Did I outgrow celiac

[Liamclarke]

I was diagnosed with celiac at age 8 when I dropped down to the bottom 18% of my height and weight class this lead to tests which lead to celiac. I was devastated however with a gluten-free diet I am now taller than 60% of my grade. As I grew older I grew but my symptoms changed to violently throwing up everything inside of my body from a tiny macaron that I know had gluten in it and caused my reaction. However recently I had a full wheat containing cookie and didn’t feel a thing. Absolutely no symptoms at all. No upset stomach no diharea no anything not even a headache. So I told my doctor and he told me to experiment. What better than a fried fluffy donut that aren’t the same gluten-free I had half and had no reaction, not to mention the top ingredient was wheat and it was delicious. Yet still my mom is skeptical and I need to know. Can a kid outgrow celiac?????

[trents]

Welcome to the forum, Liamclarke!

We have reports from time to time of people whose celiac disease seems to go into remission. Often, however, it doesn't last. There is also the question of whether or not symptoms or lack of them tell the whole story. Many of us are "silent" celiacs who have very minor or no symptoms when consuming gluten yet slow, insidious damage is still going on in the gut. The only way to tell for sure in your case would be to be retested after going back on gluten for a period of weeks or months such that sufficient time has elapsed for antibody levels in the blood to build up to detectable levels. And I would certainly advise you to do that and not take anything for granted.

[BoiseNic]

I would avoid gluten at all cost. Sometimes there will be no noticeable damage, but it is still causing an autoimmune response that will manifest in some way or another eventually. Throwing up from a macaroon sounds like something other than celiac disease also.

[eKatherine]

Keep in mind that you might also have a dietary sensitivity to something else. Get into the habit of reading ingredients lists.

[Scott Adams]

Celiac disease is a lifelong autoimmune condition. Unlike some food allergies, which children may outgrow, celiac disease does not go away. Even if you don’t experience immediate symptoms after consuming gluten, it doesn’t mean the disease is gone. The absence of symptoms does not equal safety. Gluten can still be causing damage to your small intestine, even if you don’t feel it right away. As @trents mentioned, this is called "silent celiac disease," where there is internal damage without obvious symptoms.

The fact that you didn’t react to the wheat-containing cookie or the donut doesn’t mean you’ve outgrown celiac disease. It’s possible that your body didn’t react strongly at that moment, but repeated exposure to gluten could lead to long-term complications, such as nutrient deficiencies, osteoporosis, or other autoimmune conditions. The damage caused by gluten can be cumulative, even if symptoms aren’t immediate.

Your doctor’s suggestion to “experiment” is concerning. Celiac disease should never be tested by intentionally consuming gluten unless it’s under strict medical supervision for diagnostic purposes (like a gluten challenge before testing). Even then, it’s risky and can cause significant harm. If you’re curious about whether your celiac disease is still active, the best course of action is to consult a gastroenterologist and undergo proper testing, such as blood tests (tTG-IgA) or an endoscopy with biopsy, rather than self-experimentation.

Your mom’s skepticism is understandable and warranted. Celiac disease requires strict, lifelong adherence to a gluten-free diet, even if you feel fine after eating gluten. It’s not worth risking your long-term health for a donut or cookie, no matter how delicious they may be.

I strongly encourage you to avoid gluten entirely and continue following a strict gluten-free diet. If you have further questions or concerns, please discuss them with a healthcare professional who specializes in celiac disease. 

[Klsdurbin]

No!!! Celiacs disease does not go away. You can’t outgrow it, and if all proper diagnostic procedures (blood test and endoscopy) were followed when you were 8, it’s almost impossible to be mis-diagnosed. 
 

stoms and reactions to gluten do change over time, but the fact you have celiacs does not. 
 

I think that a lot of people misunderstand that the goal to managing your celiacs is to eventually test negative for celiacs. This does not mean it went away, it means that your gluten-free diet is working and you’re no longer producing the anti-bodies that will wreak havoc on your health. 
 

if you can access the medical records from when you were 8 and have a GI doctor review them, I would highly recommend you do this.