Celiac Disease

What are the symptoms?

The symptoms of untreated CD vary tremendously, but are mostly related to impaired digestion and absorption of food and the nutritional consequences of malabsorption. Common symptoms are weight loss, intestinal symptoms such as diarrhea, bloating, gas, and cramping, inadequate weight gain and delayed growth in children, anemia, and fatigue. Osteoporosis, infertility, depression and dental enamel abnormalities may accompany the intestinal symptoms, or may be the only presenting symptoms. Some people are totally asymptomatic, but this does not mean that the intestine is not being affected. Although severe gut damage is usually associated with symptoms, it is possible to have no specific symptoms despite intestinal damage seen on a biopsy. So even if there are no symptoms after eating a gluten containing food this does not mean that a person with CD can "tolerate" gluten. For someone with CD, there is no such thing as tolerating gluten.