Jump to content

  • 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 And Stunted Growth

gottarun96

Recommended Posts

gottarun96 Newbie
gottarun96
Posted

I am an almost a 17 year old girl. I am 4'11 and was recently diagnosed with celiac. Will I grow again, or is my growth stunted for good?

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

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


Persei V. Enthusiast
Persei V.
Posted

Gee, it depends. Is your family tall or short? It might be Celiac stopping you from absorbing all the nutrients you need to grow -- females grow, on average, until 18 years old -- but it might also be your DNA, and not even going gluten-free is going to fix that.

I will toss my experience and say I completely stopped growing when I was 13. Stuck in 5'2 forever ( <_< ) and going gluten-free didn't help me. That said, my mother and my sister are roughly the same height I am.

So... What is your case, exactly?

gfcolorado Newbie
gfcolorado
Posted

I am an almost a 17 year old girl. I am 4'11 and was recently diagnosed with celiac. Will I grow again, or is my growth stunted for good?

I have just started researching this because I have a 15 y/o daughter who is 5'3 and I am celiac and am 5'4 and my husband is 6'3. My daughter hasn't tested + for celiac but I am starting to wonder if she went gluten-free if she might still grow more. The research I have found says that you can stop growing anytime between puberty and early 20's. It depends when your growth plates stop growing and I read that you can do an x-ray of your hands to see if you will still grow based on your growth plates. It also depends on your genes/parents. How tall are they?

Hopefully it you were meant to be taller and you are going gluten-free you will still grow. Either way, I think you will feel much better going gluten-free. It's hard at first but gets easier. Good luck!

gottarun96 Newbie
gottarun96
Posted
  • Author

My mom is 5'4" and my dad is 5'6", so they are short. I haven't gotten my period yet either but I don't know if that is related.

nvsmom Community Regular
nvsmom
Posted

My mom is 5'4" and my dad is 5'6", so they are short. I haven't gotten my period yet either but I don't know if that is related.

Girls often stop growing shortly after they get their periods; by shortly, I mean a year or two. I was an undiagnosed celiac for most of my life, and I stopped growing at age 12... luckily I was 5'8" by then but the basketball player in me always wonders if I could have been taller.

My oldest son (9) is shorter than his brother (7), and although he tested negative for celiac, he's going gluten free now just in case it will help him grow.

17 is a bit late for not starting menstration yet. Because of your small stature and late periods, you might want to check and see if your thyroid is not working well. It's called hypothyroidism. Many people with other autoimmune disorders develop this in the form of Hashimoto's disease which is where your body attacks the thyroid gland (kind of like how celiacs' bodies attack their intestine). Hashimoto's can slow your growth and has many of the same symptoms as celiacs.

To test for Hashimotos, check TSH (will be high, probably higher than 5), T4 (will be low to normal) and thyroid peroxidase antibodies (will be high).

Best wishes. There was another teen/young adult who recently started growing again after going gluten-free... I think it was under "unexpected" but I'm not sure.

Mdhriggin Newbie
Mdhriggin
Posted

Given your symptoms (celiac, lack of menstruation, shorterned stature) you may want to look into getting tested for Turner's syndrome. One of my students wrote her Master's thesis on the topic (asked me to be on it because of my experience with celiac). It is when you have a missing x chromosome and it is only in women. Other symptoms include a large number of moles, a shortened ring finger, a barreled chest, heart conditions. It couldn't hurt to get tested. There are some great support websites for Turner's syndrome you may want to check out to see if it fits your symptoms.

ravenwoodglass Mentor
ravenwoodglass
Posted

You could gain a few more inches. A lot depends on whether your growth plates have fused yet. Your doctor can answer that question with a simple X-ray. Have the doctors checked your hormone levels etc. in regards to your not having started to have your period? It could just be that your body is not getting the nutrition it needs because of the undiagnosed celiac and that may resolve after you have been gluten free for a while.

I don't know if you are sexually active but if you are please be aware that you will ovulate before you get that first period so do use protection if you are active.

Be as strict with the diet as you possibly can. Also do make sure your parents and siblings are tested for celiac also even if they don't seem to have symptoms.

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

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


gottarun96 Newbie
gottarun96
Posted
  • Author

Thanks For all the responses. I think I will have some more tests done to rule other things out. And for the record I am not sexually active.

Archived

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

Go to topic listing

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Celiac.com:
    Join eNewsletter
    Donate
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):
    Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):



    Celiac.com Sponsors (A17-M):



  • Recent Activity

    1. trents
      - trents replied to Churro's topic in Celiac Disease Pre-Diagnosis, Testing & Symptoms
      1

      Celiac disease symptoms

      Welcome to the celiac.com community, @Churro! Several things need to be said here: 1. Your physician neglected to order a "total IGA" test to check for IGA deficiency. If a person is IGA deficient, the results of other IGA antibody tests specific to celiac disease will not be valid. A total IGA test should always be ordered when checking for celiac...
    2. Churro
      - Churro posted a topic in Celiac Disease Pre-Diagnosis, Testing & Symptoms
      1

      Celiac disease symptoms

      Last month I got blood tests done. My iron level was at 205 ug/dL and 141 ug/dL iron binding capacity unsaturated, 346 ug/dl total iron binding capacity, 59 transferrin % saturation. My ferritin level was at 13 so I got tested for celiac disease last week. My tTG-IgA is <.05, DGP IgA is 4.9 and ferritin level is 9. My doctor didn't order other celiac disease...
    3. tiffanygosci
      - tiffanygosci replied to tiffanygosci's topic in Introduce Yourself / Share Stuff
      4

