in my 20's and beyond.  I developed more AI diseases, some fatigue, and the beginnings of migraines and arthritis; stomachaches and bloating appeared more consistently in my 30's.  I never have had the classic symptoms (beyond a stomachache) but I will get tired and arthritic from a crumb of gluten.

 

Don't let yourself think that you are not as sensitive as other celiacs. You are!  You just do not have as extreme of a reaction, but that may change, and you could develop other health problems from the invisible internal inflammation you are causing if you eat gluten or get accidentally glutened.  You can't purposefully cheat with things like pizza or become less concerned about cc. That slice of pizza set your health back weeks, maybe even a couple of months, even though you haven't had a lot of obvious symptoms.  Treat yourself right.  

 

Best wishes.

[sunny2012]

Outward, noticeable symptoms are no real indicator of the "seriousness" of Celiac. Damage is done to the intestines regardless of noticeable effects. That means something is not being absorbed from the foods that are eaten. Some deficiencies the body can manage to handle until age becomes a problem. Others may simply go unnoticed. Eventually, this damage causes problems that are obvious. By then it could be too late to recover full health. Some look so much like other disease processes that everyone will simply assume it can't be Celiac. It is the great masquerader for a reason.  

[GFAnnie]

I agree with everything already said, but one thing I'm wondering, do you have any skin issues? Some of us have DH, or other celiac skin conditions, and in those people (like me), very few or no digestive symptoms can be present.  This was something that took me a while to figure out post-diagnosis, and my doctor was clueless about. Also, perhaps your symptoms are more neurological, like anxiety, depression, or just plain crazy irritability, weapiness, paranoia, or feeling like you can't handle life.  I also thought I was "mild" but then as I learned more about the variety of symptoms and became better at detecting my non-digestive reactions - skin rashes and temporary insanity!

[LauraTX]

My symptoms are similar to yours, sometimes less so.  I am glad you still plan on keeping gluten-free, it pains me to see other people with little reaction eat gluten and think it is not harming them.  I was basically diagnosed by accident when I was having gallbladder and ulcer issues, and my GI doctor did say that I am lucky it was caught early in the disease progression.  But a good way to say with Celiac is that it is like a pregnancy test, either you have it or you don't.  

 

For me, it makes me more paranoid because I could get hit with cross contamination and not even know it.  So I am extra diligent about things.  It makes me grateful that I did not go through years of undiagnosed damage like some unfortunate people have.  It is a good idea to get your antibody levels tested at each checkup to make sure you aren't off track without knowing it, too.