Celiac Going Dormant

[JodiC]

I don't know if this is true or not and can't remember where I read it. I heard that after a certain age Celiac will go dormant and than will show up again around puberty. I had my kids tested at ages 4 and 5 and they were all negative despite having symptoms. Someone told me (or I read it) that I should wait and retest them around puberty. Any advice on this???

[tarnalberry]

Yes, for many people, symptoms subside, or change dramatically (so they no longer think it's celiac) during their teens and twenties. That doesn't mean damage isn't being done, or that it isn't celiac, of course. Retesting them periodically (every few years) while they have symptoms, if they have the genes, is probably a good idea. If they don't have th genes (or you don't know if they do), retesting again in five or ten years is a good idea. But would also encourage trying them on the diet, now, to see if it makes any difference in their symptoms.

[quantumsugar]

1. I've heard that as well

2. That's what happened for me--I had lots of stomach problems as a kid, doctors thought it was all in my head.... got better for the rest of my childhood (though I was constantly having health problems, many not-GI related). I started getting sick again around high school and it got much worse before I finally learned what was wrong.

If they're having symptoms but not showing positive test results, it's your call--I would be a lot healthier now if I hadn't had years of damage from eating gluten. On the other hand, a number of things (like school) can be more difficult without a formal diagnosis. If you don't put them on a gluten-free diet now, I would definitely retest them later.

Good luck.

[jerseyangel]

I had stomach problems as a child--D after eating, felt faint at times. During my teen years, I was fine--did everything I wanted, ate everything with no problems. After C-section birth of 2nd child at 29, symptoms returned.

[KaitiUSA]

Symptoms can come and go at anytime but that doesn't mean that celiac comes and goes so getting them retested every so often is a good idea. Some people never get symptoms with it so you can't go by that.

[ianm]

My symptoms would come and go. In my 20's the symptoms started lasting for longer periods of time. In my 30's they returned with a vengeance and never left until I went gluten-free.