Dr. Elizabeth Squirell · Gastroenterologist · Kingston Health Sciences Centre
Celiac disease
What celiac disease is, how it is tested for (keep eating gluten until testing is done), and how to live well on a gluten-free diet.
Key points
- Keep eating gluten until all your celiac tests are done. Going gluten-free first can make the tests look normal when they are not.
- Testing starts with a blood test (tTG-IgA and total IgA). Most adults then have a gastroscopy with small biopsies to confirm it.
- The treatment is a strict gluten-free diet for life. Avoid wheat, barley, rye and their relatives.
- Ask for a dietitian who knows celiac disease. They can help you find hidden gluten and eat well.
- Avoid cross-contamination: use your own toaster or toaster bags, clean surfaces, and squeeze bottles or your own jars.
- Oats are okay for most people only if they are labelled gluten-free. Add them once you are stable on the diet.
- Parents, brothers, sisters and children of someone with celiac disease should ask their doctor about testing.
- See your doctor and dietitian 3 to 6 months after diagnosis, then regularly, for blood tests and support.
Go to emergency or call 911 if you have
- Severe belly pain that does not settle
- Vomiting, and you cannot keep fluids down
- Severe diarrhea with dizziness, fainting or signs of dehydration
- Black or bloody stools