Crohn’s Disease vs. Celiac Disease: What’s the Difference?

Crohn’s disease and celiac disease are both gastrointestinal (GI) conditions that can cause abdominal pain, diarrhea, and other symptoms. While both diseases cause inflammation in the GI tract, the two have different causes and treatments.
Because Crohn’s and celiac have similar symptoms, it may be hard to initially diagnose. It’s also possible to have both.
“These conditions have a bidirectional relationship, meaning if you have one condition you’re at risk for the other one,” says Claire Jansson-Knodell, MD, a gastroenterologist specializing in celiac disease at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio. “Patients with celiac disease are at higher risk of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), including Crohn’s, and patients with IBD are at higher risk of celiac disease compared to the general public.”
Understanding the differences between these two conditions will help you make the recommended lifestyle changes, get the appropriate treatment, and improve your quality of life.
Symptoms of Crohn’s Disease vs. Celiac Disease
Crohn’s disease and celiac disease share some symptoms, says Dr. Jansson-Knodell. Symptoms can range from mild to severe in both conditions.
Crohn’s Disease Symptoms
Symptoms of Crohn’s disease may include the following:
- Belly pain and cramping
- Diarrhea (sometimes with blood)
- Unexplained weight loss
- Fatigue
- Loss of appetite
- Nausea and vomiting
- Bloating and gas
- Pain or drainage near or around the anus caused by inflammation from a fistula
Celiac Disease Symptoms
Symptoms of celiac disease can vary from person to person. Some people have severe symptoms after eating gluten, while other people don’t notice symptoms at all. (Also note that not all people with gluten sensitivity have celiac disease.) Celiac disease can potentially result in health issues like malnutrition, anemia, and chronic inflammation.
- Stomach pain
- Bloated stomach
- Gas
- Constipation
- Diarrhea
Crohn’s vs. Celiac: How They Overlap and How They Differ
Crohn’s disease and celiac disease are both lifelong conditions related to the immune system.
- Digestive issues like abdominal pain, diarrhea, and weight loss
- Periods of flare-ups followed by remission
- Complications like malnutrition, vitamin deficiencies, and anemia
One key difference in the conditions is the parts of the body they affect.
“In celiac disease, the primary location that’s affected is the duodenum (though it can affect anywhere in the small bowel), which is the first part of the small intestine,” says Jansson-Knodell. Crohn’s can affect anywhere along the gastrointestinal tract — from the mouth to the rectum.”
In a person with celiac disease, eating gluten triggers an immune response in the small intestine. The immune system reacts, sending inflammatory cells and antibodies to destroy the gluten molecules, which causes symptoms.
“There is ongoing research to identify similarities and differences between Crohn’s disease and celiac disease, particularly in the areas of genetics, immune factors, microbiome interactions, and environmental triggers,” says Ekta Gupta, MBBS, chief of gastroenterology at the UMMC-Midtown Medical Center at the University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore.
Crohn’s disease has a complex genetic-environmental interaction, says Dr. Gupta.
“But only 2 to 5 percent of people with celiac disease genes [actually] develop the disease, suggesting possible underlying environmental triggers as well,” she says.
Even with the overlap in symptoms, it’s not difficult to differentiate between the two diagnoses by checking serologies (lab work) on patients to screen them for celiac disease, says Melissa Teitelman, MD, a gastroenterologist at Duke Health and professor of medicine at Duke University School of Medicine in Durham, North Carolina.
Treatment Options for Crohn’s Disease
There are many more options for treating Crohn’s disease than for celiac disease.
The goal of Crohn’s disease treatment is to reduce inflammation, calm the immune response, and help manage symptoms like pain and diarrhea.
“There are several medications for IBD, including oral drugs, injectables, and infusions. That’s a good thing, because it can be tricky for some of our patients with inflammation to find the right medication that works for them,” says Jansson-Knodell.
- Steroids Corticosteroids and budesonide calm inflammation but are typically only used for short periods to help manage flares.
- Immunosuppressants These drugs work by calming the immune response. Examples include azathioprine and methotrexate.
- Biologics Biologics target proteins that cause your immune system to have an excessively activated immune response. The drugs are delivered via an IV or a shot. Options include TNF inhibitors, integrin inhibitors, Il-12/23 inhibitors, and Il-23 inhibitors.
- Small Molecule Advanced Therapies JAK inhibitors, taken orally in pill form, also reduce the immune response. Upadacitinib (Rinvoq) is the only one currently approved specifically for Crohn’s, but others are in various stages of the approval process.
- Antibiotics These are used to treat severe infections that can lead to abscesses or fistulas.
- Antidiarrheal Medication Prescription medications like loperamide (Imodium A-D) can be used temporarily to stop severe diarrhea.
