Dear Jennie,
How you live your life is definitely your choice. But I would always advise a person who has received a definitive blood and biopsy diagnosis to adhere to a gluten free diet. I do concur that more research could be done about asymptomatic Celiac Disease patients.

I was diagnosed with celiac disease in 2009 (age 23) and followed a GF diet for 5 months before getting pregnant and being put on wellbutrin for my depression. During this time the wellbutrin caused severe constipation so I was struggling to use the bathroom properly. One day during my pregnancy I was craving a sandwich and “cheated”, I had zero side effects and just figured being pregnant with my daughter cured my celiac. When I was first diagnosed by a Colonoscopy all I was told was I have celiac and to eat GF, no other education was given, no references or guidance and no warnings or what could happen if not followed. So going back to I now have in my head that I am ” cured” of my celiac because nothing happened when I ate gluten, so I continued to test this theory. I have been eating whatever I want everyday since 2009, fast forward to May 2022 and my doctor decides they have to take me off my wellbutrin ( I have been on since 2009) because my depression is too out of control and I was starting to have self harming thoughts. Let me tell you that when I stopped that wellbutrin my world fell apart. I could not eat anything without passing it whole moments later, I for the life of me could not figure out what was going on. I ended up in the hospital severely dehydrated and they began to run every test on me. DR came back and let me know I have celiac disease, I laughed and told him ” oh, no my daughter cured that years ago 🤦‍♀️”. My wellbutrin had “masked” every symptom and sign I should have had being a celiac. Since May of 2022 I have been completely GF diet, make up, shampoo, etc. I have a great support system at home ( my husband was there the day I was first diagnosed and is happy we have more food options available now ). I am happy to say I have joined some great groups of people and I have wonderful doctors who are helping navigate toward making sure I have not caused serious damage to any part of my body during my “cheat phase”. I am the only person in either sides of my family who has a diagnosis or shows any signs of celiac.

Thank you so much for sharing your story. There are so many people who are aysmptompatic, who don’t understand that damage is stil being done. Hope your health is improving!

My father passed away in February of 2020.

After being diagnosed for a long time, sometimes we forget what those early days are like. After being DX almost 20 years, and feeling so much better, I need to remind myself what it felt like long ago so i can be compassionate. Glad I could help!