Symptoms

The following is from the website of the American College of Gastroenterology:

The symptoms or signs of disease will depend on how much and how badly the intestine is inflamed. Some people have mild inflammation with few symptoms. Even though they may feel quite well there is still damage occurring to the lining of the bowel. Other people have more severe inflammation, which causes symptoms that may be severe enough to lead them to visit their doctor. Occasionally individuals will not have any symptoms even though their small intestine is severely inflamed.

A partial listing of gastrointestinal symptoms (from the National Library of Medicine):

• Abdominal pain
• Abdominal distention, bloating, gas, indigestion
• Constipation
• Decreased appetite (may also be increased or unchanged)
• Diarrhea, chronic or occasional
• Lactose intolerance (common upon diagnosis; usually resolves following treatment)
• Nausea and vomiting
• Stools that float, are foul smelling, bloody, or “fatty”
• Weight loss, unexplained (although people can be overweight or of normal weight upon diagnosis)

A partial listing of non-intestinal symptoms (from the National Library of Medicine):

• Anemia (low blood count)
• Bone and joint pain
• Bone disease (osteoporosis, kyphoscholiosis, fracture)
• Breathlessness (due to anemia)
• Bruising easily
• Dental enamel defects and discoloration
• Depression
• Fatigue
• Growth delay in children
• Hair loss
• Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar)
• Irritability and behavioral changes
• Malnutrition
• Mouth ulcers
• Muscle cramps
• Nosebleed
• Seizures
• Short stature, unexplained
• Skin disorders (dermatitis herpetiformis)
• Swelling, general or abdominal
• Vitamin or mineral deficiency, single or multiple nutrient (for example, iron, folate, vitamin K)

Someone with Celiac Disease may have a variety of symptoms and different people with Celiac Disease may have completely different symptoms.

To hear people talking about their lives before they were diagnosed with Celiac Disease, click here.

To read the testimonials of people talking about their lives before they were diagnosed with Celiac Disease, click here.

Learn about Celiac Disease and Children