Medications

Medicines usually are not needed to treat celiac disease. If you or your child has been diagnosed with this condition, your doctor may recommend taking a vitamin supplement that has iron and calcium. After you or your child is on a gluten-free diet, symptoms should get better within 2 or 3 weeks, nutrients should be absorbed more normally, and the small intestine should gradually heal.

Medicine is only needed if you or your child becomes seriously ill with celiac disease or if complications develop. Medicines will be given only long enough to correct these problems. Doctors may prescribe steroid medications to ease swelling in the intestine and to help it absorb nutrients better. But not all experts agree about the use of these medicines to treat celiac disease. Some complications, such as delayed growth, cannot be treated with medicine.

Surgery

There is no surgical treatment for celiac disease.

Other Treatment

You may want to consider seeing a counselor to help you deal with having celiac disease. Professional counseling involves speaking with a qualified counselor, psychologist, or psychiatrist who can help you cope with or change certain thoughts, feelings, or behaviors.

Nutritional counseling from a registered dietitian who is familiar with celiac disease and the specifics of gluten-free foods can help you create a practical and healthy gluten-free diet.

Celiac Disease: Eating a Gluten-Fee Diet