Signs and Symptoms

As I said before, there are over 250 different symptoms associated with Celiac Disease. "Symptoms of Celiac Disease occur after eating foods containing gluten. These foods trigger an abnormal immune system response that damages the intestine. Symptoms vary widely: they may be very mild and go completely unnoticed, or they may be severe and impact daily life...Symptoms of celiac disease also occur with a variety of other conditions, which can delay the initial diagnosis." (http://www.webmd.com/digestive-disorders/celiac-disease/celiac-disease--symptoms)

There are two different categories of symptoms that I'm going to talk about. The first are "classic" symptoms that effect the G.I. Tract. The second are "atypical" symptoms that are extra-intestinal, or occur outside of the G.I. Tract. I'll also talk about some of the more severe, long-term effects that Celiac Disease can have on the body.

Some of the more common, "classic" symptoms include:
-Chronic diarrhea
-Bulky, pale, foul stools
-Belly distention (bloating), cramps, and pain
-Weight loss or weight gain
-Loss of or voracious appetite
-Vomiting
-Constipation
-Recurring mouth ulcers
-Dental enamel effects
-Lactose Intolerance

Some of the "atypical" symptoms include:
-Tired or no energy (chronic fatigue), iron deficiency, anemia
-Irritable, depressed (mental illness)
-Dermatitis Herpetiformis ("...a rare, chronic, skin disorder characterized by the presence of groups of severely itchy...blisters and raised skin lesions...These are more common on the knees, elbows, buttocks and shoulder blades." (http://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/dermatitis-herpetiformis))
-Osteopenia/Osteoporosis (premature bone loss)
-Infertility, miscarriage
-Neurological findings (neuropathy)
-Abnormal liver tests
-Muscle, joint pain
-Delayed growth in children (failure to thrive)
-Delayed puberty and other developmental delays
-ADD/ADHD, other mental manifestations
-Frequent respiratory infections
-Problems with memory and concentration
-Muscle weakness


The signs and symptoms of Celiac Disease vary from individual to individual, with some people showing many symptoms that affect their day to day life and others showing no symptoms at all. Celiac Disease is more common in people with the following diseases:
-Dermatitis herpetiformis
-Type 1 Diabetes
-IgA deficiency
-Down syndrome
-Autoimmune thyroid disease
-Sjogren's Syndrome
-Turner Syndrome
-Microscopic Colitis
-Primary Billary Cirrhosis


As you can see there are many symptoms of Celiac Disease so it is difficult to diagnose. Most symptoms that people go to the doctor for are classified as "atypical", so it often gets misdiagnosed as something else such as Lactose intolerance or IBS. That's why it's important to do your research and ask lots of questions if you go into the doctor to make sure you get the right diagnosis.