- Pain Relievers Acetaminophen (Tylenol) may be recommended for mild pain. Common pain relievers like ibuprofen (Advil and others) or naproxen sodium (Aleve) are not recommended because they may exacerbate Crohn’s disease.
Lifestyle Changes for Crohn’s Disease
There are nonmedical ways to ease symptoms and reduce flare-ups of Crohn’s. Gupta suggests the following:
- Quit Smoking Stopping smoking is the No. 1 lifestyle measure to help improve symptoms and reduce the risk of complications.
- Ask Your Doctor About Supplementation Vitamins and nutrients like iron, vitamin D, vitamin B12, folate, and calcium may help with Crohn’s symptoms.
- Avoid Foods That Trigger Symptoms Cutting out dairy products or carbonated beverages may be helpful. In some cases, eliminating gluten can help as well.
- Stay Hydrated Getting enough water is key to minimizing the risk of dehydration and maintaining electrolytes.
- Manage Stress Because stress can contribute to flares, managing stress can be helpful. Practicing yoga, mindfulness, and other relaxation techniques is highly recommended.
Treatment Options for Celiac Disease
“There’s no current FDA-approved medication for the treatment of celiac disease,” says Jansson-Knodell.
Lifestyle Changes for Celiac Disease
“The treatment for celiac disease is a gluten-free diet,” says Jansson-Knodell.
Not eating gluten is the first and most important step in healing the small intestine so the body can absorb nutrients from food again. This isn’t a temporary fix: People with celiac have to maintain a strict gluten-free diet for life.
Eliminating gluten is no easy task, says Jansson-Knodell. Gluten is found in wheat, barley, and rye, which are used to make bread and baked products, hot and cold cereal, pasta, and many other processed foods.
As with Crohn’s disease, vitamin supplementation, adequate hydration, and engaging in stress-relieving activities like mindfulness and yoga can be helpful for people with celiac disease, says Gupta.
When to Get Help
It’s normal to have gastrointestinal issues, such as diarrhea, that clear up in a day or two. Persistent problems (in which GI symptoms are the norm rather than the exception) as well as new or unusual symptoms should be checked out by a doctor.
The Takeaway
- Crohn’s disease and celiac disease share common symptoms, such as abdominal pain, diarrhea, and weight loss, but they have different causes and treatments.
- Crohn’s disease is treated with medications that target the immune system, including steroids, biologics, and immunosuppressants, while lifestyle changes like quitting smoking and managing stress can reduce flare-ups.
- Celiac disease is managed by strictly adhering to a gluten-free diet because gluten triggers an immune response that damages the small intestine.
- Persistent gastrointestinal symptoms like diarrhea, bloating, and pain should be evaluated by a healthcare professional.
Resources We Trust
- Cleveland Clinic: Celiac Disease
- Mayo Clinic: Inflammatory Bowel Disease
- Penn Medicine: Crohn’s Disease
- Johns Hopkins Medicine: Dietary Changes for Celiac Disease
- International Foundation for Gastrointestinal Disorders: Personal Relationships and Digestive Disorders
- Crohn’s Disease. Mayo Clinic. October 29, 2024.
- Celiac Disease. Cleveland Clinic. December 1, 2022.
- Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD): Commonly Mistaken Conditions. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. June 12, 2024.
- Crohn’s Disease. Cleveland Clinic. December 4, 2023.
- Symptoms and Causes of Crohn’s Disease. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. July 2024.
- Celiac Disease. Mayo Clinic. September 12, 2023.
- Treatments for Crohn’s Disease. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. July 2024.
- When Should You See a GI Doctor? UPMC HealthBeat. August 15, 2023.

Yuying Luo, MD
Medical Reviewer
Yuying Luo, MD, is an assistant professor of medicine at Mount Sinai West and Morningside in New York City. She aims to deliver evidence-based, patient-centered, and holistic care for her patients.
Her clinical and research focus includes patients with disorders of gut-brain interaction such as irritable bowel syndrome and functional dyspepsia; patients with lower gastrointestinal motility (constipation) disorders and defecatory and anorectal disorders (such as dyssynergic defecation); and women’s gastrointestinal health.
She graduated from Harvard with a bachelor's degree in molecular and cellular biology and received her MD from the NYU Grossman School of Medicine. She completed her residency in internal medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, where she was also chief resident. She completed her gastroenterology fellowship at Mount Sinai Hospital and was also chief fellow.

Becky Upham
Author
Becky Upham has been professionally involved in health and wellness for almost 20 years. She's been a race director, a recruiter for Team in Training for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, a salesperson for a major pharmaceutical company, a blogger for Moogfest, a communications manager for Mission Health, a fitness instructor, and a health coach.
She majored in English at the University of North Carolina and has a master's in English writing from Hollins University.
Upham enjoys teaching cycling classes, running, reading fiction, and making playlists.