Jump to content
This site uses cookies. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. More Info... ×

  • Welcome to Celiac.com!

    You have found your celiac tribe! Join us and ask questions in our forum, share your story, and connect with others.



  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A1):

    Celiac.com Sponsor (A1-M):

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Our Content
    eNewsletter
    Donate

Celiac Disease And Infertility

taradorff

Recommended Posts

taradorff Rookie
taradorff
Posted

IS it true that celiac disease can cause infertility? Im only 25 yrs old and married with a little girl and Im worried that celiacs might cause me to have infertility problems? Some websites say yes other say no, im just not sure what to believe? Should I be concerned especially since Im having a hard time going off gluten.

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


lucia Enthusiast
lucia
Posted

According to Dr. Peter Green at the Columbia Center who is a world expert on celiac, the disease does cause infertility. Couples with unexplained infertility will often be tested for celiac, and the rate of positives for celiac amongst infertile couples (women & men) is much higher than in a standard population.

But infertility clears up once celiac is treated through the gluten free diet. In Dr. Green's book, his example case for celiac-induced infertility found herself pregnant after 9 months on the gluten free diet.

There's a section on this forum dedicated to pregnancy which should help answer more questions you might have. But the main thing is that you shouldn't have any issues (related to celiac) now that you're on the gluten free diet. It's just a matter of time.

  • 2 weeks later...
i-geek Rookie
i-geek
Posted

I'm 32. We started trying to have children 6 years ago. I didn't suspect celiac until last fall and didn't go gluten-free until late December. No pregnancy yet, but I'm guessing years of latent-with-flareups disease isn't going to fully heal in 6 months. I think my friend with celiac said it took three years after going gluten-free to conceive her second child.

Frances03 Enthusiast
Frances03
Posted

I believe it caused my infertility. I have had lots of testing done to figure out why I wasn't getting pregnant, and NOTHING was wrong with me that they could find. However after my celiac diagnosis, and 8 months gluten free, I am now 11 weeks pregnant. I also had 3 miscarriages in a row before diagnosis. I'm hoping that doesn't happen again now that I'm gluten free!

  • 2 weeks later...
firefightersgal Apprentice
firefightersgal
Posted

Everything I've read says that celiac disease, untreated, leads to infertility. It makes so much sense to me now that celiac is my issue, as all of my hormone levels are normal and I don't have any physical abnormalities. I don't ovulate on my own, so I have to take Clomid.

If you are planning on becoming pregnant, stay off of gluten, for sure. I know it is hard, but I feel very strongly that gluten in my diet is what caused my miscarriage 10 months ago.

GFCF Jen Newbie
GFCF Jen
Posted

Everything I've read says that celiac disease, untreated, leads to infertility. It makes so much sense to me now that celiac is my issue, as all of my hormone levels are normal and I don't have any physical abnormalities. I don't ovulate on my own, so I have to take Clomid.

If you are planning on becoming pregnant, stay off of gluten, for sure. I know it is hard, but I feel very strongly that gluten in my diet is what caused my miscarriage 10 months ago.

Firefightersgal: I have the same problem! I've been gluten-free for 7 years, but I recently quit taking birth control and now I don't ovulate on my own. I've been checked out by the doctors, and they can't find anything else wrong with me. My husband and I want to start a family, so they told me I'll have to take Clomid. I'm scared it will give us multiple babies though! Is there any solution besides Clomid that will make me ovulate on my own?

  • 2 weeks later...
niqueynique Newbie
niqueynique
Posted

I have had 6 miscarriages in the last 7 years. I was dx w/Celiac in February, have been almost to the letter as far as gluten-free goes. My last miscarriage was in May. It had something to do with Celiac.

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


srall Contributor
srall
Posted

I had my daughter at 35. Got pregnant immediately and had a very healthy pregnancy (except constant nausea). Immediately after she was 1 yr I started trying to get pregnant again. FOR YEARS. We even did a year of "outside help" including IVF. I was told I needed donor eggs and though we were heartbroken we just couldn't go on. Coincidentally this is when my symptoms were starting up. Well, unfortunately now I'm 42 and just recently gluten free. In my heart I really believe that this is why I could not get pregnant again. I know we won't have another child and we've worked through that. But I'm kind of angry that food sensitivities never came up when we were at the fertility clinic. Wouldn't they explore that possibility for couples having issues? It seems like such an easy thing to address.

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):


  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      131,257
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748
    Rob New
    Newest Member
    Rob New
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):

  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.4k
    • Total Posts
      1m
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):



  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):


  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • Scott Adams
      Is Caputo gluten free flour really free of gluten?

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      We have a category of articles on this topic if you really want to dive into it: https://www.celiac.com/celiac-disease/miscellaneous-information-on-celiac-disease/gluten-free-diet-celiac-disease-amp-codex-alimentarius-wheat-starch/
    • Scott Adams
      Celiac symptoms

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      I agree with @trents, and the rash you described, especially its location and resistance to steroids, sounds highly characteristic of dermatitis herpetiformis, which is the skin manifestation of celiac disease. The severe and prolonged reaction you're describing five days after a small exposure is, while extreme, not unheard of for those with a high sensitivity; the systemic inflammatory response can absolutely last for several days or even weeks, explaining why you still don't feel right. Your plan to avoid a formal gluten challenge is completely understandable given the severity of your reactions, and many choose the same path for their well-being. While experiences with GliadinX (they are a sponsor here) are mixed, some people do report a reduction in the severity of their symptoms when taken with accidental gluten, though it is crucial to remember it is not a cure or a license to eat gluten and its effectiveness can vary from person to person. For now, the absolute best advice is to continue being hyper-vigilant about cross-contamination—buffets are notoriously high-risk, even with good intentions. Connecting with a gastroenterologist and a dermatologist who specialize in celiac disease is essential for navigating diagnosis and management moving forward. Wishing you a swift recovery from this last exposure. If you have DH you will likely also want to avoid iodine, which is common in seafoods and dairy products, as it can exacerbate symptoms in some people. This article may also be helpful as it offers various ways to relieve the itch:  
    • Scott Adams
      Kan-101

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      So just to be cautious, there is a big difference between cured, and responding to their medication. I assume you mean that your daughter responded well while taking KAN-101 during the trial, but the drug would not cure celiac disease, but may manage it while you are taking it. Let me know if I got this right.
    • trents
      Is Caputo gluten free flour really free of gluten?

      By trents · Posted

      Welcome to the forum, @Godfather! "Gluten-free" is not the same as zero gluten. The FDA standard for allowing the food industry to us the gluten-free label on a product is that it cannot exceed 20 ppm of gluten. That is safe for most celiacs but not for the subset of celiacs/gltuen sensitive people who are super sensitive. "Gluten-free" wheat starch products have been processed in such a way to remove enough of the protein gluten to comply with the FDA regulation but usually do retain some gluten and we usually get reports from some people on this forum who fall in the more sensitive range that such products cause them to react. Hope this helps. So, you may just have to experiment for yourself.
    • trents
      Celiac symptoms

      By trents · Posted

      Welcome to the forum, @Dana0207! Another diagnostic approach would be to get biopsied for dermatitis herpetiformis which would not require an extensive exposure to gluten. But it would need to be done during an active outbreak of the rash. Celiac disease is the only known cause for dermatitis herpetiformis so it would be a definitive diagnosis. It might be tricky, however, to time the dermatology appointment with the gluten exposure and outbreak.
×
×
  • Create New...