The most commonly reported rheumatological symptoms in celiac disease include polyarthralgia, early morning joint stiffness, back pain, and sacroiliitis [5]. But arthralgias as a sole presentation of celiac disease is a rare occurrence [6,7].
There is mounting evidence that people with celiac disease or gluten sensitivity produce inflammation that can cause joint pain. Although there are diagnostic tests for celiac disease, there are not comparable tools for gluten sensitivity.
CELIAC DISEASE
The undigested foods go on to cause abdominal pain, bloating and diarrhea. This patient had some of these digestive symptoms, but mostly she had pain — nerve pain, muscle pain, headaches, depression. These are also seen in patients with celiac disease.
Celiac disease can be painful. Some common pain symptoms are: Stomach pain or swelling (bloating) that keeps coming back. Muscle cramps or bone pain.
Celiac disease is clinically defined as classic, non-classic, subclinical, potential, and refractory.
Despite awareness efforts, celiac disease is often confused with other gluten-related disorders — like non-celiac gluten sensitivity (NCGS) or a wheat allergy. Both seem similar to celiac disease, but are different conditions.
Sometimes celiac disease becomes active after surgery, pregnancy, childbirth, viral infection or severe emotional stress. When the body's immune system overreacts to gluten in food, the reaction damages the tiny, hairlike projections (villi) that line the small intestine.
Also called the “gluten rash” or the “celiac rash,” the same gluten antibodies that damage your small intestine in celiac disease cause this condition. Dermatitis herpetiformis manifests as an itchy rash that looks like clusters of bumps or blisters. It typically affects your elbows, knees, buttocks or scalp.
Gluten neuropathy
When the nerves that cause movement are involved this is known as motor neuropathy. Symptoms of neuropathy can include decreased or loss of feeling, difficulty using arms, hands, legs and feet, tingling, numbness, burning and pain in any area of the body.
For most people, the symptoms persist for two to three days before finally clearing up: A hefty price to pay for consuming a minuscule bit of gluten.
By eating foods containing gluten, people with gluten sensitivity or celiac disease can bring on gastrointestinal symptoms and joint inflammation that can resemble rheumatoid arthritis. But they are two separate conditions caused by separate immune reactions.
People experiencing painful joint inflammation may consider eliminating gluten and other pro-inflammatory foods, such as sugary sodas. They may try it on a temporary basis—for example, eat gluten-free for 30 days—to see if joint pain is relieved or not.
They may suffer from abdominal distention and pain, and/or other symptoms such as: iron-deficiency anemia, chronic fatigue, chronic migraine, peripheral neuropathy (tingling, numbness, or pain in hands or feet), unexplained chronic hypertransaminasemia (elevated liver enzymes), reduced bone mass and bone fractures, and ...
Symptoms of celiac disease include: Gas, a swollen belly, and bloating. This happens because the small intestine can't absorb nutrients from food. You may also have mild stomach pain, but it usually isn't severe.
However, everyone with celiac disease is still at risk for long-term complications. Celiac disease can develop at any age after people start eating foods or medications that contain gluten. The later the age of celiac disease diagnosis, the greater the chance of developing another autoimmune disorder.
Stage 3 has three substages: Partial villous atrophy (Stage 3a): Your intestinal villi are still there, but are smaller. Subtotal villous atrophy (Stage 3b): Your intestinal villi have shrunken significantly. Total villous atrophy (Stage 3c): Your intestinal lining is basically flat with no intestinal villi left.
If I have celiac disease but no symptoms, can I still eat gluten? No. Even if symptoms don't appear, the ingestion of gluten still damages the intestines and also increases your risk for various complications like cancers and osteoporosis.
Studies debate the extent of the connection between Crohn's disease and celiac disease, but all conclude that Crohn's disease is more common in those with celiac disease than in the general population. Overlapping symptoms include: abdominal pain, diarrhea, anemia, and short stature.
Silent celiac disease is when a person's body attacks their small intestine as a reaction to the gluten protein in grains like wheat, barley, and rye. However, their reaction doesn't cause common digestive symptoms like diarrhea, constipation, and abdominal pain.
A colonoscopy isn't necessary for diagnosing celiac disease, but some specialists may suggest it to get the bottom (sorry) of your symptoms. A colonoscopy allows doctors to see the large intestine whereas celiac disease involves the small intestine, Dr. Bilchik explains.
People with celiac disease may experience weight gain after starting a gluten-free diet; this initial weight gain indicates that their intestinal health is improving and they are more effectively absorbing nutrients. However, gaining too much weight can lead to multiple health problems.