EDUCATION

Celiac disease cannot be cured. The only effective treatment to control symptoms is to follow a gluten-free diet. The diet will let the intestines heal, work properly, and stop long term damage. Some damage that is already done may be permanent.

Other treatments depend on individual problems. Examples include:

  • Vitamins and minerals to treat nutritional problems
  • Medicine to
    • Reduce intestinal inflammation
    • Treat dermatitis herpetiformis

Celiac disease treatment includes:

Lifestyle changes
Medications
Other treatments

There are no surgical treatments for celiac disease at this time.

REFERENCES:

Celiac disease. EBSCO DynaMed Plus website. Available at:http://www.dynamed.com/topics/dmp~AN~T114570/Celiac-disease. Updated January 10, 2018. Accessed February 12, 2018.

Celiac disease. Merck Manual Professional Version website. Available at: http://www.merckmanuals.com/professional/gastrointestinal-disorders/malabsorption-syndromes/celiac-disease. Updated May 2016. Accessed February 12, 2018.

Celiac disease treatment and follow up. Celiac Disease Foundation website. Available at: https://celiac.org/celiac-disease/understanding-celiac-disease-2/treating-celiac-disease. Accessed February 12, 2018.

Treatment for celiac disease. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases website. Available at: https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/digestive-diseases/celiac-disease/treatment. Updated June 2016. Accessed February 12, 2018.

Last reviewed December 2018 by EBSCO Medical Review Board Daus Mahnke, MD  Last Updated: 2/12/2018