Is my Celiac gone?

[GJC]

I'm 16. I was diagnosed with Celiac when I was 3 years old, they used a scope. I had been having a lot of pain, and after taking on the gluten free diet, I felt better and grew better. I know it may be risky, but I've been eating gluten for about 2 years now without any Celiac symptoms. I still follow my gluten-free diet most of the time, but when I don't I feel fine, and my stomach does not hurt afterwards. I am, however, often very tired/fatigued, but I don't know if that relates to my diet or not. I would like to see if anyone knows anything about Celiac going away? I've never heard of it before, but I just don't see why I wouldn't be feeling this way if it's not gone. Thanks!

[trents]

Welcome to the forum, @GJC!

Celiac disease is baked into the genes. It never really goes away if you were diagnosed correctly at 3 years old. There are occasional reports of celiacs who seem to go into remission for a period of time but eventually there is relapse.

But the thing you need to understand is that the symptoms experienced with celiac disease vary greatly from person to person. Many celiacs do not experience gut pain, diarrhea, vomiting or other "classic" symptoms when they consume gluten. We call them "silent" celiacs. But they may have other symptoms such as fatigue, brain fog, headaches or joint pain. There are over 200 symptoms that have been identified with celiac disease. And "silent" celiac disease may not not remain silent. Damage to the villous lining of the small bowel can progress silently but in time reach a critical point where gut pain and other more classic symptoms begin to manifest themselves if gluten free eating is not practiced.

You are very young and your body is very resilient. It can take a lot of abuse but if you don't take care of it you will eventually regret it.

Do you have access to the medical records that outline the testing that was done at the time of your diagnosis? It would be worth looking into to make sure testing was done properly in order to arrive at a reliable diagnosis.

[knitty kitty]

Welcome to the forum, @GJC!

No, Celiac doesn't go away.  With us, every time we eat gluten, our immune system revs up, increasing inflammation and causing collateral damage.  

Every time we eat gluten, antigluten antibodies attack the gluten, but also the cells of our bodies.  In the stomach, the parietal cells produce the Intrinsic Factor which binds to Vitamin B12 so B12 can then be absorbed in the small intestine.  When damaged by the antibodies, parietal cells cannot make the Intrinsic Factor and B12 doesn't get absorbed.  If we become depleted in B12, we cannot make healthy red blood cells and this can cause B12 deficiency anemia.  Fatigue can be a symptom of low B12 or B12 deficiency anemia.  

Those antigluten antibodies also damage the villi lining the small intestine.  The villi absorb nutrients from our food, sort of like anemones filtering seawater.  Damaged villi cannot absorb essential nutrients from our food and we can develop nutritional deficiencies.  Malnutrition is the collateral damage.  Our body cannot function properly if it doesn't have enough nutrients.  

We need the eight essential B vitamins, Vitamin C, and four fat soluble vitamins, A, D, E and K, and minerals, like calcium, iron, magnesium, zinc and a bunch of trace minerals.  Iron deficiency can cause iron deficiency anemia which results in fatigue.  Deficiencies in any of the eight B vitamins can cause fatigue.

Vitamin D regulates the immune system, lowers inflammation, and helps produce hormones.  Vitamin D is important in developing bone density especially in the late teens to early twenties.  Consequences of not absorbing sufficient Vitamin D can result in osteopenia and osteoporosis when older.  Low Vitamin D can also result in hair loss, depression, menstrual irregularities, obesity and fatigue.  

Our body can make its own opioids.  That's why your toe quits hurting after you stub it.  We have opioid receptors throughout our body, including in our digestive system.  Gluten can attach to the opioid receptors in our digestive system.  We also have opioid receptors in our brains.  Gluten that escapes from our digestive tract into the bloodstream can attach to these brain receptors resulting in brain fog and fatigue.  These opioid receptors in the brain don't work the same in very young children as in adults.  This explains why you don't have tummy aches like a three year old. 

Take care of your future self by eating a healthy nutrient dense diet now.  Count your blessing that you were diagnosed so early in life.  

It can be tough, but we'll be cheering you on!  

Best wishes