      Celiac support is hard to find

      Hi Cristiana! It's so nice to meet you! Thank you for the kind reply I am glad I live in a time where you can connect with others through the Internet. That is a mercy I am grateful for.
    4. Scott Adams
      0

      Gluten-Free Stir-Fried Chinese Eggplant With Garlic Sauce

    5. pweidema
      - pweidema commented on Scott Adams's article in Latest Research
      1

      How the Gut Microbiome Shapes Celiac Disease Risk (+Video)

      Very interesting! Thank you Scott!
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):

  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      133,051
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748
    Rima
    Newest Member
    Rima
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):

  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.5k
    • Total Posts
      1m
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):

  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • trents
      Celiac disease symptoms

      By trents · Posted

      Welcome to the celiac.com community, @Churro! Several things need to be said here: 1. Your physician neglected to order a "total IGA" test to check for IGA deficiency. If a person is IGA deficient, the results of other IGA antibody tests specific to celiac disease will not be valid. A total IGA test should always be ordered when checking for celiac disease with blood IGA antibody test. You should ask your physician to order a total IGA test. 2. Iron deficiency anemia can also give distorted IGA celiac disease blood antibody tests. 3. If you were already on a gluten-free diet or had been restricting gluten consumption for weeks/months prior to the antibody testing blood draw, then the test results would not be valid. Accurate celiac disease blood antibody testing requires you to have been consuming significant amounts of gluten for a significant time period leading up to the blood draw. It takes time for the antibody levels in the blood to build up to detectable levels. 4. Your low iron levels and other symptoms could be due to celiac disease but could also be caused by lots of other medical issues.
    • Churro
      Celiac disease symptoms

      By Churro · Posted

      Last month I got blood tests done. My iron level was at 205 ug/dL and 141 ug/dL iron binding capacity unsaturated, 346 ug/dl total iron binding capacity, 59 transferrin % saturation. My ferritin level was at 13 so I got tested for celiac disease last week. My tTG-IgA is <.05, DGP IgA is 4.9 and ferritin level is 9. My doctor didn't order other celiac disease tests. In 2021 I was dealing with severe constipation and hemorrhoids. I'm no longer dealing with constipation. I still deal with hemorrhoids but only about once a week. Also, I've been dealing with very pale skin for at least 5 years. Do you think I have celiac disease? 
    • tiffanygosci
      Celiac support is hard to find

      By tiffanygosci · Posted

      Hi Cristiana! It's so nice to meet you! Thank you for the kind reply I am glad I live in a time where you can connect with others through the Internet. That is a mercy I am grateful for.
    • knitty kitty
      Positive biopsy

      By knitty kitty · Posted

      In the study linked above, the little girl switched to a gluten free diet and gained enough weight that that fat pad was replenished and surgery was not needed.   Here's the full article link... Superior Mesenteric Artery Syndrome in a 6-Year-Old Girl with Final Diagnosis of Celiac Disease https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6476019/
    • knitty kitty
      Fruits & Veggies

      By knitty kitty · Posted

      Hello, @Jordan Carlson, So glad you're feeling better.   Tecta is a proton pump inhibitor.  PPI's also interfere with the production of the intrinsic factor needed to absorb Vitamin B12.  Increasing the amount of B12 you supplement has helped overcome the lack of intrinsic factor needed to absorb B12. Proton pump inhibitors also reduce the production of digestive juices (stomach acids).  This results in foods not being digested thoroughly.  If foods are not digested sufficiently, the vitamins and other nutrients aren't released from the food, and the body cannot absorb them.  This sets up a vicious cycle. Acid reflux and Gerd are actually symptoms of producing too little stomach acid.  Insufficient stomach acid production is seen with Thiamine and Niacin deficiencies.  PPI's like Tecta also block the transporters that pull Thiamine into cells, preventing absorption of thiamine.  Other symptoms of Thiamine deficiency are difficulty swallowing, gagging, problems with food texture, dysphagia. Other symptoms of Thiamine deficiency are symptoms of ADHD and anxiety.  Vyvanse also blocks thiamine transporters contributing further to Thiamine deficiency.  Pristiq has been shown to work better if thiamine is supplemented at the same time because thiamine is needed to make serotonin.  Doctors don't recognize anxiety and depression and adult onset ADHD as early symptoms of Thiamine deficiency. Stomach acid is needed to digest Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) in fruits and vegetables.  Ascorbic acid left undigested can cause intestinal upsets, anxiety, and heart palpitations.   Yes, a child can be born with nutritional deficiencies if the parents were deficient.  Parents who are thiamine deficient have offspring with fewer thiamine transporters on cell surfaces, making thiamine deficiency easier to develop in the children.  A person can struggle along for years with subclinical vitamin deficiencies.  Been here, done this.  Please consider supplementing with Thiamine in the form TTFD (tetrahydrofurfuryl disulfide) which helps immensely with dysphagia and neurological symptoms like anxiety, depression, and ADHD symptoms.  Benfotiamine helps with improving intestinal health.  A B Complex and NeuroMag (a magnesium supplement), and Vitamin D are needed also.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

NOTICE: This site places This site places cookies on your device (Cookie settings). on your device. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use, and Privacy Policy.