Celiac Disease And Infertility

[taradorff]

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.

[lucia]

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.

[i-geek]

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]

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!

[firefightersgal]

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]

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?

[niqueynique]

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.

[srall]

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.