If you or someone you love has been recently diagnosed with coeliac disease, you could be eligible to receive gluten free foods on prescription. Simply select your country of residence, and, if you live in England, fill in your postcode to check if your area is prescribing.
Your country is prescribing gluten free foods*. Request your Glutafin Taster Box by clicking the button below to sign up.
* Please note: local policies are constantly updated, and issuing a prescription is at the discretion of your GP.
Gluten is a general name for the protein found in wheat, rye, barley and oats. Gluten helps foods maintain their shape, acting as a glue that holds it together. It can be found in foods you wouldn’t expect, such as:
Coeliac disease is an autoimmune condition triggered by an intolerance to gluten. Exposure to gluten for people with coeliac disease causes the body’s immune system to attack its healthy body tissues, causing damage to the gut lining.
Gluten intolerance is when you experience symptoms similar to coeliac disease, but there are no associated antibodies and no damage to the lining of the gut.
Headaches/tiredness
Neurological (nerve) problems
Tooth enamel problems
Nausea/vomiting
Anxiety/depression
Skin rash
Weight loss
Fertility issues
Bloating/cramping
Joint and/or bone pain
Osteoporosis
Iron, vitamin 12or folic acid deficiency
Irritable bowel symptoms
Constipation
Excessive wind
Diarrhoea
Impaired brain function
Headaches/tiredness
Anxiety/depression
Achy muscles and/or joints
Bloating
Indigestion
Abdominal pain
Irritable bowel symptoms
Excessive wind
Diarrhoea
If you have any symptoms similar to those associated with coeliac disease, you should first discuss your concerns with your GP.
Do not remove gluten from your diet at this stage.
Your GP will take a simple blood test.
If coeliac disease antibodies are found in your blood, your GP will refer you to a gastroenterologist (a specialist in treating conditions of the stomach and intestines) at the hospital.
A biopsy may be carried out in hospital by a gastroenterologist to help confirm a diagnosis of coeliac disease.
If you’re diagnosed with coeliac disease you may also have other tests to assess how the condition has affected your nutritional status, as you may have an accompanying nutrient deficiency. You will also be recommended to eliminate gluten from your diet.
If you have any symptoms similar to those associated with gluten intolerance, you should first discuss your concerns with your GP.
Do not remove gluten from your diet at this stage.
Gluten intolerance is diagnosed by process of elimination.
Experts recommend that you first get tested for coeliac disease, and also wheat allergy using either a skin prick test or a blood test.
If both are negative, then your doctor may recommend a gluten elimination diet.
Reducing gluten from the diet and monitoring changes in symptoms will help individuals determine whether they have a gluten intolerance or not.
There is no cure for either condition, but if it is gluten causing your symptoms, switching to a gluten free diet could help symptoms and prevent the long-term consequences associated with coeliac disease.
An increase in the range of gluten-free foods has made it possible to eat both a healthy and varied gluten-free diet.
Coeliac disease affects approximately 1% of the population.
The average length of time for someone to be diagnosed with coeliac disease.
Only 30% of people with coeliac disease have been clinically diagnosed.
Incidence of coeliac disease is up to 3x higher in women than in men.
Gluten intolerance could potentially affect up to 13% of the population.
Only 30% of people with coeliac disease have been clinically diagnosed.
https://www.coeliac.org.uk/gluten-free-diet-and-lifestyle/gf-diet/gluten (Last accessed: December 2020)
https://www.coeliac.org.uk/information-and-support/coeliac-disease/dermatitis-herpetiformis/ (Last accessed: December 2020)
https://www.glutafin.co.uk/coeliac-disease/what-are-the-symptoms/(Last accessed: December 2020)
https://bmcmedicine.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1741-7015-10-13 (Last accessed: December 2020)
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coeliac-disease/diagnosis/ (Last accessed: December 2020)
Coeliac Disease Fact Sheet, Coeliac UK, 2016. (Last accessed: December 2020)
Aziz I, Lewis NR, Hadjivassiliou M et al. A UK study assessing the population prevalence of self-reported gluten sensitivity and referral characteristics to secondary care. Eur J Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2014 Jan;26(1):33-9
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coeliac-disease/ (Last accessed: December 2020)